Sugar-sweetened beverages are sweet, but their effects on brain health might not be Original paper

Dietary factors may play a role in the maintenance or loss of brain function during aging. To this end, several observational studies on older adults have examined the association between cognitive function and refined sugar intake and found what appears to be a harmful relationship. However, there is comparatively less research assessing the association between cognitive function and intake of sugar from sugar-sweetened beverages specifically.

This cross-sectional study examined the association between consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and cognitive function among 2,319 adult participants (ages 60 and older) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Information on the participants’ SSB intake was collected via two 24-hour food recalls. The SSBs were carbonated soft drinks, sweetened coffee, sweetened tea, fruit drinks (excluding 100% juice), sports drinks, energy drinks, and alcoholic beverages with added sugar. The participants were respectively classified as SSB consumers or SSB nonconsumers according to whether the percentage of their daily calories obtained from SSBs was ≤1% (SSB nonconsumers) or >1% (SSB consumers).

Cognitive function was assessed using the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD) test, the Animal Fluency Test, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). The test results were combined into an overall score and converted into a Z-score (a score relative to the average score). The results were adjusted for age, sex, race, education level, BMI, hypertension, diabetes, and prior heart attack.