Popular sugar substitutes linked to faster brain aging - Science Daily

Scientists are continuing to look for ways to replace sugar in our diets. As great as it makes food taste, we know it's not great for our health, and questions have been raised over the impacts of artificial sweeteners too. According to a new study published in Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, a protein called brazzein could be the answer. Originally found in a West African fruit and now mostly made by engineered fungi, it's processed naturally and easily by the body and is up to 2,000 times sweeter than sugar, weight for weight. Researchers from the Federal Research Center of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Food Safety in Russia ran tests with 101 adults diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a condition often accompanied by obesity and diabetes, where fat builds up in the liver. The study, a randomized controlled double-blind crossover trial, focused on ice cream, one of the most tempting types of sugary foods. Each participant consumed a standard 100-gram (3.5-ounce) serving of vanilla ice cream on three separate days: one using sugar, one sweetened with brazzein, and one with brazzein and the dietary fiber inulin.