Artificial Sweeteners Could Treat Parkinson's Disease, Study Finds

Often an ingredient in sugar-free gum and candy as well as in medicine, mannitol is now believed to be a treatment for Parkinson's disease. A study found that mannitol prevents the protein α-synuclei from clumping and forming in the brain, a process associated with Parkinson's disease, according to Science Daily.

Studies conducted on both fruit flies and mice found that with the application of mannitol, amounts of α-synuclei protein in the brain reduced significantly. Mannitol, a sugar alcohol formed by fungi, bacteria, and algae, is used as diuretic to cleanse the body of excess fluids and is also used during surgery to help enable blood flow to the brain in order to ease the passage of other medicines.

If the results of the study are accurate, the artificial sweetener could treat Parkinson's disease and other diseases like Alzheimer's and Huntington diseases.