Why Sucralose and Other Artificial Sweeteners are Not Good for You

If you take a look at the ingredient panel on the back of your store bought sport supplements, you'll most likely find a list of artificial sweeteners such as sucralose, saccharin, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium. These artificial sweeteners are marketed as an attractive option for those wishing to cut sugar and calories out of their diet but are unwilling to ditch sweet tasting foods entirely.

Sucralose, commonly referred to as Splenda, is the most popular of these artificial sweetener options, with the widely recognized yellow packet offered next to pure sugar as a “healthy alternative.” Millions of people across the world use this product in baking and cooking, and companies add it to food to make it “diet” or “sugar-free.”

Unfortunately, the purported benefits of sucralose are myths and are contradicted by the overwhelming research proving what the health community has known for some time...stay away from fake sugar!

The debate surrounding artificial sweeteners is fierce and long-lasting, having raged since even before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved sucralose in 1998. Many people are overwhelmed by the strong opposition and are unable to get a clear picture of what these products actually do to the body. Keep reading for research-backed insight into why Splenda has no place in your pantry.

What is sucralose?

Sucralose is a chemically altered sugar product. It is made when 3 hydrogen-oxygen atoms in sugar are replaced by three chlorine atoms, creating a substance that is 400-700 times sweeter than sugar (1) with zero calories.

Why are artificial sweeteners bad for your health?

May increase cancer risk

One animal study (2) showed that when mice were fed large amounts of sucralose throughout their lives, the instances of leukemia and other cancer development were significantly increased. This research is alarming, and the scientists behind the project recommended urgent follow-up studies due to the popularity of artificial sweetener.

Do not help with weight management

Though many turn to artificial sweetener to help lose weight, recent research (3) has proven that the opposite may be true. Diet soda is a particularly significant contributor to the obesity epidemic. Those desiring to change their soda drinking habits often switch to diet soda to limit their sugar exposure, without knowing that they may have inadvertently increased their rate of weight gain.

May affect blood sugar and insulin

Those who are not regular consumers of sucralose may experience increased blood sugar and insulin levels when partaking of artificial sweeteners. One study, (4) performed on 17 clinically obese individuals whose bodies were not accustomed to artificial sweeteners found that blood sugar levels increased by 14%, while insulin levels increased by 20%. The effect of sucralose on healthy, normal-weight individuals was found (5) to be negligible; however, more research is needed to make an official ruling on the impact of artificial sweeteners on blood sugar and insulin.

Affects gut health

It is well known (6) by now how important gut health is to the health of the rest of your body. Improper digestion, stomach issues, or lack of healthy gut bacteria can all affect your entire system and prove challenging to remedy. One important study (7) showed that when rats consumed sucralose for 12 weeks, their healthy gut bacteria was significantly diminished. In fact, they had 47–80% fewer anaerobes (organisms that grow without air and contribute to gut health) than before the study started. Other beneficial bacteria was affected and was not restored to normal levels even after 12 weeks following the study. More research is needed to confirm the same effects in humans, but this is a compelling reason to avoid sucralose in your diet.

Can cause you to crave more sugar

Because they are so much sweeter than table sugar, artificial sweeteners can condition your body to expect a high level of sweetness and can even make you numb to things like natural sugar in fruit.

What to do?

Turning back to table sugar is not the answer to the problem of artificial sweeteners. This white grain is one of the greatest contributors to the obesity epidemic in America and hides in thousands of food products that you would never suspect. Be sure to read the labels on packages so that you know what you are putting into your body. You wouldn’t add some random liquid to your car without first reading the label, would you? You should treat your body no differently.

The ultimate solution for the issue of sweeteners would be to avoid added sugar entirely and satisfy your sweet tooth with natural sugar from fruit and vegetables. However, many people crave sweetness and are unable to quit sugar cold turkey. Make an effort to wean yourself off sugar, and you will soon notice that you begin to desire it less and less. Or try other healthy alternative sweetener options such as honey, or Stevia. Regardless of what path you take, remember; artificial sweeteners are not a healthy substitution and may damage your health and wellbeing in the long run. The fewer calories are not worth the risk!

References

1. HAWRYSH, Z., ERIN, M., LIN, Y. and HARDIN, R. (2018). Propyl Gallate and Ascorbyl Palmitate Affect Stability of Canola Oils in Accelerated Storage. [online] Wiley Online Library. Available at: . https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1992.tb14345.x [Accessed 8 Oct. 2018].
2. HAWRYSH, Z., ERIN, M., LIN, Y. and HARDIN, R. (2018). Propyl Gallate and Ascorbyl Palmitate Affect Stability of Canola Oils in Accelerated Storage. [online] Wiley Online Library. Available at: . https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1992.tb14345.x [Accessed 8 Oct. 2018].
3. Fowler, S., Williams, K. and Hazuda, H. (2015). Diet Soda Intake Is Associated with Long-Term Increases in Waist Circumference in a Biethnic Cohort of Older Adults: The San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging. [online] NCBI Resources. Available at: http://https [Accessed 8 Oct. 2018].
4. Pepino, M., Tiemann, C., Patterson, B., Wice, B. and Klein, S. (2013). Sucralose Affects Glycemic and Hormonal Responses to an Oral Glucose Load. [online] PubMed. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23633524 [Accessed 8 Oct. 2018].
5. Ma, J., Bellon, M., Wishart, J., Young, R., Blackshaw, L., Jones, K., Horowitz, M. and Rayner, C. (2009). Effect of the artificial sweetener, sucralose, on gastric emptying and incretin hormone release in healthy subjects. [online] PubMed. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19221011 [Accessed 8 Oct. 2018].
6. West CE, e. (2009). The gut microbiota and inflammatory noncommunicable diseases: associations and potentials for gut microbiota therapies. - PubMed - NCBI. [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25567038 [Accessed 8 Oct. 2018].
7. Abou-Donia MB, e. (2008). Splenda alters gut microflora and increases intestinal p-glycoprotein and cytochrome p-450 in male rats. - PubMed - NCBI. [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18800291 [Accessed 8 Oct. 2018].