Sucralose Dangers: What you Need to Know
Sucralose is a sweetener that is found in a number of foods. You can find it in:
- Bakery goods
- Frostings
- Salad dressings
- Gum
- Jellies and jams
- Commercial fruit juices
- Syrups and toppings
- Tea
- Coffee
- Frozen desserts
- Gelatin
- Pudding
Why the Sweetener is Used
The sweetener is used in place of certain sweeteners as it offers specific advantages, namely:
- Sucralose will not raise blood glucose to the same degree as sugar
- It leaves no aftertaste (like saccharin)
- The substance does not change when subjected to higher temperatures
- The sweetener is over 500 times sweeter than sugar, which also means its sweeter than saccharin (about 400 times sweeter than sugar) and aspartame (around 200 times sweeter than sucrose or sugar)
How Sucralose is Made
Sucralose, which is sold in health food stores and added commercially to a variety of food products, unfortunately poses a number of dangers with respect to its safety. Sucralose, also sold commercially as Splenda™, is made by the chlorination of sucrose or sugar. Therefore, the chemical arrangement of sugar is altered in order to produce the product.
Commercialization of Sucralose
Discovery of the sweetener was made after the mid-70s by laboratory scientists at a sugar refinery in the UK. Thereafter, the refinery made an agreement with the Johnson & Johnson healthcare company to formulate sucralose. Johnson & Johnson then went on to create McNeil Specialty Products so they could sell the sweetener. Later, Canada became the first country to sanction consumer use of the product.
Is Sucralose Safe? Evidently not for Diabetics
Regardless of the fact that sucralose was USFDA approved in the spring of 1998, it still hasn’t received such an endorsement in most European countries. While few studies have been undertaken on the dangers of sucralose, evidence does suggest that the sweetener, in comparison to other artificial sweeteners, can substantially raise the level of glucose in the blood. Therefore, the sugar substitute poses a health risk for diabetics.
Sucralose Side Effects
Laboratory studies also reveal a number of side effects of sucralose, such as:
- A decrease in red blood cells
- Reduction in growth
- Enlarged kidney and liver
- Diarrhea
- Reduction in body weight
- Prolonged pregnancy or abortion of the fetus
- Shrinkage of the thymus glands
Sucralose Dangers
In addition, sucralose is known to contain the following damaging substances:
- Chlorinated monosaccharide
- Methanol
- Chlorinated disaccharides
- Arsenic
Dieters Beware
While manufacturers dispute the fact that the sweetener is absorbed in the system, the above evidence still suggests that the substance nonetheless can have deleterious effects. When it comes to health tips with respect to diet, it would be difficult to include sucralose on the list of sweeteners to use in any weight loss or fitness regimen.
Related posts:
- Splenda Side Effects and Warnings: What you Should Know
- Erythritol Dangers are Baseless
- Dangers of Stevia
- Aspartame Side Effects and Health Risks: Measuring the Dangers
Filed under: Diet Tips, Health Tips | Tagged with: dangers of sucralose, is sucralose safe, side effects of sucralose, sucralose dangers, sucralose side effects