Many people have been led to believe that artificial sweeteners, such as sucralose, are an aid to preventing diabetes and obesity.
However, the health risks associated with the ingredients in sucralose are extensive and can lead to more serious side effectsr.
When research is now carried out on such sweeteners, not only sucralose, but also others, more and more negative effects appear.
What is sucralose?
Sucralose is a chlorinated sucrose derivative. This means that it is derived from sugar and contains chlorine. It is a so-called covalent chlorine bond. A molecular bond that cannot be broken down in the gut or in nature. So 65 to 95% of what is consumed passes through the body and pollutes nature. Research has shown that sucralose and other chemical sweeteners can affect life in water and on land.
Sucralose was originally discovered during the development of a new insecticide. It was never meant to be consumed, but it was later introduced as a “natural sugar substitute” to the masses, and people had no idea that it was actually toxic.
Side effects and dangers of sucralose
1. May cause diabetes[1]
A study published in the journal Diabetes Care found that if you consume sucralose, your risk of developing diabetes is high. According to the study daily consumption of diet soda was associated with a 36% greater risk of metabolic syndrome and a 67% greater risk of type 2 diabetes.
This means that sucralose is among the unexpected the triggers of diabetes. So if you've been wondering how safe sucralose is for diabetes, the clear answer is to be careful—it actually increases your risk of this serious condition.
In addition to revealing that there was an "increase in peak plasma glucose concentrations" after sucralose ingestion, it was discovered that there was a 23% reduction in insulin sensitivity, which inhibits glucose absorption in cells.
A recent 2020 study published in Cell Metabolism found that consuming sucralose in the presence of a carbohydrate rapidly impaired glucose metabolism and resulted in dysregulation of gut brain control of glucose metabolism.
2. Increases the risk of irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease[1]
Several years ago, researcher Xin Qin, MD, Ph.D., of New Jersey Medical School, found that consuming sucralose causes IBS symptoms, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Dr. Qin did this discovery when he investigated the rapid increase in IBS among residents of Alberta, Canada over a 20-year period. In short, it went up 643%.
This led Qin to conduct his study. What did he find?
Sucralose has a more harmful effect on gut bacteria than other artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin, because 65% to 95% of sucralose is excreted unchanged through the faeces. In 1991, Canada became the first country in the world to approve the use of sucralose as an artificial sweetener. In other words, there was a direct correlation between the amount of sucralose consumed and the increase in inflammatory bowel disease.
A recent one study published in Inflammatory Bowel Disease indicates that use of artificial sweeteners such as Splenda (sucralose) doubles the risk of Crohn's disease and may worsen antimicrobial gut reactivity in people with Crohn's and other proinflammatory conditions.
Does sucralose cause bloating? It certainly can, as it has been linked to serious pro-inflammatory conditions that affect your digestive system.
Sucralose can increase inflammation and cause IBS symptoms in some cases.
3. Linked to leaky gut[1]
Does sucralose affect gut bacteria? Essentially, the understanding we now have is that because the body cannot digest sucralose, it travels through the gastrointestinal tract and damages it as it passes through the gut. It damages the intestinal wall and can potentially cause a leaky gut.
Several studies have confirmed the harmful effects of sucralose on intestinal health. For example, the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health published an animal study from Duke University Medical Center that described that Splenda (sucralose) not only significantly reduces beneficial bacteria in the gut , but also increases your faecal pH. It reduces the amount of nutrients you can absorb.
4. May generate toxic (and carcinogenic) compounds when heated[1]
A study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health found that cooking at high temperatures with sucralose can generate dangerous chloropropanols, a potentially toxic class of compounds. Although sucralose is often used in baked goods, studies show that the stability of the artificial sweetener decreases as temperature and pH increase.
Not only does sucralose undergo thermal degradation when heated, but researchers also found that chloropropanols, which are a group of pollutants including genotoxic, carcinogenic and tumorigenic compounds, are generated.
The researchers in the study published in Food Chemistry concluded with that "caution should be exercised when using sucralose as a sweetener when baking foods containing glycerol or lipids."
If you're wondering if sucralose can cause cancer, this is concerning information, especially since sucralose is often used in baked goods and other foods that are heated. More research is needed for concrete evidence of the carcinogenic effects of sucralose.
(Note: The use of artificial sweeteners in baked goods is prohibited by the EU[2])
5. Associated with weight gain[1]
Did you think that using sucralose in coffee would help you lose weight? Well, it turns out that epidemiological studies in humans and laboratory studies in animals both suggest a link between the use of artificial sweeteners and weight gain.
In addition, the use of artificial sweeteners can increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. These studies did not assess the effects of sucralose, specifically on weight gain, but there are studies that indicate that sucralose does not appear to help with weight loss.
I an 18-month study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, 641 children (477 completed the study) were randomly assigned a 250 ml can per day of either a calorie-free or sugary drink containing 104 calories.
The sugar-free drink contained 34 milligrams of sucralose, along with 12 milligrams acesulfame-K. At the end of the study period, the caloric intake from these drinks was 46 calories greater for the children in the sugar-containing group than in the sucralose-sweetened group.
However, the total weight gain over the 18-month period was only one kilogram greater for children in the high-sugar group. Researchers cannot explain the small difference in weight gain given the significant difference in calorie consumption from beverages.
Another study involving adolescents showed no consistent reduction in weight gain two years after families were provided with artificially sweetened beverages to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks.
So does sucralose cause weight gain? Well, we know that in many cases it does not help with weight loss, and for people who use it in cooking, baking and coffee strictly to keep track of calorie counting, this does not seem to be an effective weight loss method.
There have been reports of side effects from sucralose and products made with Splenda, including headaches and allergic reactions. In addition, recent research indicates that consuming sucralose can negatively affect gut health and even cause metabolic syndrome.
If you tend to use sucralose because it's a calorie-free option and you're trying to lose weight, know that studies show that artificial sweeteners like sucralose don't seem to help with weight loss. Opt for natural sweeteners that are lower in calories instead.
6. Artificial sweeteners are an environmental threat[3]
People don't think that anything they consume will go straight through the body, but artificial sweeteners are produced, consumed and released into nature in large quantities. They have been identified as new environmental toxins.
6+1. Sucralose blocks the absorption of vitamin B12
This was added (31.97.2023) as it is very important. Especially for those with a vegan diet.
You can find more information about sucralose on the website draxe.com where much of this information was obtained.
- Dr. Ax – https://draxe.com/nutrition/sucralose/
- sorze4.com - https://sorze4.com/bruk-av-kunstige-sotningsmidler-i-diettbakte-varer-er-forbudt-av-eu-hvilket-betyr-at-det-ogsa-er-forbudt-i-eos-inklusive-norge/
- Academia.edu - Artificial Sweeteners - An Ignored Environmental Threat? https://www.academia.edu/66980549/Artificial_Sweeteners_An_Ignored_Environmental_Threat_