Diabetes InfoHealth

Scary Dangers Of Sucralose, Is It Really A Diabetes Alternative?

Healthy Living With Type 1 Diabetes Is Sucralose Safe For Diabetics?With all the negative media I’ve been reading lately in regards to sucralose, it started to make me think…can sucralose really be that bad for you?

As a type 1 diabetic, lets just say I had a lot of WOW moments when deciding to research what was going into my body. If you think sucralose is safe, you may want to think again. Why they consider and promote this as safe for the diabetic community disturbs me on a lot of levels, lets take a look why!

When it comes to sucralose and diabetes, it seems like a perfect match. Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that is nearly 600 times sweeter than the ordinary (table) sugar. It contains zero calories and hence, is popular as a zero-calorie sweetener. It is widely used by diet and weight conscious people all over the world. Sucralose is sold under the brand name Splenda, which is commonly available in the market. Some claim sucralose is also better than other artificial sweeteners as it can be used in baking… me personally, I think there are healthier alternatives when it comes to cooking.

Thing is, most artificial sweeteners cannot be used in baking due to their instability. But, this is not the case with sucralose as it remains stable even when exposed to heat for a longer time (gotta love that chemical structure). This additional property makes it a favored choice among other artificial sweeteners including aspartame. Also, due to its extra sweet property, it is used for making a variety of sweets and desserts like jams, jellies, candies, sweet fillings, fruits juices, etc. However, you should be aware of the negative side effects that sucralose can pose.

Sucralose And Chlorine:

One possible side effect from Splenda unrelated to allergies is the possibility of chlorine poisoning. Sucralose is one of the few artificial sweeteners that claims to be made from sugar; chlorine atoms are added. The constant consumption of sucralose, compounded daily, year after year can reek some major havoc on your body as your body does not fully get rid of what you consume.  

There is one study shows negative metabolic effects and weight gain in today’s younger population with the consumption of artificial sweeteners, you can check that out here.  

Another study shows that Sucralose vastly depletes our intestine flora as it destroys the beneficial bacteria which is a main driver for a healthy immune system.  Our stomach houses over 70 of the the cells that make up our immune system to help protect us from various disease and sickness.  

Per the study:

A randomized controlled trial was performed by Abou-Donia et al46 in 2008, in which male rats were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 groups: control, or sucralose plus maltodextran in the following doses (mg/kg/day): 1.1, 3.3, 5.5, or 11. Fecal pH and bacterial analysis were conducted weekly, and after 12 weeks half of the rats from each group were sacrificed. Small intestinal tissue was used to evaluate the effects of sucralose and maltodextran on levels of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and cytochrome P-450 (CYP450). The remainder of the animals underwent a 12 week recovery period after which further assessment of pH/bacteria/P-gp, CYP450 was performed.

During the duration of the study, no diarrhea in any of the rats was observed. In terms of the effect on the microbiome, they found that the total number of anaerobes decreased significantly in all sucralose plus maltodextran groups. At the lowest dose, total anaerobes were reduced by approximately 50% compared with controls. Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, andBacteroides were significantly reduced at the lowest dose as well. Aerobic bacteria decreased significantly in all sucralose plus maltodextran groups except at the lowest dose (decreased by 51–68% of controls).

The enterobacteria count was not different from the control population in any group. In the recovery period, the total anaerobes remained significantly lower in all groups, as did bifidobacteria (other specific bacteria were not significantly different from the controls). The mean fecal pH significantly increased in all sucralose plus maltodextran groups at end of 12 weeks and stayed significantly elevated in all groups except the lowest sucralose plus maltodextran group after 12 weeks of recovery. Sucralose plus maltodextran enhanced the intestinal expression of P-gp up to 2.4-fold, and increased CYP3A4 and CYP2D1 intestinal expression (though these effects were not seen in the group that received the lowest dose of sucralose plus maltodextran).

In summary, sucralose plus maltodextran significantly decreased beneficial intestinal bacteria (ie, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Bacteriodes), but had no effect on enterobacteria. Sucralose plus maltodextran also resulted in elevated fecal pH and enhanced intestinal expression of P-gp and CYP450 enzymes. Several parameters continued to differ after 12 weeks of recovery, including a decrease in the total number of anaerobes and enhanced P-gp and CYP expression.

Sucralose and Gastrointestinal Problems:

According to Vanderbilt University, about 27 percent of the sucralose in Splenda is absorbed by the body, meaning the substance will stay in the bloodstream and organs for long periods of time. This can not only potentially damage the internal organs, but also has negative gastrointestinal effects, like bloating, painful gas or diarrhea.

Others reports are also starting to connect the rising rates of inflammatory bowel disesse with the consumption of artificial sweeteners, sucralose in paticular due to the impairment of digestive proteases (enzymens in our stomach that help us digest food, protein in paticular).

Per the study:

Canada was the first country to approve the use of sucralose, and it was allowed to be used as a tabletop sweetener in breakfast cereals, beverages, desserts, toppings, fillings, chewing gum, breath mints, fruit spreads, salad dressings, confectionary, bakery products, processed fruits and vegetables, alcoholic beverages, puddings and table syrups (8). Interestingly, the study by Wrobel et al (9) reported that the incidence of pediatric IBD in Southern Alberta was 2.3 (per 100,000 population) between 1983 and 1987, 2.5 between 1988 and 1992, 5.0 between 1993 and 1998, and 6.5 between 1999 and 2005 (9), indicating a dramatic increase in the early 1990s.

In additional, the gas some people experience when eating foods or drinking beverages with sucralose is due to the fact that the natural bacteria that occurs in the stomach metabolizes parts of Splenda once it’s ingested to produce nitrogen gas.

 Additional Side Effects And Warnings:

  • Headaches/Migraines
  • Skin Conditions
  • Dental Health
  • Loss of Appetite

Although sucralose is currently “considered safe”, there seems to be too many conflicting
results to blindly accept the products available on our grocery shelves. If nothing else, the mixed results of the tests should serve to raise public awareness and spur individuals to investigate additives and research new products before purchasing them. The best way to avoid any such problem is to stay away from pre-packaged sweet food items and things such as diet soda.

There are also in depth scientific reviews via the the Journal of toxicology and environmental health that shows extensive safety concerns, including toxicity within the body, DNA damage as well as carcinogenic effects when using it while cooking.  Feel free to take a look for yourself by clicking here.

If your looking for an alternative, organic stevia is a much better option when compared against sucralose. The tests for sucralose are far from favorable and the best way to avoid the problems associated with it is to avoid it all together.Healthy Living With Type 1 Diabetes Is Sucralose Safe For Diabetics?

I highly encourage each and every one of you to do your own research before accepting sucralose as safe, certainly don’t just take my word for it.

All this is, is simply information to help you make a more educated decision about what is going into your body. Head on over to google and do your thing. Maybe your a fan of sucralose and have never had an issue, maybe your not or maybe you don’t even care.  For me personally as well as my family, we are not fans and its something that we try to avoid.

If this article on sucralose was helpful, please leave a comment right below my bio or hit the share button to share with your friends ðŸ˜€

Thanks for Reading!

Chris

Chris - The Organic Diabetic

As a type 1 diabetic, I made the switch to an organic lifestyle several years ago after being diagnosed with Diabetes in 2006. Living with diabetes is hard enough, why make it more difficult by consuming products with chemicals, toxins and other harmful, unhealthy ingredients. To me, the choice was easy and just made sense. We hope you enjoy our blog! Feel free to look around and check out all of our products by clicking through the tabs above! Thanks for stopping by and also please be sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter by liking our pages below! You never know what freebies we will be giving away!! Don't forget to check out the website as well at www.theorganicdiabetic.org

2 thoughts on “Scary Dangers Of Sucralose, Is It Really A Diabetes Alternative?

  • I have heard rumors but never got any verification about Splenda until now. It doesn’t give me a severe headache like Asparatamin does but I don’t want to take any chances on organ failure either, so I will switch to Stevia and see what happens. Thanks so much for caring to share. Ann

    Reply
    • Hi Ann, how are you!! You Welcome 😀 This just some of the information that I came across after a friend of mine encouraged me to look further into sucralose and what it was really all about. I made the switch to Stevia myself, but its the liquid form. Powdered forms are highly processed so make sure you go with the liquid form. Thank you for taking the time to read my article and I hope all is well, take care! 😀 ~Chris

      Reply

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