Sucralose

A study named, ‘The Effect of Replacing Sucrose in Beverages with Nonnutritive Sweetener Sucralose on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Among Asian Indian Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: A 12-Week Randomized Controlled Trial’ was published recently.

• Published In: The Study was published in the Paper Diabetes Therapy.
• Experiment: The study is a 12-week, parallel-arm randomized controlled trial which includes 210 participants.
  • The intervention group were assigned sucralose in coffee or tea and the control group, where sugar/sucrose was continued.
• The Research aims to study the effects of replacing sucrose or table sugar with an artificial sweetener ie. sucralose in a regular diet.
• Result:
  • There was no significant change in glucose or  HbA1c levels between the intervention and control groups. 
  • Positive changes were noted in the body weight, waist circumference and body mass index (BMI).

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About Sucralose

• Sucralose is made from real sugar and is a zero calorie artificial sweetener that often comes in a yellow packet and is marketed as Splenda.
  • Sucralose is blended with other calorie-free sweeteners such as dextrose and maltodextrin to reduce its excessive sweetness. 
• Process: Sucralose is made from sugar in a multistep chemical process in which three hydroxyl groups are replaced with chlorine atoms and is 600 times sweeter than real sugar with almost no calories. 
  • Sucralose is also altered so that most of it passes through our body instead of being stored to later use as energy. 
• Use: Sucralose is an approved ingredient and can be found in a variety of foods,
  • Packaged foods; Ready-made meals; Desserts; Chewing gum; Toothpaste; Drinks; Cakes
  • Sucralose doesn’t leave a bitter aftertaste in the mouth, so it can be used in foods like yogurt, candy, ice cream, and soda.
• Safety Evidences: 
  • Sucralose  was accepted as a table-top sugar-free sweetener by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998. More than 110 studies were evaluated by FDA for approving the safety of sucralose.
  • The scientific committee of food (SCF) in Europe affirmed that sucralose does not cause any harm to fertility, the immune system, and pregnancy. Also, it does not increase the levels of sugar.
    The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) affirmed that sucralose consumption does not have any effect on tooth decay in its evaluation in  2011
• Is Sucralose healthy?
  • Sucralose can help  limit the calorie intake as it is a zero calorie substitute of sugar.
  • Splenda sweetened foods and drinks doesn’t lead to a blood sugar level spike the way that regular sugar does.
  • Sucralose stays sweet even when used in high-temperature cooking like baking.
  • Absorption in body: Sucralose is not completely absorbed by the human body and is disposed of through excretion. Approximately 8–20% of the sucralose gets into the blood and is excreted through urine without metabolism.
• Negative Impacts of Sucralose consumption: 
  • Gastrointestinal tract (GI): Sucralose can be accumulated in the GI tract and can affect the metabolism and microfloral composition of the gut affecting the functions of gut bacteria like, immune response modulations, vitamin synthesis, pathogen inhibition, drug metabolism, and the absorption of magnesium and calcium.
  • Makes Medicine Ineffective: Sucralose ingestion may reduce the absorption of certain therapeutic drugs, thereby reducing their effectiveness. These drugs include cancer and heart disease medications.  
  • Digestion: Chemically extracted sweeteners can disturb smooth digestion by causing bloating, diarrhea, and gas. This condition may increase the level of water and nitrogen gas in the colon, which in turn may lead to diarrhea. 
  • Carcinogenic: Sucralose becomes unstable when heated at temperatures beyond 180°C and starts to generate chloropropanols which may increase cancer risk in humans.

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