What Are the Dangers of Sucralose?
Splenda--a sucralose product--claims in ads to be "made from sugar so it tastes like sugar." Splenda has been embraced by American culture and is the number-one sugar substitute, exceeding $177 million in sales in a 1-year period, according to HealthAtYourFingertips.org.
However, despite the popularity of Splenda, there are many advocates against the sweetener. Although McNeil Nutritionals, the manufacturer of Splenda, claims it has undergone rigorous testing, Health at Your Fingertips and other advocacy groups claim that the testing is either inadequate or done only on animals and not on humans.
Because of the extensive debate, it is difficult to know the exact truth about Splenda and its real dangers.
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Human Trials
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According to the publication "Sugar Substitutes--Are They Safe?" put forth by the Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, at The University of Arizona, the FDA has found sucralose to be safe and without substantial risks. The publication states that the FDA has reviewed over 100 studies, spanning 20 years, and determined that sucralose poses no risk of cancer and is not a reproductive or neurological risk to humans. The publication goes on state that because it is made from sugar, sucralose poses no significant health risks and can be safely used by people afflicted with various illnesses, as well as pregnant and nursing women.
However, according to various other sources, including Health at Your Fingertips, only six of the cited 100 trials were done on humans. Of the six trials done on humans, it is alleged that only two trials were completed and published prior to the FDA approval, each with a total of only 36 people and spanning only four days. Furthermore, the grocery chain Whole Foods, another anti-Splenda advocate, claims that the compound is not natural and that sucralose is in fact a chlorinated chemical which has undergone no long history of testing.
What Is Splenda?
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Splenda, also called sucralose, is derived from sugar, or sucrose. Chlorine molecules are added to the sugar molecule. The three chlorine molecules that are added to the substance react chemically to convert the sucrose molecule into a fructo-galactose molecule. Because this is a molecule that does not occur in nature, the body is unable to process or metabolize the molecule when ingested. Thus, because the sucralose is not metabolized by the body, it supposedly has no calories. However, critics argue that it would in fact have calories if our bodies were able to ingest it, and point out that the lack of ability to metabolize the chemical could have health risks.
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History
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Since its discovery in 1976, sucralose has been controversial. It was not approved for use as a sweetener until 1991 in Canada and in 1998 by the FDA in the United States. Throughout the early 1990s, advocates for the sweetener claimed that the FDA delayed in granting approval despite sufficient evidence that sucralose was a safe substance. Furthermore, they argued that the FDA should have approved sucralose sooner because the Canadian government's process for approval is similar to the FDA's. According to a Harvard Law Journal article, some advocates speculated that third-party data submitted under FDA policy was in fact submitted by a competitor, thus causing additional unfair delays.
Despite the long delay for FDA approval, opponents of Splenda are still not satisfied that the drug is safe. According to the Harvard Law Journal article, opponents include The United States Sugar Association, which maintains a website bemoaning the lack of long-term tests on humans; the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, which disputes the claim that Splenda is "made from sugar" and points out that the product is unnatural; Citizens for Health, who petitioned the FDA asking for withdrawal of approval of sucralose based on consumer websites detailing adverse reactions; and Whole Foods, which officially bans any products containing sucralose.
However, despite these concerns, according to the same Harvard Law Journal article, it does not seem likely that the FDA will withdraw approval for Splenda in the near future. Furthermore, despite the Sugar Association and the other protesters, the long approval process seems to have led the public to believe, as a whole, that Splenda and sucralose are relatively safe.
Splenda and Your Body
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Health at Your Fingertips claims that 15 percent of all sucralose you consume is absorbed into your digestive system and stored in your body. This metabolization of Splenda is claimed to be unnatural and to have adverse affects on health because of the chemical nature of Splenda.
Additional Concerns
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The main concern posed by anti-sucralose advocates is the lack of long-term human toxicity studies. Consumer websites also detail specific health problems that allegedly arise from the consumption of Splenda, including digestive issues, headaches (including migraines), nausea, upset stomach and dizziness. These side effects are reported by users of Splenda and not verified by the FDA or other governing body.
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