Sucralose, a popular artificial sweetener, contains a toxin that may harm a person’s DNA and cause cancer. It is 600 times sweeter than table sugar and is used in many items. WHO advised against using artificial sweeteners for weight loss.
A popular artificial sweetener contains a toxin that, according to recent studies, may harm a person’s DNA and cause cancer. The sucralose in question, which is sold under the brand name Splenda, is a zero-calorie sweetener. It is utilized in many items, such as baked goods, drinks, chewing gum, gelatins, and frozen dairy desserts, and is 600 times sweeter than table sugar. Experts from North Carolina State University conducted the research on the substance, which was then published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health.
According to Susan Schiffman, an adjunct professor at North Carolina State University who oversaw the study, “Sucralose is used in tens of thousands of food, beverage, and pharmaceutical products worldwide.”
For instance, she continued, “it is present in pharmaceutical products, chewing gum, gelatins, frozen dairy desserts, and baked goods.”
With more than 50 million consumers, Splenda is the most widely used sugar replacement in the nation, the outlet added. Sucralose decomposes in the human body to become sucralose-6-acetate, which might harm the lining of the colon.
According to Dr. Schiffman in a news statement, “Other studies have found that sucralose can adversely affect gut health, so we wanted to see what might be happening there.”
The researchers were shocked by their discovery. “Genes related to oxidative stress, cancer, and inflammation had their expression levels dramatically boosted by sucrose-6-acetate. The results are directly applicable to the human body because human tissue was employed in our in vitro tests, she continued.
The result supports other research that suggests sucralose may similarly harm the gut lining. “We found that sucralose and sucralose-6-acetate both cause ‘leaky gut’ when exposed to gut epithelial tissues, the tissue that lines your gut wall,” stated Dr. Schiffman.
The producers of artificial sweeteners, however, claim that their goods are secure.
According to a spokesperson for the International Sweetener Association, “Sucralose has undergone one of the most extensive and thorough testing programs conducted on any food additive in history, leading to consensus on its safety throughout the global scientific and regulatory community.”
Studies on artificial sweeteners have shown a connection between these products’ health hazards. The World Health Organization (WHO) advised against using artificial sweeteners like Splenda for weight loss in May.
