As people move to cut sugar out of their diets to decrease the chance of developing the many health risks linked to high consumption – inflammation, pain, gout, tooth decay, obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and more- sugar substitutes have become a norm in the marketplace. A new study raises concerns that sucralose, sold under the brand name Splenda, may damage human DNA.
Sugar substitutes include sugar alcohols (which includes erythritol, with its own red flags), novel sweeteners, artificial sweeteners- the category under which sucralose falls. Unlike other artificial sweeteners, sucralose is made from real sugar, but is altered to be 600 times sweeter than sugar, without any calories. It is heat stable and can be used in baked goods. It doesn’t have an aftertaste and has consequently become a go-to option as a sugar substitute in many products including ice cream, toothpaste, gum, soda, sweet tea, yogurt, and many foods marketed to people with Diabetes, as it doesn’t cause blood sugar spikes like regular sugar.
The new study, carried out by researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found sucralose-6-acetate, the chemical that forms when we digest Splenda, is “genotoxic,” meaning it breaks up DNA. The data also revealed that trace amounts of sucralose-6-acetate were also found in Splenda and other brands of sucralose.
“Our new work establishes that sucralose-6-acetate is genotoxic,” said Susan Schiffman, corresponding author of the study and an adjunct professor in the joint department of biomedical engineering at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Many studies have been carried out to study the safety of sucralose since its introduction to the market over 20 years ago. Evaluated in the UK, U.S., and by the FDA, it was approved for use here as a general-purpose food sweetener after the FDA reviewed more than 110 studies designed to identify possible toxic effects, including studies on the reproductive and nervous systems, carcinogenicity, and metabolism. The FDA also reviewed human clinical trials to address metabolism and effects on patients with diabetes.
But, according to the European Food Safety Authority, consuming the chemical in quantities exceeding .15 micrograms per day is of “toxicological concern.” This new study raises concerns as the researchers found that “[the] trace amounts of sucralose-6-acetate in a single, daily sucralose-sweetened drink exceed [safe] threshold[s],” and “that’s not even accounting for the amount of sucralose-6-acetate produced as metabolites after people consume sucralose.”
But, we’re more than a petri dish
For the study researchers conducted a series of in-vitro experiments (meaning tissue, cells, or parts of an organism- in this case human- are tested in a glass dish), exposing human blood cells to sucralose-6-acetate and monitoring for markers of genotoxicity. While the human body is undoubtedly more complex than what the parameters of the study explored, researchers do say that the findings are relevant and should be further explored as they did occur when sucralose interacted with human cells. “Our in vitro studies used human tissue, so the findings are directly relevant for the human body,” Schiffman said.
Other downsides of sucralose also underscored in study
As we’ve shared before, artificial sweeteners can have undesirable side effects for some people. Those can include headaches, upset stomach, and bloating (to name a few). The new study explored how sucralose may impact gut health, specifically the occurrence of leaky gut, which is when the mucosal barrier that lines the human bowel and prevents large molecules and germs from passing into your bloodstream, is weakened. The researchers shared, “When we exposed sucralose and sucralose-6-acetate to gut epithelial tissues – the tissue that lines your gut wall – we found that both chemicals cause ‘leaky gut.’
Schiffman said. “This work raises a host of concerns about the potential health effects associated with sucralose and its metabolites.” In addition to leaky gut, the study shared that gut cells exposed to sucralose-6-acetate affected genes related to:
- Oxidative stress
- Sources share that oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between your body’s antioxidant defenses and the production of free radicals, which can potentially damage your cells. This can lead to a variety of health issues including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and more.
- Inflammation
- While inflammation is a natural response our body carries out in an effort to heal our bodies, when uncontrolled, it causes damage.
- Carcinogenicity
- This is essentially means that sucralose-6-acetate can lead to an increased risk of cancer. This is not necessarily a surprising finding, however, as previous studies have explored the increased likelihood of cancer from consuming sugary drinks (often sweetened with sugar substitutes), as well as the increased potential for cancer from processed foods which also often contain sugar substitutes, like sucralose.
Despite previous studies having found that sucralose was a safe sugar substitute, the findings of this new research are concerning. While the human body is, without a doubt, far more complex than a bundle of cells that are isolated and lab tested, the data should not be ignored. It can feel overwhelming and hard to stay current. That’s why eating healthy, naturally occurring products is always the best option.
Check the labels of what you consume, reduce sugar intake as a whole, whether artificial or naturally occurring, but choose unrefined sugar when possible. Still want a sugar substitute? Opt for those that are made from plants like Stevia, monk fruit, or real fruit pulp.
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