Is Splenda Bad for You? Health Risks of Sucralose Unraveled

It’s well-known that eating too much sugar can increase the risk of obesity, type-2 diabetes, and other health conditions. But does replacing sugar in foods and beverages with artificial sweeteners like Splenda® (sucralose) make them any better for you? 

If you’re wondering if sucralose—commonly (mis)referred to as Splenda®—is bad for you, here's a quick answer at a glance:

Is it safe to consume sucralose? In recent decades, more than 100 safety studies have been conducted on sucralose. While the majority of these studies conclude that sucralose is safe for consumption in moderation, recent studies suggest that sucralose consumption may perturb the gut microbiome and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases [1, 2]. Sucralose is also a growing concern for environmental health as it's a common contaminant of public water supplies [3].

The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains that the acceptable daily intake of sucralose is 0-15 mg/kg of body weight for healthy adults [4]. Thus, a 175-lb adult (~80 kg) should limit sucralose consumption to 1,200 mg per day. For reference, this would be roughly equal to drinking a 12-pack of Celsius® energy drinks every day.

It's no secret that sugar, particularly added sugar (e.g. high-fructose corn syrup), is abundant in our food supply. The health concerns linked to sugar-sweetened beverages and snacks have driven many to seek alternatives made with calorie-free/low-calorie sweeteners. These include popular high-intensity sweeteners like aspartame (commonly found in diet soda), sucralose, acesulfame potassium (ace-K), and other artificial sweeteners.

Even though artificial sweeteners sound like the perfect way to have your cake and eat it, too, they're controversial for several reasons. Before you eschew table sugar and start buying sugar substitutes like sucralose, read on. In this article, we'll explore the common artificial sweetener sucralose, its use in the food/beverage industry, and the possible health effects it may cause.

What Is Sucralose, and How Is it Related to Splenda®?

Sucralose is a sugar-free, non-nutritive artificial sweetener, meaning it contains no calories or nutrients. It is commonly confused with the brand name Splenda®, but it’s important to note that Splenda® is not synonymous with sucralose.

Rather, the original Splenda® product is a sugar substitute that contains sucralose and small amounts of filler (dextrose and maltodextrin). The Splenda® brand now makes a variety of sugar substitutes with other non-sugar sweeteners, such as erythritol and stevia extract.

In other words, sucralose itself is not Splenda®, but Splenda® popularized sucralose—an artificial sweetener—with their original sugar substitute product.

Sucralose is made by processing regular table sugar (i.e. sucrose) with various reagents that replace hydroxyl groups in the sugar molecules with chlorine atoms. Hence, sucralose is essentially “chlorinated sugar.” 

This change in the chemical structure makes sucralose nearly 600x as sweet as sucrose, and it provides zero calories (since the body can’t convert sucralose to energy like it does sugar). 

Sucralose was discovered in 1976 by a young scientist at a British college who misheard the instructions to test the sucralose compound and rather tasted it and was surprised by its sweetness.

Decades later, in 1992, the American brand Splenda launched its iconic yellow-packaged low-calorie sweetener featuring the compound, and the rest is history.

Splenda became an instant hit in households in all corners of the United States, having sold more than 100 billion packets since its debut.

But is Splenda bad for you? It almost seems too good to be true—all the sweetness of sugar with none of the guilt?

Before we discuss that, let’s examine how sucralose has rapidly and inconspicuously infiltrated the products we consume.

How Is Sucralose Used?

Artificial sweeteners are food additives or sugar substitutes used to replace sugar in baking, cooking, and food/beverage products, especially those marketed as "sugar-free." Artificially sweetened beverages, such as diet sodas and energy drinks, are a major source of sucralose intake. These drinks typically contain a mixture of sucralose and other artificial sweeteners to emulate the taste and sweetness of their sugar-sweetened counterparts without all the calorie intake.

So, if you're trying to stick to a healthy diet by switching to sucralose as a means of reducing your daily intake of sugar, think again. Although sucralose itself has no calories, some products with it may contain a small amount of calories. The original Splenda® product, for example, contains ~2 calories per gram (from sugars), though many consider this amount trivial.

Is Splenda Bad For You?

While artificial sweeteners sound great, sucralose can have side effects that need to be considered. 

Insulin problems and eroding gut bacteria balance seem to be two of the main concerns dietitians and other health experts have expressed about sucralose.

And while the big companies behind zero-calorie sweeteners claim that these alternatives can aid in weight loss, there's not enough scientific and reliable research to back these claims.

Ironically, sucralose may harm the very people who require a sugar substitute more than anyone else: diabetics.

It Can Spike Your Blood Sugar and Insulin Levels

Recent research published in the Diabetes Care Journal showed that obese individuals saw a 14% greater increase in blood sugar levels and a 20% greater increase in insulin levels after consuming sucralose in conjunction with glucose (compared to consuming water with glucose). 

It's worth noting that the subjects involved in this study did not regularly use artificial sweeteners, which may have affected the results. However, it’s possible you could be at a greater risk of blood sugar and insulin issues if your body isn't used to regular sucralose consumption.

Although the results of that particular research may be somewhat inconclusive for individuals with healthy body weight, there have also been studies on patients with a normal body mass index (BMI). 

Congruent with the study above, research published in the Science News Journal shows artificial sweeteners can affect your blood sugar even more than if you were to consume sugary sodas and desserts. So you can see how that may be a problem for those struggling with insulin issues.

While there are still no published studies about the connection between artificial sweeteners and diabetes, clinical trials conducted by the University of Adelaide suggest that high-doses of non-nutritive sweeteners can add to the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.

Does Sucralose Harm Your Gut Health?

A research review published in the Cell Journal makes it clear that our gut microbiome regulates our overall health and wellness. They do so primarily by aiding digestive functions and giving our immune system a boost, helping your body fight off pathogens.

In other words, your immune capacity depends largely on a healthy gut microbiome. Unfortunately, when you consume artificial sweeteners like Splenda, you might be doing harm to the microbiome in your intestinal tract.

In an animal study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, researchers found that rats that consumed Splenda had up to 80% fewer beneficial anaerobic bacteria present in their guts.

The rats that consumed sweetener also had lower amounts of bifidobacteria and acid bacteria (both beneficial bacteria), with little change to the number of harmful bacteria present. After the study ended, the bacteria did not return to normal and remained at unhealthy levels instead.

It May Increase the Risk of Developing Cancer

Artificial sweeteners like Splenda have dangerous chemical reactions when heated and mixed with things like glycerol (found in fat), which may increase your risk of cancer. 

According to a study found in the Scientific Reports Journal, the heating alone creates chloropropanols—a class of compounds known to be harmful to your long-term health and affect the reproductive system.

To continue baking and avoid putting yourself at risk for such harmful diseases, you could use natural sweeteners like stevia — more on this later. 

Otherwise, be particularly aware of your baking temperatures. Stick to temperatures below 350°F if an artificial sweetener must be used.

Splenda vs. Stevia: Comparing Sweeteners

Now that you're more aware of the possible adverse effects that sucralose may have on your well-being, it's time to learn about a natural alternative. 

Stevia is also a sugar substitute, but it's made from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant, making it a natural alternative to both sugar and artificial sweeteners. 

Let's put them next to each other and acknowledge the differences.

Calories

Sucralose is considered a no-calorie sweetener, but Splenda still contains a small number of calories and carbs. However, because these amounts meet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards for no-calorie foods, they can be marketed as such. 

Unlike sucralose, stevia comes from a natural source, which is calorie-free and less-refined than artificial options.

Flavor

Because sucralose is made from sugar, it tastes very much like sugar but is much sweeter. However, the naturally derived stevia sweetener is still about 300 times sweeter than regular sugar and just as flavorful. 

Some people notice a unique aftertaste with stevia, but this distinction is usually negligible and doesn't take long to get accustomed to — as is the case with most other healthier food alternatives.

Sucralose is better used as a condiment, sprinkled over your food, or stirred into your drinks for a sweet boost. However, because of the harmful chemical reactions when heated to specific temperatures, natural sweeteners like stevia are smarter options. 

In fact, stevia can be heated to higher temperatures in cooking and baking.

Health Benefits and Negative Effects

At first glance, both sucralose and stevia may be considered healthy sugar alternatives simply because they are not sugar. But once you start going deeper into the reality of sugar substitutes, you begin to notice they're not all cut from the same cloth.

Groundbreaking research published in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine found a correlation between consumption of artificial sweeteners and higher sugar cravings and sugar dependencies. 

In other words, if you opt for products like Splenda, your body may start craving the real deal and make you reach for items that contain regular sugar, possibly hindering your health goals and leading to weight gain.

Stevia, on the other hand, not only avoids the dangers that come with consuming sucralose, but may even have health benefits. 

A study in the Appetite Journal revealed that the participants who consumed stevia not only had lower levels of insulin and glucose but also felt fuller after eating.

Whereas sucralose is known to cause issues with blood sugar and insulin levels, stevia is a safe and natural sweetener for people with diabetes, individuals with gut issues, and people with other health concerns. 

One body of research published an article in the Studies of Ethno-Medicine Journal on stevia's effect on lipid profile, demonstrating stevia's ability to lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides and increase good cholesterol.

In addition, stevia as a sweetener underwent testing by the European Food Safety Authority and was determined as a natural alternative that poses no risk of toxicity when consumed.

So, Is Sucralose Bad For You? The Takeaway

Sucralose isn't going to kill you, and many humans have consumed sucralose (whether deliberately or incidentally) for decades without apparent health ramifications. However, artificial sweetener consumption remains a divisive topic among nutritional scientists and the general public.

While it's always good to choose the healthier alternatives for your favorite foods, it's essential to know what those healthy alternatives are. Splenda® is marketed as a zero-calorie sweetener. Still, it does contain a small number of calories and is not intended to prevent weight gain. 

The good news is that no-calorie sweeteners aren't inherently "bad" or "unhealthy," nor are they all artificial/synthetic. In fact, stevia, monk fruit, and allulose are naturally occurring zero-calorie sweeteners that can replace real sugar. This is why Transparent Labs powdered products are free from artificial sweeteners and sweetened with stevia extract. Try 100% Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate for a virtually sugar-free, high-protein treat you can feel good about.