Artificial sweetener Splenda found to release potentially toxic class of compounds when heated
03/11/2016 / By Tara Paras
A new study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health has just called into question the safety of popular artificial sweetener Splenda (sucralose). According to the research, sucralose essentially releases cancer-causing dioxins in food when baked or otherwise heated.
Citing an earlier study published by researchers from the Department of Pharmacology at Duke University in North Carolina, the review challenges a number of claims made in support of Splenda’s alleged safety, including the claim by its manufacturer, McNeil Nutritionals, that sucralose passes through the body completely undigested, reports Natural News.
According to the study, “Cooking with sucralose at high temperatures was reported to generate chloropropanols, a potentially toxic class of compounds. Both human and rodent studies demonstrated that sucralose may alter glucose, insulin, and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) levels.”
Sucralose may be unsafe for people with diabetes
Consumers who purchase Splenda typically do so because of the product’s perceived health benefits, as opposed to sugar. However, the finding that Splenda alters levels of glucose, insulin and peptide 1 is particularly alarming, considering Splenda is largely marketed to diabetics.
“Sucralose alters metabolic parameters and its chronic effects on body weight are unknown,” says the study, suggesting that the artificial sweetener could actually cause diabetes.
Sucralose was also found to alter the expressions of P-glycoprotein and cytochrome P in a manner similar to organochlorine drugs. This would suggest that sucralose is actually more of a drug than a food additive, which means its manufacturers should not indiscriminately market it to consumers without a proper drug label or warning.
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What are the long-term health consequences of Splenda?
The only reason why Splenda became so popular in the artificial sweeter scene is because its manufacturers claimed sucralose passes through the body “unchanged.” This latest study, however, proves based on urine and fecal analysis that sucralose produces toxic metabolites, especially when heated. Moreover, long-term health consequences of taking Splenda remain unknown to researchers.
“One study showed that the stability of sucralose decreased as the temperature and pH increased, with the breakdown process commencing at 119 degrees Celsius and temperatures of 180 degrees Celsius causing its complete degradation at all pH levels with the release of chloride ions,” writes Sayer Ji for BeforeItsNews.com about the dangers of heated Splenda.
Whatever sucralose that is not metabolized by the body ends up in sewers and eventually water treatment plants, where it accumulates and eventually gets released into the environment. This bio-accumulation threatens to not only taint rivers, streams and other water sources, but also contaminate fish and other animals.
“Because the body does not metabolize 85 percent of sucralose ingested, most of it ends up in sewage treatment systems,” explains Sesana. “Sucralose is resistant to water treatments for the same reason that it is not easily broken down by the body, resulting in sucralose being released into surface waters.”
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Tagged Under: artificial sweeteners, chemicals, diabetes, Splenda, toxic food
