A recent study conducted by North Carolina State University has found that sucralose, a chemical found in Splenda, a popular zero-calorie sweetener, can cause DNA damage, increase the risk of cancer, and cause leaks in the gut lining.
Splenda is a sugar substitute in thousands of foods, beverages, desserts, and candy and contains 1.10% sucralose. The study, published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, found that a metabolite of sucralose, called sucralose-6-acetate, is "genotoxic." This means it breaks down the genetic material that makes up DNA. When DNA strands break and are then rearranged and repaired, that can increase the risk of cancerous cells forming, previous studies have shown.
In addition, sucralose and sucralose-6-acetate were shown to cause damage to the "tight junctions" that hold together the intestinal barrier, leading to a "leaky gut." "A leaky gut is problematic because it means toxins that would normally be flushed out of the body in feces are instead leaking out of the gut and being absorbed into the bloodstream," said Susan Schiffman, Ph.D., senior author of the study and an adjunct professor at North Carolina State University.
The researchers conducted eight separate experiments to measure the safety and risks of both sucralose and sucralose-6-acetate, which is a chemical byproduct of sucralose and is considered an impurity. "An important point is that even if the contaminant sucralose-6-acetate is totally removed from sucralose products, it is still generated by bacteria in the gut," Schiffman warned.
This isn't the first research to flag potential dangers related to sucralose. "Previous studies have shown a wide range of adverse effects from sucralose, including dysbiosis (including damage to good bacteria in the gut) and alteration of blood glucose and insulin," Schiffman said. "Consumers have a right to know what they are consuming," she added.
Michelle Routhenstein, a New York-based heart health dietitian at EntirelyNourished.com, recommends avoiding sugar substitutes as much as possible because of the association between underlying inflammation, oxidative stress, and cardiovascular disease. "Sucralose and other sugar substitutes are also considered ultra-processed foods, which have been linked to increased risk of subsequent cardiovascular events in individuals who have had a heart attack," Routhenstein added. The dietitian noted that Those at risk of cardiovascular disease, have cancer, or suffer from any inflammatory conditions could be particularly susceptible to threats.
Kelly Johnson-Arbor, MD, a medical toxicologist and co-medical director at the National Capital Poison Center in Washington, D.C., reviewed the study findings and advised caution. "Although artificial sweeteners like sucralose were promoted as healthy alternatives to sugar for decades, improvements in medical technology have allowed scientists to perform more extensive testing on these chemicals and their potential toxicities," she said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "The results of these studies show that these compounds may be associated with significant health effects," she added.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved sucralose use in 1998 in 15 food categories. A year later, the agency approved the chemical as a general-purpose sweetener. After reviewing this latest study from North Carolina State University, the Calorie Control Council in Washington, D.C., defended sucralose as a safe product that has been "extensively tested." The Council also called into question the reliability of the new study. "This study was conducted in a laboratory environment, which cannot mimic the complex mechanisms of the human body, even when human cells are used," said Robert Rankin, President of the Calorie Control Council, in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
"For the millions of people who rely on low- and no-calorie sweeteners to help manage body weight and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and obesity, it is important to know the facts, which is that sucralose has been rigorously studied by scientific and regulatory authorities around the world and is safe to consume," Rankin added. The International Sweeteners Association, based in Brussels, also said it stands behind sucralose.
"Sucralose, like all other low/no calorie sweeteners, plays an important role in providing consumers choice with sweet-tasting options with low or no calories," wrote an ISA spokesperson in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "Sucralose has undergone one of the most extensive and thorough testing programs conducted on any food additive in history, resulting in consensus on its safety throughout the global scientific and regulatory community," the spokesperson added.
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