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Hey, Health Coach: Is Sugar Or Artificial Sweetener Better For Me?

I don’t know about you, but I came of age in the early 2000s when Splenda (sucralose) was the newly-minted sweetener de jour. It was touted as being healthier than other artificial sweeteners because it’s derived from sugar. It seemed like a miracle—all the sweetness without any of the calories, and you can bake with it, too.

The question you’re asking has plagued researchers (and bakers) for decades, with many coming to wildly different conclusions.. Recent research has cast doubt on the wisdom of using excessive amounts of sucralose in our food, but, of course, most of us know that excessive sugar can be damaging for our health as well. However, in the past 20 years, research has…

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 Is Sucralose Bad For You? Facts About This Artificial Sweetener

It depends on who you ask. Like many other sugar substitutes, sucralose is highly controversial. Some believe that it is a perfectly safe alternative while others claim that it is in no way safe for your health. As for now, more long-term studies of sucralose effects in humans need to be done for us to truly understand it and how it affects us. Seeing as the FDA has approved of it and considers it safe for human consumption, you can still use it but try to stick to the recommended amounts – or switch to natural sweeteners which are less controversial.

 Sucralose: Emerging science reveals health risks

Sucralose is the most widely used artificial sweetener in the United States. Most commonly sold under the brand name Splenda, the chemical is used in over 6,000 food products. It is often found in “diet” sodas including Diet Coke with Splenda, Diet Pepsi with Splenda, as well as Gatorade’s Propel Water, low-calorie Kool-Aid, Atkins Diet products, and other low-calorie foods and drinks.

Articles of Interest

Do you need to worry about Splenda?

So, do you need to worry about Splenda? The jury is still out on whether sucralose causes leukemia when consumed in normal doses in humans. More research is needed. But there's a lot of evidence that artificial sweeteners like sucralose can lead to other problems such as weight gain. When seeking relief for your sweet tooth, a natural sweetener is probably a better choice.

Everything You Need to Know About Sucralose

Sucralose is made from a process that begins with regular table sugar (sucrose); however, sucralose is not sugar. Three select hydroxyl groups on the sucrose molecule are replaced with three chlorine atoms. Sucralose’s structure prevents enzymes in the digestive tract from breaking it down, which is an inherent part of its safety.

Guide to Sucralose

Sucralose has been demonstrated to be safe for consumption by humans by numerous studies and reports. The adverse press sucralose receives seems primarily to be due to the fact that it is artificial and this term is very much maligned in nutrition. It’s important to note that ‘artificial’ doesn’t always mean bad in the same way as ‘natural’ doesn’t always mean good.

Is Splenda Bad For You? The Truth Behind This Sweetener

Sucralose is a sugar-free, non-nutritive artificial sweetener, meaning it contains no calories or nutrients. It is commonly known by the brand name Splenda, but it’s important to note that Splenda is the brand name for a sugar substitute product that contains sucralose and small amounts of filler (dextrose and maltodextrin). In other words: Sucralose itself is not Splenda, but Splenda contains sucralose.

Is Sucralose (Splenda) Bad for You? The Answer is Not so Sweet

Sucralose is an artificial sweetener made from the combination of chlorine and sugar molecules and is commonly sold under the brand name Splenda. Although this sweet, calorie-free sugar substitute is tempting, it may be doing more harm to your health than good.

Is Sucralose Bad For You? Pros And Side Effects To Know

The usage of sucralose as a substitute for sugar is gaining popularity. But the question of whether sucralose is good or bad remains inconclusive.

Is Sucralose Bad for You? We Run Down Everything You Need to Know

Here’s what the science and experts have to say about this popular, zero-calorie sweetener you know as Splenda.

Sucralose, a synthetic organochlorine sweetener: overview of biological issues

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. Taken together, these findings indicate that sucralose is not a biologically inert compound.

Sucralose: 5 Reasons to Avoid This Artificial Sweetener

The quick answer to the common question “is sucralose safe?” is no. From metabolic syndrome to digestive problems and weight gain, sucralose doesn’t do you any favors. In fact, it impacts your health negatively in a number of ways.

Sweet Relief?

A sugar snob taste-tests Splenda and other sweeteners.

The Artificial Sweetener Sucralose May Increase Food Cravings

Studies looking at the impact of artificially sweetened (“diet”) beverages on weight have had inconsistent results. Although this is just one study, it suggests different people may have different neural and metabolic reactions to sweeteners in these beverages.

The dangers of Splenda and other artificial sweeteners

Splenda, the marketer’s name for sucralose, is a synthetic compound that’s used in more than 4,500 products. While the molecule is made of sucrose (sugar) — three of the hydroxyl groups in the molecule have been replaced by three chlorine atoms. This is where the comparisons to DDT come in. After all, it was developed by scientists looking for a new pesticide, and the bonds holding the carbon and chlorine atoms together are more characteristic of a chlorocarbon than a salt — and most pesticides are chlorocarbons.

The Sweet Relief of Splenda in My Purse

I feel a special kind of relief when I walk into a fancy coffee shop and see Splenda alongside the simple syrup and almond milk. Nowadays it’s trendy to eat all-natural, organic, clean. We’re told it’s healthy and morally superior, even. But all I want in my iced coffee is the contents of those little yellow packets, or the blue ones, or pink. I am aware of the dangers, so no need to warn me.

The Too-Good-to-Be-True Product Hall of Fame

The claim: “Made from sugar so it tastes just like sugar.” The truth: Merisant Co., which makes sugar rival Equal, sued Splenda over its marketing slogan and advertising campaign, arguing that the company led consumers to believe Splenda was healthier and more natural than other sugar substitutes.

Truvia vs. Splenda: Which Is Best?

Splenda was the most "natural" sweetener we had until Truvia came along. It was considered more "natural" because it is a chemical derivative of the sugar molecule itself. Basically, they replace parts of the sugar molecule with chlorine, then add maltodextrin and dextrose - both natural carbohydrate compounds. The end result is a zero-calorie sweetener that is 600 times as sweet as sugar and doesn't have a bitter aftertaste like the high-intensity sweeteners that came before it.

What Is Sucralose?

Did you know that sucralose is made from a process that begins with sugar? Sucralose is made by replacing three select hydroxyl groups (-OH) on the sugar molecule with three chlorine atoms. Because of its structure, sucralose is not able to be broken down by enzymes in our digestive tract—which is why sucralose does not confer calories.

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