Sucralose, used in diet drinks, chewing gums, sugar-free jams, coffee syrups and sauces, poses serious health risks, according to a new study. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned consumers that artificial sweeteners such as sucralose are ineffective in weight control and may increase the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes in the long run. New serious concerns have now been raised about sucralose.
DAMAGES OF ARTIFICIAL SWEETERS
According to previous research on rodents, several fat-soluble compounds form in the digestive tract after sucralose is ingested. One such compound is sucralose-6-acetate. New research by the same scientific group found that sucralose-6-acetate can be genotoxic and negatively affect DNA. The compound has also been found to damage gut integrity and may contribute to leaky gut.
Additionally, the compound significantly increased the expression of genes associated with oxidative stress, inflammation and cancer in the gut. In addition, in studies, sucralose-6-acetate also blocked two enzymes involved in detoxification and cellular metabolism, which can lead to harmful toxicological exposure.
ATTENTION TO PRODUCTS PURCHASED FROM THE MARKET
According to the researchers, this is also worrisome because sucralose-6-acetate has been detected in traces of sucralose-containing products on store shelves. “The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has set a toxicological threshold of 0.15 micrograms/person/day for all genotoxic substances. “Our study shows that trace amounts of sucralose-6-acetate in a single sucralose-sweetened beverage exceed this,” said Susan Schiffman. He added that it didn’t even contain the sucralose-6-acetate metabolite produced.
