Truth about Splenda

Sucralose, commonly known as Splenda, is the fastest growing artificial sweetener on the market. It is 600 times sweeter than sugar. Its chemical structure is very similar to sucrose (table sugar) except that the three hydroxyl groups are replaced with three chlorine atoms. It is considered to be calorie-free since it is not metabolized in the body. The chlorine prevents it from being absorbed by the body and also gives it the ability to withstand enough heat to be used when baking.

Research in animals has shown that high doses sucralose resulted in shrunken thymus glands by 40%, enlarged liver and kidneys, reduced growth rate, and decreased fetal body weight. However, there have been no long term studies on humans consuming sucralose.

Splenda is actually 99% composed of pure sugars such as dextrose, maltodextrin, and corn syrup. That means only 1% or less of Splenda actually contains sucralose. An actual packet of Splenda is 4 calories per packet – not calorie free like sugar substitutes are suggested to be. There is a hidden loophole in the FDA regulating labeling. If it less than one gram per serving, then it is considered to calorie-free. Therefore, sucralose does not mean the same thing as Splenda, as Splenda is bulked by additional sugars. The video link goes into depth about this. Check it out.