Avoid Sucralose

Sucralose is an artificial sweetener found in many low-calorie, sugar-free products. Unfortunately, it has become a staple in our food supply. It is 600x as sweet as table sugar and over three times sweeter than aspartame (i.e., NutraSweet). I would venture a guess that a product that is 600x sweeter than table sugar is not be a healthy item for the human body.

Sucralose contains three chlorine atoms in its structure. Heating sucralose can create a chemical reaction with the chlorine atoms where they are transformed into a toxic product.

A recent study (Env. Sci. Techn. 2011; Aug 31.PMID:21879743) reported that water treatment plants were unable to fully remove sucralose from the finished drinking water. The researchers studied 19 U.S. water treatment plants serving more than 28 million people. The scientists reported that sucralose was found in the finished drinking water in 13 of 19 sites. What this means is that the water treatment plants were unable to remove sucralose from the end product coming out of your tap.

Sucralose is not a healthy product. We eat more artificial sweeteners than any other people on the face of the planet. We also have more obesity than any other people on the face of the planet. I have found it nearly impossible for my obese patients to lose weight if they ingest artificial sweeteners. Besides the weight issues there is a whole host of adverse effects associated with artificial sweeteners including neurological and hormonal problems.

The research behind sucralose has been largely funded by the industry that manufactures sucralose. Industry-funded research has been shown to be biased. I do not believe sucralose is a healthy product. It is best to avoid any food item containing sucralose.