Diabetes, a serious, lifelong condition characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood, can cause vision, nerve and heart problems, and can also be fatal. Sugar intake is a major concern for diabetics, who may turn to artificial sweeteners instead. The FDA considers Splenda, or sucralose, a safe sweetener for all people, including children, and scientific studies support its use by diabetics as well.
Benefits of Splenda
Splenda is a sugar substitute that has been on the market since 1991. It tastes much sweeter than sugar, but lacks the calories of sugar. You can add Splenda to foods or beverages such as coffee. Unlike other artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin, Splenda has no aftertaste. In addition, Splenda, unlike aspartame, has no known side effects, so you can consume Splenda on a daily basis without limits.
Safety
The Splenda website boasts that 20 years of research, including more than 100 clinical studies, have established the safety of this product. In addition to the FDA, the World Health Organization has found Splenda safe, and the sweetener is currently used in more than 80 countries. It is also safe for diabetics and pregnant women.
Diabetes Research
According to a study published in the September 1996 issue of "Diabetes Care," short-term consumption of sucralose does not affect blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes. Long-term consumption of sucralose was also found to be safe, according to a study published in the December 2003 issue of the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association." In this study, there was no impact on blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes who consumed large amounts of sucralose daily over the course of three months.
Physiological Explanation
Splenda is safe for diabetics because the body does not recognize it as a sugar and is therefore unable to break it down. Sucralose passes through the body in a solid form, and has no impact on glucose levels in the blood or the secretion of insulin.
References
- Splenda.com: Splenda Products FAQs
- "Journal of the American Dietetic Association";Lack of effect of sucralose on glucose homeostasis in subjects with type 2 diabetes; V.L. Grotz, et al.; December 2003
- Sucralose.org: All About Sucralose
- "Diabetes Care"; Glycemic effect of a single high oral dose of the novel sweetener sucralose in patients with diabetes; M.H. Mezitis et al.; September 1996
- American Diabetes Association: Artificial Sweetners
