People often limit their sugar and sweets intake to maintain a healthy diet, especially diabetic patients. But what about artificial sweeteners? Sugar alternatives are popular among those who want to monitor their carbohydrate and calorie intake. One such artificial sweetener is sucralose.
What is Sucralose?
Sucralose is marketed as Splenda, which is an artificial sweetener that often comes in a yellow packet. The difference between Splenda and other sweeteners like aspartame (Equal) and saccharin (Sweet’N Low) is that it is actually made from real sugar. This generally gives a taste that is preferable compared to artificial sweeteners. As mentioned before, sucralose is chemically changed to become 600 times sweeter than real sugar with almost no calories. It is often found in ice cream, candy, yoghurt, and soda. In addition to being changed for taste, it is also altered to help it pass through the body instead of being stored for later use as energy. To make it almost calorie-free, some naturally occurring parts of the hydroxyl sugar molecule are replaced with chlorine atoms.
Understanding Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic condition characterised by the inability of the body to regulate blood sugar levels effectively. It is primarily classified into the following:
- Type 1 Diabetes: It is an autoimmune condition where the body attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
- Type 2 Diabetes: It is a condition in which the body either resists the effects of insulin or fails to produce sufficient insulin.
- Gestational Diabetes: It occurs during pregnancy and typically resolves after childbirth. However, it can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes later.
Managed blood sugar levels prevent complications such as vision loss, kidney damage, and cardiovascular disease. Diet plays a vital role in diabetes management, focusing on reducing sugar intake.
Sucralose and Diabetes
Individuals with diabetes know the importance of limiting the amount of sugar in their daily diet. Natural sugars in drinks and food are generally easy to spot; however, processed sugars can be a bit more challenging to pinpoint.
Benefits of Sucralose
Below are a few benefits listed:
- One of the significant benefits of sucralose is that it doesn’t have calories.
- Sucralose is sweeter than sugar, so people favour the substitute over the original. Only a small amount of sucralose is needed to achieve the desired sweet taste in foods or beverages.
- A review of randomised controlled trials found that artificial sweeteners like sucralose may help reduce body weight by about 1.7 pounds on average.
Potential Risks Associated with Sucralose
Below are a few risk factors:
- Sucralose may affect a person’s gut health.
- Rodent studies have indicated that sucralose can modify intestinal microbiota and may eliminate some good bacteria. This may lead to inflammation of internal organs like the liver.
- It can alter hormone levels in a person’s digestive tract, which may lead to abnormalities contributing to metabolic disorders like obesity or also type 2 diabetes.
- Research also shows that metabolic altercations caused by sucralose can lead to glucose intolerance. This may increase the risk of diabetes.
- Cooking with sucralose may also be dangerous. At high temperatures, it can disintegrate, forming potentially toxic chlorinated compounds. However, more research, including human studies, is crucial in fully understanding the link between sucralose and gut health.
Effects of Sucralose on People with Diabetes
Below are key points on sucralose and diabetes:
- Sucralose may not significantly increase blood sugar levels, making it a suitable sugar substitute for diabetic patients who need to manage their carbohydrate intake.
- Sucralose may disrupt gut bacteria balance, which could affect metabolic health.
- Regular consumption of sucralose might affect insulin sensitivity. This may potentially lead to insulin resistance, which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
While considered safe by regulatory agencies, more long-term studies are required to fully assess the potential side effects of sucralose on people with diabetes.
How Does Sucralose Affect Blood Glucose?
The body does not metabolise sucralose, so it doesn’t raise blood glucose or insulin levels. This makes sucralose a suitable option for people with diabetes who aim to control their glycaemic response. However, sucralose may influence gut microbiota, which can potentially affect glucose regulation indirectly. It can also alter the developmental dynamics of the gut microbiome. This means that the gut’s bacterial composition changes over time in a way that is different from people who do not consume sucralose.
How Does Sucralose Affect People with Diabetes?
Artificial sweeteners like sucralose are marketed as sugar substitutes that do not raise blood sugar levels, making them a safer choice for people with diabetes. While these claims seem promising, they have yet to be confirmed by multiple extensive studies. A small study found that sucralose elevated blood sugar levels by 14% and insulin levels by 20% in 17 people with severe obesity who didn’t regularly consume artificial sweeteners. These results indicate that sucralose may elevate blood sugar levels in new users, but may have little effect on regular consumers. A spike in blood sugar can cause serious health problems like kidney damage, heart disease, and digestive system damage in individuals with diabetes who do not produce insulin or do not respond to the hormone appropriately. People with diabetes may want to limit their sucralose intake.
Is Sucralose Healthy?
Since its introduction over two decades ago, many have turned to Splenda to enjoy some of their favourite sweets with fewer calories. Making a simple swap of sucralose for sugar has been helping people limit their calorie intake. This proves to be especially helpful for people with diabetes who need to monitor their sugar intake. Splenda sweetens drinks and foods, but it doesn’t spike blood sugar levels the way that regular sugar may do.
Though sweeteners like Splenda are low in calories, that doesn’t necessarily mean they help with weight loss. A study showed that people who drink diet sodas sweetened with sucralose may end up taking in more calories than those who drink sodas with regular sugar. This can result in higher overall body weight. Sucralose may even stimulate appetite, making people eat more. It is, however, important to note here that this research hasn’t been proven.
Some studies show that sucralose can change one’s gut microbiome by decreasing the number of good bacteria by half. Research on animals shows that sucralose can also increase inflammation in the body, which, over time, can lead to obesity and diabetes. Since these studies have only been done on rodents, more research is needed to understand how sucralose can affect humans.
Recommendations of Including Sucralose for Diabetics
Below are a few recommendations for diabetic patients, including sucralose in their diet:
- Balanced diet plans: Sucralose can replace sugar in many recipes; however, it should not substitute for a well-rounded diet. People with diabetes should focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods, including whole grains, vegetables, and lean proteins.
- Consumption limits: To ensure safety, people with diabetes should adhere to the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) level for sucralose. Being mindful of product labels can help avoid exceeding this limit.
- Consulting with healthcare professionals: Before making any dietary changes, people with diabetes should consult a doctor or dietician. They can offer personalised advice based on individual goals and needs.
Although people may not realise it, sucralose is likely already a part of their diet. People drink low-calorie soft drinks and juices, chew gum, or eat diet snacks; sucralose is likely the sweetener they taste. According to the FDA, the ADI level for sucralose is 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day.
Conclusion
Sucralose is a sugar substitute that provides sweetness without calories or blood sugar spikes. While it is generally safe, moderation is key. Balancing sucralose use can help avoid potential side effects in diabetic people, such as disruption of gut bacteria, possible alteration of insulin sensitivity, and potential increase in blood sugar levels in a few individuals.
Consult Top Diabetologist
Consult Top Diabetologist
Dr. Raveendran Sr
Diabetologist
14 Years • MBBS,MD,D.DIAB,FSM
Chennai
S R Clinic, Chennai
Dr. K. A. Venkatachalam
Diabetologist
25 Years • M.B.B.S PHFI
Chennai
Laxshmi Clinic, Chennai
Dr. Manthan Sheth
Diabetologist
7 Years • MBBS, PGDFM (Family Medicine), C.Diab (Royal College of Physician, London; BMJ, UK; Fortis Delhi), Advance Certificate in Diabetes Mellitus (RLA, UK & RSSDI, India) FID (Fellowship in Diabetes), MCDM (Masters in Diabetes), CCACCD (Cleveland Clinic, USA), C.F&H (Stanford, USA)
Surat
Maisha Diabetes Clinic, Surat
(25+ Patients)
Dr. Mahantesh Araganji
General Physician/ Internal Medicine Specialist
10 Years • MD Physician, MD General Medicine
Thane
Samarth Clinic, Thane
Dr. Srinivas Naik
Diabetologist
4 Years • Md general medicine
Mudhol
SHRINIVAS HOSPITAL, Mudhol
