Is Splenda Bad for You? How to Find out
Many have been wondering: is Splenda bad for you?
The chemical name of the Splenda ingredient is sucralose. While sucralose is indeed a sugar molecule, it is the process by which it’s made that is concerning. Sucralose is an artificially produced chemical that is produced in a five-step patented process. During this process, three chlorine molecules are added to a basic sucrose molecule. The initial, natural sugar molecule is a disaccharide made up of two single sugars that are together; these single sugars are glucose and fructose.
The chemical process to make Splenda alters the chemical constitution of the sugar so much that it is converted into a molecule that does not normally occur in nature. Because this artificial molecule is not natural, the body does not know how to process it. According to the manufacturers of Splenda, this is the very reason why Splenda is calorie neutral — it is not broken down or metabolized by the body. Splenda merely passes through your digestive system without depositing any calories.
This is misleading, however, as Splenda’s no calorie status would only be technically valid if the body did have the capacity to metabolize it. More problematically, the fact that sucralose is an artificial ingredient elicits questions about its safety, especially if used in generous amounts over a long period of time. There is the additional potential problem of insulin response. While research findings are still unclear, the medical community widely speculates that Splenda produces an increase in insulin levels, which, whatever the caloric content, will signal the body to hold on to fat reserves or even store more fat.
One medical study nullifies the assertion that Splenda is not absorbed in the body. In this study (conducted on humans), one in eight participants did not excrete any sucralose after three days of ingesting Splenda. Another study (conducted on animals) concluded that 15% of ingested sucralose is absorbed into the digestive system and is stored in the body.
