Researchers at North Carolina State University recently conducted a study to determine the safety of sucralose. Sucralose, sold under the brand name Splenda, is the leading sugar substitute in the country. It is also added to many products and is identified as sucralose on product labels.
The study, published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, found that chemicals found in sucralose can degrade human DNA and pose potential risks to human health.
Sucralose’s widespread popularity is now under scrutiny after potential dangers were uncovered by researchers at North Carolina State University.
Epidemiological studies have shown an association between increased colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and dietary choices and dysbiosis, which may suggest an association with sucralose intake.
The focus of the study was to investigate the toxicological and pharmacokinetic properties of impurities and structural analogue sucralose-6-acetic acid in commercial sucralose samples.
Researchers employed several tests to assess the genotoxicity of sucralose-6-acetate. The results showed that sucralose-6-acetate is genotoxic and causes DNA strand breaks classified as chromatogenic. A daily cup of drink sweetened with sucralose was found to contain levels of sucralose-6-acetate above the threshold of toxicological concern for genotoxicity.
The researchers also exposed the outer layer of human intestines to both sucralose-6-acetate and sucralose. They performed RNA-seq analysis to determine gene expression induced by these exposures. This study revealed that sucralose-6-acetate significantly increased the expression of genes associated with inflammation, oxidative stress and cancer. Of particular note was the increased expression of the metallothionein 1 G gene (MT1G). In addition, both sucralose-6-acetate and sucralose impaired intestinal barrier integrity.
Further studies demonstrated that sucralose-6-acetate inhibits CYP1A2 and CYP2C19, two enzymes belonging to the cytochrome P450 family responsible for drug metabolism.
These findings raised significant concerns about the safety and regulatory status of sucralose itself. According to the researchers, more research is needed to understand sucralose-6-acetate’s genotoxicity, potential effects on human health, and effects on gut barrier integrity.
Here’s the full study: found here.
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