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Is Splenda Safe?

Dear Heather:

Is Splenda a safe artificial sweetner to use? I’ve seen it listed a lot lately on the packages of diet drinks, ice creams, and cereal and I wanted to make sure it wasn’t harmful.

Thank you,

Janine D., New Hampshire

Dear Jeanine:

Many companies are using Splenda to sweeten their products because it is derived from sugar, tastes like sugar, and contains 0 calories. Unlike the other artificial sweetners, aspartame and saccharin, Splenda (sucralose) will not lose its sweetness at high temperatures so manufacturers can use it to make lower calorie baked goods, cookies, and breads.

While many consumers think Splenda is a relatively new product, it’s actually been around for years – mainly being marketed to the diabetic population. Now that consumers are trying to cut calories and parents are trying to give their kids less sugar, companies have added Splenda to everything from diet soda to sweetened cereal (i.e., Trix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch & Cocoa Puffs).

The safety of Splenda or sucralose is supported by more than 100 scientific studies with no known side effects reported. The manufacturers of Splenda, Johnson & Johnson, advertise that their product has:

* No Known Side Effects
* No Toxicity
* No Carcinogenicity
* No Effects on Fetal or Neonatal Development
* No Neurotoxicity

All of the research suggests Splenda is safe, but the product does have its critics. Holistic-health supporters argue that we don’t necessarily know if Splenda safe because there is a lack of data from long-term studies. I usually tell my clients that in moderation having some Splenda in the diet is not harmful, but eating too much of ANYTHING should be avoided. Thanks for taking the time to write in!

Sincerely,

Heather Campanile, RD

October 30, 2005 in Weight Loss Q&A | Permalink