Modernity and the healthy lifestyle boom have brought with it a large number of inventions and options within reach of the vast majority of the population, before which it is necessary to have a mind with evident knowledge and discernment to choose the correct ones and see more beyond the market intentions and economic benefit behind many of these products with potential health risks.
Today, a top-rated product is Sucralose, better known by its trade name Splenda. This is a synthetic sweetener used with overconfidence in people with diabetes who want to control insulin levels or eat low in calories. In this FastlyHealarticle, we elucidate about Splenda or Sucralose: what it is and its side effects.
Table of Contents
What is Splenda?
Sucralose (C12H19Cl3O8) is a sweetener accidentally discovered in 1976, which turned out to be much sweeter than sucrose or refined sugar and other sweeteners common that have been found to date. To the amazement of said benefit, and after more than a decade and a half of tests, the general public approved it for production and consumption.
In addition, it provides far fewer calories than regular sugar and helped or was less offensive in people with metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Even today, we find how Sucralose is used for many modern light products in almost all parts of the world where the food industry has made its way.
However, either due to lack of knowledge or voluntary media bias, little was made known to society of the whole truth about Splenda, that is, that this sweetener had its shadows and harmful effects, and even that some of the products above they weren’t quite so true.
Splenda and damage to the gut microbiota
In our intestines, there are bacteria and microorganisms, collectively called intestinal flora or microbiota, which assist in the digestive process and regulate, among other things, the pH or acidity level in the intestinal organs. Within the microbiota, both bacteria acidify the pH and those that alkalize it, and both are necessary for good digestive health.
Scientific studies have discovered that Sucralose and other artificial sweeteners destroy a significant amount of the microbiota (up to 50%), favoring imbalances in our digestive system. This leads to the person who frequently consumes this sweetener is prone to present:
- Metabolic disorders
- Appetite regulation problems and anxiety
- Heartburn
- Diarrhea and constipation
- Poor absorption of nutrients
- Immune and autoimmune disorders
Among other essential conditions to discover, since the intestinal microbiota is linked to many fundamental organic processes.
Sucralose: dangers when heating up
Another powerful voice in favor of Splenda is that, unlike other sweeteners, it does not damage when cooked or change its flavor, which is why it is safe. However, recent studies have shown that from 120º Celsius, chemical alterations do occur that release a type of dioxin internationally recognized as dangerous called chloropropane, clearly identified as toxic.
Splenda: side effects at the metabolic level
Paradoxically, this sweetener, widely used in diabetics and people who seek to take care of their figure and appetite, is more capable of producing alterations both in the desire to eat and in the body’s ability to handle the energy received in food and the conversion of said calories from fat.
As for the appetite, when entering the body, it perceives the entry of Sucralose as if a large amount of sugar is entering, and the body prepares itself for it. Then, when you realize that you have not received what you expected, but the biochemical processes to receive them are still active, your solution is to keep sending hunger signals to the body to continue searching for food. This effect occurs especially in small meals or when consuming juices and coffees.
On the other hand, the metabolic disorder can be favored both to the first factor already mentioned in this article, as well as to the fact that its genotoxicity alters the DNA of our cells, making run among other potential risks that the programming for the use and assimilation of calories in each one of them it becomes vitiated or “deconfigured,” thus opening the way to metabolic disorders and contributing to:
- The obesity .
- Non-alcoholic type fatty liver.
- Accumulation of toxic visceral fat in other organs, such as the heart.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
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I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.