Sucralose sweetens without providing calories. This sweetener, however, if consumed often, can increase blood glucose and insulin levels in healthy people, as well as damage their gut microbiota. The paradox emerges from a clinical study at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). (1)
Sucralose, 600 times sweeter than sugar. With chlorine atoms
The sweetener sucralose (E955) is obtained from the introduction of chlorine atoms into the sucrose structure. It is a molecule with high sweetening power (more than 600 times higher than sugar), acaloric and more stable to heat and a wide pH range. This is why it is widely used by the food industry.
Previous research had shown that sucralose is also among the acaloric sweeteners that can cause (paradoxical) weight gain. (2) On animals, however, it had emerged as favoring hematologic malignancies. (3) Now, the clinical study conducted by Professor Galileo Escobedo, researcher at Unidad de Medicina Experimental UNAM – Hospital General de México, reveals that E955 causes changes in healthy people similar to those that occur before the onset of type 2 diabetes.
The clinical study
The researchers gave the first group of participants a daily dose of 48 mg of sucralose dissolved in water for 10 weeks. This dose ‘is equivalent to half a liter of juice or four cookies’ and represents the average – moderate – consumption of the sweetener. In contrast, the control group was given water without the sweetener.
At the beginning and end of the 10 weeks of sucralose exposure, researchers took measurements of glucose, insulin and leptin levels, as well as a microbiota profile determination by sequencing and PCR procedure.
The results
In the sucralose-treated group, researchers found an increase in the bacterium Clostridium coccoides, which relates to spikes in blood glucose and insulin and a tendency for the development of type 2 diabetes, and a decrease in Lactobacillus acidophilus, which is necessary for intestinal health (4). This intestinal dysbiosis is associated with the tendency of intestinal inflammation and digestive disorders.
Professor Escobedo explains that prolonging glycemic spikes for long periods damages nerves and blood vessels, as observed in individuals with pre-diabetic conditions. And the study shows how such a phenomenon is triggered by sucralose consumption, with the emergence of the same changes typical of diabetes-hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, carbohydrate intolerance, and digestive disorders-in separate stages.
Interim conclusions
Although sucralose is an approved additive in the EU, therefore subject to periodic re-evaluation procedure by EFSA, researchers suggest avoiding its consumption. And more generally, minimize the consumption of ultra-processed foods. To this end, researchers recommend that children should not be accustomed to sweet flavors.
Isis Consuelo Sanlucar Chirinos
Notes
(1) Fernando Guzmàn, Endulzantes artificiales pueden causar alteraciones parecidas a la diabetes. Gaceta UNAM, 8/04/2022, https://www.gaceta.unam.mx/endulzantes-artificiales-pueden-causar-alteraciones-parecidas-a-la-diabetes/?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com
(2) Marta Strinati. Zero-calorie sweeteners, paradox effect. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade) 22.4.18 https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/dolcificare/dolcificanti-zero-calorie-effetto-paradosso
(3) Soffritti M., Padovani M., Tibaldi E., Falcioni L., Manservisi F., Lauriola M., Bua L., Manservigi M., and Belpoggi F. (2016). Sucralose administered in feed, beginning prenatally through lifespan, induces hematopoietic neoplasias in male swiss mice. Int J Occup Occup Environ Health. 2016 Jan; 22 (1): 7-17. doi: 10.1080/10773525.2015.1106075
(4) Marta Strinati. Lactobacillus reuteri, a probiotic useful against colon cancer. US study. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade), 02/16/2022. https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/salute/lactobacillus-reuteri-un-probiotico-utile-contro-il-cancro-al-colon-studio-usa
Graduated in food engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, she is attending the master's degree in 'Food Safety Lawyer and Consultant' at Alma Mater, University of Bologna.
