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Long-Term Effects of Splenda

Splenda, the artificial sweetener in which sucralose is the main ingredient, has gained significant popularity over the years since it's marketed as a calorie-free sugar substitute used for baking and cooking. However, there are long-term effects to using the ingredient, many of which are hazardous to human health, particularly for individuals who have diabetes.

  1. Altering the Taste Buds

    • Splenda is 600 times sweeter than regular sugar. When people use Splenda regularly in coffee or to create sauces and baked goods, the taste buds become accustomed to this extreme sweetness, permanently altering the taste buds, according to Dorothy Blair, assistant professor of nutrition at Penn State. This means people are more likely to add sugar to foods that are naturally sweet like fruits; according to Vanderbilt University, long-term Splenda use also encourages an intense craving for carbohydrates. This can lead to unwanted weight gain that is hard to control, and significant changes in blood sugar for both diabetic and non-diabetic individuals.

    Organ Damage

    • Splenda is also a chlorocarbon, a substance that is often responsible for causing long-term damage to internal organs like the liver and kidneys. The sugar substitute can cause the kidneys and liver to swell significantly, and cause a buildup of calcium in the kidneys. According to Dr. James Bowen, ingesting a small amount of Splenda -- even a lesser amount that what it approved by the FDA -- will shrink the thymus by 40 percent. The thymus is a glandular organ that is part of the immune system and produces T cells -- a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight off diseases and infection.

    Absorption and Gastrointestional Discomfort.

    • According to Vanderbilt University, about 27 percent of the sucralose in Splenda is absorbed by the body, meaning the substance will stay in the bloodstream and organs for long periods of time. This can not only potentially damage the internal organs, but also has negative gastrointestinal effects, like bloating, painful gas or diarrhea. The gas some people experience when eating foods or drinking beverages with Splenda is due to the fact that the natural bacteria that occurs in the gut metabolizes parts of Splenda once it's ingested to produce nitrogen gas.

    Diabetic Risks

    • Dr. Joseph Mercola asserts that Splenda may raise the glycosylated hemoglobin (Hba1C) levels in diabetic patients. Hba1C is a way to detect blood glucose levels over a long period of time, and is used as a scale for glycemic control in people with diabetes. According to the FDA, raised levels of glycosolation in hemoglobin could make diabetes more difficult to control. A long term intolerance to sugar and sucralose due to the altered Hba1C levels can even lead to type 2 diabetes in individuals who didn't previously have the condition.

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