Stevia Vs. Sucralose

Both stevia and sucralose come from natural substances, but the end products are very different in composition.

History

• Stevia, a natural sweetener derived from the stevia shrub in Brazil and Paraguay, has been used for centuries in South America. Sucralose, an artificial sweetener created by chemically modifying sugar with chlorine, was discovered in 1976 by Tate and Lyle, Ltd., a British sugar refiner. The first country approving the use of sucralose was Canada in 1991.

Benefits

• Both sweeteners are non-caloric and used both in baking and cooking. Stevia is diabetic-safe (does not negatively affect blood sugar levels), is non-toxic, does not encourage formation of plaque on teeth nor cavities and does not feed bacteria nor yeast in the body.

Misconceptions

• Sucralose has been labeled as a safe product by the FDA, though no long term studies for its safety have been conducted.

Harmful Effects

• Sucralose is chemically modified with chlorine, a potentially toxic substance. Studies performed in Duke University have shown that sucralose reduces good bacteria in the intestine by 50%, increases its pH level, increases body weight and affects the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the body, by possibly causing certain health drugs to be rejected or not absorbed by the body. Stevia may cause in some cases muscle pain or weakness, nausea, dizziness and abdominal fullness.

Prevention/Solution

• To avoid the possible harmful effects of sucralose, do not use or buy products containing it.