Q: Does SPLENDA^® (sucralose) cause cancer or increase cancer risk?

• No. SPLENDA^® Brand Sweetener (sucralose) has been found to be non-carcinogenic in studies designed specifically to assess cancer-causing potential. At extremely high doses, sucralose did not cause cancer or promote its development or onset. These sucralose safety studies were designed according to rigorous international standards. Repeated, independent, and critical review of these studies by public health and safety experts has resulted in the unanimous conclusion that sucralose is safe and not a risk for cancer.

Q: Is sucralose safe for people with diabetes?

• Yes. Sucralose is not recognized by the body as a carbohydrate, is not metabolized for energy, and provides no calories. Clinical trials on sucralose and diabetes have confirmed that sucralose has no effect on insulin levels, fasting or postprandial blood glucose levels, and long-term blood glucose control (hemoglobin A1c).^2-3 Additionally, a multicenter study demonstrated that daily sucralose consumption of triple the maximum projected daily intake for 3 months had no effect on glucose homeostasis in patients with type 2 diabetes.³

  References

  2. Mezitis NJ, Maggio CA, Koch P, et al. Glycemic effect of a single high oral dose of the novel sweetener sucralose in patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care 1996;19(9):1004-1005.

  3. Grotz VI, Henry RR, McGill JB, et al. Lack of effect of sucralose in glucose homeostasis in subjects with type 2 diabetes. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103:1607-1612.

Q: Can sucralose be safely used during pregnancy or by women who are nursing?

• Yes. Safety experts from around the world conclude that sucralose can be used safely during pregnancy and by nursing mothers. Most sucralose is not absorbed, and any absorbed sucralose is readily eliminated without any breakdown for energy. Sucralose may be used as part of a healthy pre-natal and post-natal diet to help reduce excess calories from added sugars. Sucralose can play an important role in reducing calorie intake from sugar. Avoiding excess calorie intake can reduce the risk of unnecessary weight gain during pregnancy.

Q: Is sucralose safe for children?

• Yes. Importantly, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16% of U.S. children ages 6-19 are overweight.⁴ Substituting sugar with SPLENDA^® Sweetener Products is a safe and excellent way to help children lower their daily added sugar and calorie intake.

  Reference

  4. Obesity still a major problem, new data show. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website. www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/04facts/obesity.htm. Published October 6, 2004. Updated January 4, 2010. Accessed August 11, 2011.

Q: SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener (sucralose) contains chlorine. Is that a safety risk?

• No. Chlorine is a natural component of salt and other natural constituents of foods. It is present in public water supplies and many foods, including wholesome foods like lettuce, tomatoes, lentils, mushrooms and peanut butter. In the case of SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener, chlorine is used in a process that alters sugar to create the very stable no-calorie sweetener, sucralose. Extensive research shows that sucralose can be used safely by everyone and that there is no cause for concern about safety associated with chlorine. Lastly, SPLENDA^® Brand Sweetener does not build up in the body, nor is it broken down to yield any free chlorine or smaller chlorinated molecules, and sucralose is calorie-free.

Reference

1. Grotz VL, Munro IC. An overview of the safety of sucralose. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. 2009;55:1-5.

Q: Does sucralose cause gastrointestinal upset?

• No. While sucralose has no known side effects, lower-calorie foods, such as sugar-free ice cream, sometimes contain sugar alcohols in addition to sucralose. Sugar alcohols (such as mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, and maltitol) can be associated with gastrointestinal upset in sensitive individuals if too much is consumed. Talk to your patients about the importance of reading product labels in order to make choices that best meet their health and dietary needs.

Q: Does sucralose cause weight gain?

• No, clinical studies involving human subjects support the use of no-calorie sweeteners, like SPLENDA^® Brand Sweetener (sucralose), as part of weight management strategies. Additionally, extensive data shows that sucralose has no ability to increase weight. Sucralose is largely unabsorbed, has no calories, and causes no increase in body weight in laboratory test studies, even with doses equivalent in sweetness to over 40 pounds of sugar per day for life. Clinical studies also show that sucralose does not lead to changes in hormones that regulate satiety (feelings of fullness).

  Additionally, SPLENDA^® (sucralose) products may be useful for helping weight management in children and teens, including kids who are overweight. In a clinical study conducted at the Colorado Health Sciences Institute, funded by McNeil Nutritionals LLC and the NIH, easy instructions on how to increase steps per day and decrease sugar intake per day for a 200-calorie total decreased energy intake were provided, and helped overweight children gain less weight than overweight children without these instructions.

Q: Does sucralose cause headaches?

• Migraines can be caused by many things, including common events such as stress or changes in vasodilation. Sucralose has no known side effects and is not known to produce changes in the body that are associated with headaches or migraines. For example, sucralose has no known effects on vasodilation or blood pressure. Studies show no effect of sucralose on blood glucose or insulin levels and sucralose has no known effects on the nervous system.

Reference

1. Grotz VL, Munro IC. An overview of the safety of sucralose. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2009;55:1-5.