Artificial Sweeteners: A DNA Damage Risk?
A recent study by researchers at North Carolina State University has raised concerns about the safety of sucralose, the leading sugar substitute marketed under the brand name Splenda. The study found that the chemicals present in sucralose can break down human DNA, potentially posing risks to human health. The study also revealed that sucralose-6-acetate, an impurity and structural analog found in commercially available sucralose samples, is genotoxic, causing DNA strand breaks classified as clastogenic. Sucralose-6-acetate also significantly increased the expression of genes associated with inflammation, oxidative stress, and cancer, and impaired intestinal barrier integrity. These findings have raised significant concerns about the safety and regulatory status of sucralose itself.