The common artificial sweetener damages DNA and can cause cancer - voila! health

Cut calories, but is it dangerous? (Photo: ShutterStock)

Many people use artificial sweeteners to reduce their calorie intake, but growing evidence shows the potential health risks associated with these substances. Now, a new study has found that a chemical, sucralose-6-acetate, found in sucralose (sold under the trade name Splenda) damages DNA.

Researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill determined that the chemical is "genotoxic," meaning it damages genetic information inside cells. In the study, they exposed human intestinal tissue to sucralose to examine the effects on gut health and the potential for cancer. The results were recently published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health.

May also cause cancer

For the study, the researchers exposed human blood cells to sucralose-6-acetate in several in vitro experiments. The results showed signs of genotoxicity. The researchers also found that sucralose caused intestinal leakage or damage to the intestinal lining. In addition, they observed the genetic activity of intestinal cells and found that sucralose causes an increase in gene activity associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and cancer. The results support growing evidence of the harmful effects of artificial sweeteners, such as increased risk of heart disease and cancer.

Damages genetic information inside cells (Photo: ShutterStock)

Although the results are alarming, it is unclear how sucralose can affect health on a broader scale. Therefore, more research is still needed on the effects of sucrose-6-acetate, especially in human trials.

"We're limited by the fact that these are just in vitro and animal studies, so we're at an early stage long before we discover its applicability in human patients," Dr. Susan Shipman, co-author of the study from the joint department of biomedical engineering at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told Medical News Today.

According to Dr. Shifman, the next steps for the study will be to look at the biological effect of sucralose in combination with acesulfame-K, another artificial sweetener that often accompanies sucralose in food products. Future sucralose research could also include population-based studies that may deepen scientists' understanding of the link between sucralose-6-acetate and cancer.

Also impairs metabolism in the body

Just a year ago, an Israeli study succeeded in proving that calorie-free sweeteners affect the composition and activity of gut bacteria and can disrupt the body's metabolism.

Research by Weizmann Institute scientists suggests that sugar substitutes can have a detrimental effect on the human body. The study's findings, published in the scientific journal Cell, suggest that prominent sugar substitutes may affect gut bacteria (microbiome) and, as a result, blood sugar levels in humans. The extent of this effect varies from person to person, just as the composition of the microbiome is unique to each individual.

"Sugar substitutes are calorie-free, but they are not devoid of effect on the human body. In the study, we showed that sugar substitutes change the composition and activity of gut bacteria and as a result may also harm the body's metabolism," said Prof. Eran Elinav of the Department of Systemic Immunology at the time. "To assess the long-term health effects of sugar substitutes, additional long-term trials are needed. It should be emphasized that the findings do not imply that sugar consumption is preferable to the consumption of sugar substitutes, and that the damage to human health from sugar consumption is backed up by evidence from many studies."

• health
• nutrition and diet
• Preventive nutrition

Tags

• sugar
• Artificial sweeteners
• guts
• dna
• cancer