Everything You Need to Know About Sucralose - American ...

S u c r a l o s eEverything YouNeed to KnowAbout SucraloseWith obesity rates amongAmericans at an all-timehigh, many people maythink they have to give upsweets in order to loseweight. But there’s goodnews if you love sweets:Low-calorie sweetenersoffer a way to reducecalories in sweet foodsand beverages, which mayhelp you lose or maintainyour weight. They alsooffer a way for people withdiabetes to decrease theircarbohydrate intake.One commonly consumedlow-calorie sweetener issucralose. The followingis everything you need toknow about sucralose,including facts aboutnutrition, safety, uses andbenefits.Favorably Reviewed By:

w w w . f o o d i n s i g h t . o r gWhat isSucralose?Sucralose adds sweetness to foodsand beverages without adding caloriesor carbohydrates. As an alternativeto sugar and other calorie-containingsweeteners, it can play a role in weightmanagement programs that combinesensible nutrition and physical activity.While the process to make sucralosebegins with sucrose, or table sugar, thefinal product is different from sugar.Sucralose is made by replacing threeselect hydrogen-oxygen groups onthe sugar molecule with three chlorineatoms, resulting in an intensely sweet,no-calorie sweetener.Unlike sugar, the body does not breakdown sucralose into calories for energy.Yet, both sugar and sucralose activatethe same taste buds on your tongue.Most of the sucralose people consumeis not absorbed and passes throughthe body. The little that is absorbedis excreted in the urine, and doesn’taccumulate in the body.Sucralose is available in tabletopsweeteners (one well-known brand isSplenda ® ) and also as an ingredientin many products, including a varietyof beverages, baked goods, desserts,dairy products, canned fruits,syrups and condiments. Sucraloseis 600 times sweeter than sugar,and it can be used in place of orcombined with sugar in cookingand baking.Sucralose has been studiedextensively and has been found tobe safe by experts and researchersaround the world. Governmentagencies worldwide, including theU.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA), have also reviewed thescience on sucralose and found itto be safe for human consumption.How doessucralose fit intoa healthful diet?As a no-calorie alternative tosugar, sucralose-containing foodsand beverages still allow peoplewho are following a weight lossor weight management programto enjoy sweet, good tastingoptions. For example, a lightyogurt containing sucralose cansave 50 or more calories perserving compared to regularyogurt, and a 12-ounce glass oficed tea sweetened with sucralosecan save more than 100 caloriescompared to the same glass of teasweetened with sugar.Sucralose can be used almostanywhere sugar is used, allowingfor a variety of choices whenplanning low-calorie meals.How manycalories are insucralose?Sucralose is not metabolized bythe body for energy, and thereforeit contains zero calories. Tabletopsweeteners that contain sucralosealso contain other ingredientsthat provide needed texture andvolume (such ingredients arealso commonly added to otherno-calorie sweeteners). Whilethese ingredients are typicallycarbohydrates, the amount is sosmall (less than 1 gram per serving)that the calories are insignificant.

i n t e r n a t i o n a l f o o d i n f o r m a t i oSucralose’sGlobal SafetyRecognitionDoes sucralosecause weightgain?weight management plan, theseproducts should be used in place ofthe full-calorie versions in order toreduce total calorie intake.Sucralose is approved for usein over 80 countries. In theUnited States, the U.S. Foodand Drug Administration (FDA)must approve all food additivesbefore they can be used infoods and beverages. The FDAapproved sucralose for certainfood and beverage categoriesin 1998, and expanded theapproval to all food andbeverage categories in 1999.Examples of government andscientific groups that havereviewed sucralose’s safetyinclude:• European Union ScientificCommittee on Food (SCF)• U.S. Food and DrugAdministration (FDA)• Food Standards Australia/New Zealand (FSANZ)• Health Protection Branch ofHealth and Welfare Canada• (Food and AgricultureOrganization/World HealthOrganization) Joint ExpertCommittee on FoodAdditives (JECFA)• Japan’s Ministry of Healthand Welfare• Countries in Africa and Asia“decades of scientificresearch clearlyshow that lowcaloriesweeteners,including sucralose,can be an effectiveaid in weight loss/management“No. Several studies have shownthat low-calorie sweeteners canactually aid in weight loss and/orweight management. For example,researchers in one study foundthat when foods and beveragescontaining sucralose were usedas part of a program to reducecalorie intake and increase levelsof physical activity, overweightchildren were able to slow theirrate of weight gain. While a fewsmaller studies have suggestedthat low-calorie sweeteners maycause cravings and/or weight gain,such an association has not beenconfirmed in larger studies, and themajority of the research still findsthat low-calorie sweeteners suchas sucralose can be helpful weightloss/weight management aids.With rising obesity rates, peopleare often looking for one “magic”solution to help them lose weight.And, while low-calorie sweetenerscan help, it is also importantto practice portion control andparticipate in regular physicalactivity in order to reach weightloss goals. Also, when incorporatingfoods and beverages containinglow-calorie sweeteners into aCan people whohave diabetesconsume foodsand beveragescontainingsucralose?Yes. Sucralose has no effect onblood glucose or insulin levelsin people with diabetes, andtherefore it is safe for them toconsume. Foods and beveragessweetened with sucralose providesweet options that are lower incarbohydrates, which are helpfulfor people who have diabetes, whomust monitor their carbohydrateintake.As with any nutritional concern,people who have diabetes shouldtalk to a registered dietitian, healthcare provider and/or diabetescare professional for advice onincorporating foods and beveragescontaining sucralose into their diets.

n c o u n c i l f o u n d a t i o nDoes sucralosecause toothdecay?No. Sucralose does not causecavities. The bacteria in plaque donot break down or “eat” sucralose,and therefore the acids thatcan lead to cavities do not form.Sucralose does not increase thegrowth of bacteria in the mouthand does not promote tooth decay.Can pregnant andbreastfeedingwomen consumesucralose?Is sucralose safefor children?Yes. There is no evidence thatsucralose is at all harmful tochildren. In fact, sucralose can bepart of the solution to the growingproblem of childhood obesity byhelping to reduce calories fromsugar. Foods containing sucralose,including low-fat flavored milk,yogurt, juices, and pudding, can beincluded in a healthful meal planfor children to help ensure they aregetting all the necessary nutrients,while not getting a lot of extracalories.Yes. Anyone can consumesucralose, including pregnant andbreastfeeding women. Researchhas shown that sucralose does nothave harmful effects on pregnantwomen or their babies. Althoughsucralose may be consumedas part of a healthful pre- andpost-natal diet, a pregnant orbreastfeeding woman should talkto her physician or health careprovider about consuming thenecessary nutrients to support herand her baby’s health throughoutpregnancy and infancy.

“In bakingrecipes callingfor sugar,sucralose maybe substitutedfully orpartially forsugar and/or othersweeteners.“Products That ContainSucraloseSucralose is used to sweeten a variety of foods andbeverages. Products containing sucralose are oftenlower-calorie products, making them useful for peoplewho are trying to lose or maintain their weight. Productslabeled as “Light” or “Reduced Calorie” may use a lowcaloriesweetener to reduce the calorie content - checkthe ingredients list for products containing sucralose.Sucralose appears in over 4,000 products, including:• Dairy Products (low-fat flavored milk, light yogurt, low-fatcoffee creamer, etc.)• Cereals & cereal bars• Desserts (light pudding, light ice cream, popsicles, etc.)• Snack Foods (light canned fruit, reduced calorie bakedgoods, candy, etc.)• Beverages (light juice, iced and hot tea, diet soda, coffeebeverages, etc.)• Syrups and Condiments (light maple syrup, low-caloriejams, jellies, etc.)• Nutritional Products & Dietary SupplementsSucralose at a GlanceUsing Sucralose inCooking and Baking• Sucralose may be used in place of, or incombination with, sugar and/or other lowcaloriesweeteners to reduce the totalcalories and carbohydrates from sugar inbaked goods.• While the sweetness of sucralose is similarto sugar, the flavor, texture, and/or cookingtime of a food made with sucralose may beslightly different than the same food madewith sugar. For example, sugar adds volumeand can help retain moisture in baked goods.Sugar also has the ability to caramelize,which provides a caramel flavor and color.• With items such as sweet sauces, fruit piefillings, cheesecakes, glazes, and beverages,complete substitution of sucralose for sugaris possible.• For recipes with a high proportion of sugarand/or those that require browning, partialsugar substitution is best.For more information on sucralose and otherlow-calorie sweeteners, visit www.foodinsight.org“sucralose can be partof the solution to thegrowing problem ofchildhood obesity byhelping to reduce totalcalorie intake“Scientific Name............................................................... SucraloseBrand Name....................................................................... Splenda ® ,store brandsDate Approved by FDA............................................. 1998Number of Times Sweeter Than Sugar....... 600Safe for People With Diabetes?........................ YesUse in Baking? ................................................................ YesFavorably Reviewed By:American Academyof Physician Assistantswww.aapa.orgProvided By:International Food InformationCouncil FoundationQuestions? Go to www.foodinsight.org©December 2009