To reach the market, the sweeteners underwent a rigorous analysis process involving the safety of sugar substitutes. However, preliminary evidence points to the fact that the sweetener sucralose causes potential damage to human DNA, which still needs to be further investigated.
In studies at North Carolina State University, in the United States, researchers discovered the risks of a chemical substance formed in the sucralose digestion process, sucralose-6-acetate. This is classified as genotoxic, that is, it has the ability to damage (“break”) DNA. In addition, it causes damage to the tissues of the intestine in tests in vitro (in laboratory).
The issue is that, according to the article published in the journal Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, the chemical can also be found in the sweetener itself, before it is digested. In tests with sugary drinks, the substance was above what is considered acceptable by health authorities – concentration greater than 0.15 micrograms per day.
“Our work establishes that sucralose-6-acetate is genotoxic,” says Susan Schiffman, a biomedical engineer and one of the study’s authors, in a statement. “We also found that trace amounts of sucralose-6-acetate can be found in commercial sucralose even before it is consumed and metabolized,” she adds.
Sucralose product may be genotoxic
To verify whether the sucralose sweetener product is genotoxic, the researchers performed different types of analysis. In the first round, they put human blood cells in contact with sucralose-6-acetate. In this case, it caused damage to the DNA of the cells involved.
Next, the team tested the impact of sucralose on the epithelial tissues of the intestine, that is, the tissue that lines the wall of the human intestine. Both the pure sweetener and sucralose-6-acetate caused cell damage, triggering a condition known as “leaky gut.”
“Leaky gut is problematic because it means that things that would normally be eliminated from the body in the stool are leaking out of the intestine and being absorbed into the bloodstream,” says Schiffman.
Finally, they measured the cellular activity of the intestinal cells in the experiment. According to the authors, it was possible to observe increased activity in genes related to oxidative stress, inflammation and carcinogenicity.
More studies need to investigate sucralose
The US study raises numerous questions about the unwanted and potentially dangerous impacts of the sweetener sucralose on the human body. Over the years, this consumption can be reflected in health problems. However, the current research is still preliminary and more evidence needs to be collected about this risk, as the study in vitro may not fully reflect in real life. Research with animal models should confirm the problem yet.
Recently, British researchers also discovered sucralose’s ability to reduce immune system activity in mice. In this case, consumption of the sweetener in high doses decreases the activity level of T cells, which are part of the body’s defenses.
Source: Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health e North Carolina State University
