There are several zero sugar or low sugar products on the market that replace sugar (glucose) with artificial sweeteners. One of the frequently used substitutes is Sucrolase which is sold under the trademark Splenda. According to a North Carolina State University study, Splenda was found to cause DNA damage that can lead to diseases such as cancer.
Splenda is 600 times sweeter than sugar and turns into the compound sucralose-6-acetate when digested by the human body. When this compound is tested with human blood, it breaks the DNA in human cells. If this damaged DNA is not repaired by the body it can cause cancer. Any compound that can break DNA is categorized as a genotoxic substance.
In tests on stomach epithelial cells, sucralose-6-acetate caused "stomach leakage". Stomach leakage causes any waste material that should be removed by the body to be absorbed into the blood.
The use of genotoxic substances is allowed in food as long as they do not exceed safe limits. In Europe for example the safe limit is 0.15 mg per day but studies have found that the level of sucralose-6-acetate produced when using Splenda exceeds this limit.
The researchers hope that their findings will prompt the world's various food safety bodies to change the guidelines they currently use. For people in Malaysia, Sucralose is used in various low sugar drinks such as Coca Cola Zero Sugar and Pepsi Black.
