Everything in Moderation: Why Sucralose is a Good Sugar Alternative

by Cascade Ice on February 7, 2011

It’s a staggering fact – the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes and 79 million adults have prediabetes – a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes, in other words, is a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

A well-known factor in this rapidly-growing epidemic is hidden levels of sugar in things we eat and drink. Sugar remains incognito to most people who purchase everyday products at the store because they go by unrecognizable names like “xylitol,” “corn syrup,” “dextrose,” “maltose,” and “sorbitol.”

In the last several years, sugar substitutes have gained massive popularity in the market, mainly due to people looking for healthier ways to enjoy something sweet. However, Saccharin and Aspartame in particular were linked to cancer risks.

In contrast, sucralose is the only non-caloric sweetener that is actually derived from sugar, and has been proven beneficial for those with diabetes because research demonstrates that sucralose has no effect on carbohydrate metabolism, short or long-term blood glucose control or insulin secretion. The results of hundreds of FDA studies also showed that sucralose has no harmful effect on human health.

These days, people are demanding a greater variety of low-calorie options as they try to make healthier choices. Next time you’re at the grocery store, take a look at the ingredients to make sure they make the cut!