Sucralose and the main characteristics
Sucralose is a type of sugar substitute, which is used as an artificial sweetener. It contains no calories but it is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, and when compared to saccharin, it is twice as sweet. As such, it is used as a food additive since it is particularly suitable as an ingredient of many products that require longer shelf life among which are even ice creams and beverages. More precisely, thousands of products contain it, and interestingly, even chewing gums and toothpastes are some of them. It is known as an additive code E955 in the European Union, and it is officially approved by the FDA.
Are there any side effects of sucralose and what are they?
The fact is that the number of people who use sucralose sweeteners instead of sugar is constantly in raise, but it is also a fact that the greatest majority develops sucralose allergy. Even though it is very beneficial for people who have diabetes, and even though it is officially approved as a safe product which even pregnant women may use without any worry, it is necessary to mention at least some of the possible side effects, which, to be honest, are not insignificant in nature or number.
Runny nose, cough, itchy eyes and gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea, nausea or bloating may be considered as mild side effects that are related to this sweetener. Still, there are those that are more serious and among them are palpitations, pain in the chest, problems with breathing, wheezing, hives, itching, swelling and other signs of allergic reaction, but what has also been reported includes changes in the mood, anxiety and even depression. Besides this, it is known that sucralose may affect vision and brain and cause blurred vision, migraines and headaches.
None of these side effects go in favor of the safety of sucralose, and having in mind that obstetricians also strongly advise expecting or breastfeeding mothers against the use of this product, it is impossible not to question its safety in general. As for the cases of pregnant women who used sucralose, decreased body weight of the fetus has been notice in some cases, while in others extended period of pregnancy and even aborted pregnancy or stillbirth have been reported. Even though many people are not familiar with all these facts, now when having them in mind, it should be much easier to decide whether or not it is worth putting one's health at risk.
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