Is Splenda Good for Diabetics

by admin on May 28, 2013

Our body naturally turns carbohydrates into sugar; therefore consuming too much sugar can be dangerous if you have diabetes. That is why artificial sweeteners have become very popular for people with diabetes to make sure they don’t jeopardize their glucose level by consuming excess sugar. There are many artificial sweeteners, including Splenda, which people use with their food and drink. The question then becomes is Splenda good for diabetics.

is splenda good for diabetics is splenda good for diabetics

Is Splenda Good for Diabetics?

Before we answer the question is Splenda good for diabetics, let’s take a look at the options available out there. We have many artificial sweeteners on the market, for example Sweet-N-Low, Equal, and Splenda. They all have different ingredients with the same purpose; to create that sweet taste that most people crave for. In order for us to know if they are good for diabetics or not, we need to scrutinize the ingredients of each product.

Artificial sweeteners usually use saccharine, aspartame. While they are safe to use for human consumption, some ingredients are not good in high heat form, such as for cooking and baking. That is why we cannot use Sweet-N-Low or Equal for baking cakes, but we can use Splenda. The different between those three most popular products is that Splenda uses sucralose as its ingredient. We need to understand that in order for us to answer the question: is Splenda good for diabetics depends on whether its ingredients are safe for people with diabetes.

is splenda safe for diabetics is splenda safe for diabetics

People with diabetes suffer some form of disorder where their blood sugar is not controlled well by the body’s insulin mechanism. Left untreated, they can suffer from hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia. Studies have shown that Splenda contains sucralose, and is very safe for human consumption, including those with diabetes. The other good news is that Splenda contains no calories. Therefore diabetics can use Splenda as sugar substitutes since it has no calories and it does not contain any glucose.

Clinical evidence from recent studies does not show any negative impact from Splenda, both to diabetics as well as to the general population. Most of the concerns towards the safety of Splenda come from older research back in the 1980s or even 1970s where the concept of using artificial sweetener was still new.

can diabetics use splenda can diabetics use splenda

Splenda is FDA approved. Although Splenda is derived from white sugar, but its manufacturing process makes it not absorbable by our body. That is why Splenda is safe for diabetics in general, although of course how people react to Splenda differs from person to person.

It is advisable, however, that whether you have diabetes or not, you should use Splenda in moderation, meaning that just because it is calorie-free, does not mean you can take it as much as you want. Long term studies with Splenda have been done extensively in animals in laboratories and the results have been satisfactory. There are no effects on the use of Splenda in those lab animals and the concerns from the 1970s and 1980s are unfounded. As in any other artificial sweeteners, it is best to stick to natural ingredients such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and use Splenda sparingly when you need it.

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