The Use of Sweeteners and the Rise in Obesity The week two iLab will challenge you as it

has to do with sweeteners and obesity. Current research has shown that there may be a
relationship between the consumption of sweeteners and the rise in obesity so, this will be
an opportunity to examine that facts and develop a position.
Scenario/Summary: Please select one of the following sweeteners: 1. Sugar (sucrose) 2.
Fructose 3. High Fructose Corn Syrup 4. Stevia 5. Equal 6. Splenda 7. Ace K 8. Or another
one you can find on your own Deliverables: Answer the following questions about the
sweetener you have selected:
1) Select a sweetener
Splenda (sucralose)
2) Explore the history of the sweetener (include all of the background on this ingredient-
when it was discovered, its composition by whom it was discovered, its chemical
makeup, its first use, its sweetening capabilities and what foods it can be used in).
Splenda was discovered in 1976 a lab at the University of London, working with the sugar
company Tate & Lyle. After extensive safety testing, it was approved by the FDA on April 1,
1993. It was approved for use in Europe by the Scientific Committee on Food in 2002.
Sucralose is a substituted disaccharide that is synthesized by the chlorination of the three
primary hydroxyl groups, causing inversion of the configuration at the carbon-4 atom from
the gluco-analogue to a galacto-analogue. It is a non-nutritional sweetener that cannot be
used by the body for energy. Sucralose is extremely useful as an artificial sweetener in the
manufacture of foods, beverages, and drugs because it is extremely stable, even at high
temperatures and low-pH products and can be used in nearly any product. It is an important
consumer product because it does not have a bitter aftertaste like many other artificial
sweeteners and because it can be used in baking and cooking. According to the manufacturer,
sucralose is used in over 4,000 products across 80 different countries. Like most other
artificial sweeteners, sucralose is extremely sweet, about 600 times more than regular sugar.
When it is sold to consumers, Splenda is diluted with maltodextrin, a starchy carbohydrate,
so that the product only contains 1% sucralose.
3) Discuss safety and the sweetener you have selected.
Approximately 85% of sucralose has been shown to not be absorbed by the body and is
excreted unchanged. Even in individuals who are described as heavy users of the artificial
sweetener, only about 3 mg/kg/day is absorbed into the body. Evidence has shown that
sucralose absorbed into the body is not dechlorinate or degraded to any smaller chlorine-
containing compounds, as is feared by many opponents of the product. It has also been
shown by studies not to bioaccumulate in the body to cause future health problems from high
concentrations in tissues. The vast majority of studies have shown that sucralose is a safe,
non-nutritive compound suitable for human consumption. The wide body of evidence on its
safety includes acute toxicity, chronic toxicity, genetic toxicity, immunotoxicity,
neurotoxicity, carcinogenicity, reproduction and developmental effects, and metabolic
interactions. It has also been shown to not affect insulin sensitivity or glucose levels in
diabetics and does not support the development of dental cavities. Regulatory and safety
agencies worldwide determined sucralose to be safe for human consumption and its use is
supported by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Heart Association, and
the American Diabetes Association, and the American Dietetic Association. However, the
safety of sucralose remains a contentious issue among scientists and its use is not supported
by the Institute of Medicine nor the American Academy for Pediatrics, stating that artificial
sweeteners have been inadequately studied in children (Sylvetsky, Rother, & Brown, 2011).
Some more recent studies have suggested that sucralose may not be as inert or as stable as
previously thought. One study found that it may have an impact on the gastrointestinal tract
functioning and good bacteria levels in the gut. Two other studies found metabolized
byproducts in excrement which may suggest less stability in humans and these possible
metabolites have never been studied for safety. A number of studies have found that
sucralose is not completely heat stable and may undergo thermal decomposition, releasing
potentially dangerous chlorine-containing compounds. Overall, however, sucralose appears
to be safe, even in individuals with the maximum expected consumption.
4) Examine the relationship between the sweetener you have selected and obesity
Substituting non-nutritional sweeteners for nutritional sweeteners like sugar and high-
fructose corn syrup is recommended by a number of organizations as one method to reduce
calorie intake and thus facilitate weight loss, as part of an overall healthy lifestyle. However,
not all studies agree that the substitution of low-calorie sweeteners like sucralose for regular
sweeteners actually results in weight loss. Most studies on the subject have been on other
non-nutritional sweeteners like aspartame, but two studies have looked at the effects on
appetite of sucralose. Both of these studies found that unlike sugar, sucralose does not affect
hunger-signaling hormones in the gut, does not have an impact on insulin production, and
does not actually reduce the sensation of hunger. Studies investigating the effect of the group
of artificial sweeteners on caloric consumption support these findings, with most participants
compensating for the reduction in energy consumption by increasing the caloric intake from
other foods. Other studies looking at long-term weight loss, however, found that while
weight loss was comparable across diets, the group that focused on the substitution of
artificial sweeteners regained only half as much weight as the other group. While these non-
nutritional sweeteners did not impact appetite, randomized controlled trials did show modest
weight loss when they were substituted for regular sweeteners, but others found no effect. A
few studies have conflicted with those findings, however, found a positive increase in body-
mass index with the use of artificial sweeteners, showing weight gain with their inclusion in
the diet. Despite these conflicting findings, many organizations including the American Heart
Association and the American Diabetes Association still recommend the substitution of low-
calorie sweeteners, like sucralose, as part of an overall strategy to reduce weight and prevent
obesity.


References:
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weight: A review. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 61, 691-700.
Brown, A. W., Bohan Brown, M. M, Onken, K. L, & Beitz, D. C. (2011). Short-term
consumption of sucralose, a nonnutritive sweetener, is similar to water with regard to select
markers of hunger signaling and short-term glucose homeostasis in women. Nutrition Research,
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Ford, H. E., Peters, V., Martin, N. M., Sleeth, M. L, Ghatei, M. A., Frost, G. S., & Bloom, S. R.
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Grotz, V. L. & Munro, I. C. (2009). An overview of the safety of sucralose. Regulatory
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McNeil Nutrition. (2012). The Splenda Story. Retrieved from: http://www.splenda.co.uk/our-
story
PR Newswire. (2012, July 13). New Statement From American Heart Association And American
Diabetes Association Supports Low-calorie Sweeteners As Useful Substitutes For Sugar.
Retrieved from: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-statement-from-american-heart-
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substitutes-for-sugar-162332216.html
Schiffman, S. S. & Abou-Donia, M. B. (2012). Sucralose revisited: Rebuttal of two papers about
Splenda safety. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 63(3), 505-508.
Sylvetsky, A., Rother, K. I, & Brown, R. (2011). Artificial sweetener use among children:
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North America, 58(6), 1467-1480.