Ask The Expert
Eating Well

SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener (also known as sucralose) is a sweetening ingredient that is made from sugar (sucrose). However, your body does not recognize it as sugar or a source of carbohydrates, so SPLENDA will not raise blood sugar in people with diabetes. The sucralose molecule is very stable, so it is not broken down in your body. SPLENDA passes through your body quickly after you eat it.

SPLENDA has 2 calories per teaspoon, or 1/8 the calories of sugar (a teaspoon of sugar has 16 calories). The granular, packet, and tablet forms of SPLENDA contain a small amount of calories from the bulking agents-- maltodextrin, dextrose, and lactose. The number of calories is so small that your blood sugar levels should not be affected when you eat these sucralose forms.

According to the SPLENDA web site, more than 110 scientific studies conducted over a 20-year period have evaluated Splenda, and in April 1998, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of sucralose. No population group is excluded from using SPLENDA, and no warning labels or information statements are required for products sweetened with SPLENDA.

Summary of other findings, taken from the SPLENDA brochure:

• Can be used by all individuals, including pregnant women and nursing mothers.
• Does not promote dental plaque or tooth decay.
• Does not contain phenylalanine so poses no risk to patients with PKU.
• Is extremely stable under hot and cold conditions over long periods of time (which means it is heat-stable-you can bake with it).
• Not carcinogenic.

For more information, visit the SPLENDA website at the Resource Link below.

Finally, since individual responses can vary, be sure to consult your diabetes team to see if SPLENDA is right for you.