- What Is Sucralose? Plus Nutrition Facts
- Common Products That Contain Sucralose
- Are There Benefits to Sucralose?
- Is Sucralose Safe?
- Is Sucralose Keto-Friendly?
- The Best Ketogenic Diet Alternatives to Sucralose
- The Takeaway: Is Sucralose Keto?
Sucralose is an artificial sugar replacement that contributes to the sweetness of foods, beverages, and dental products without adding any carbs or calories.
It is used to steer clear of sugar, manage insulin levels, and of course, to stay in ketosis.
While sucralose is approved for use as a non-nutritive sweetener by the FDA, some studies have linked it to health problems.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the sucralose issue, starting with the basics.
What Is Sucralose? Plus Nutrition Facts
The trade name for sucralose is “Splenda.” Even if you’ve never tried it, you’ve probably seen it in little yellow packets.
Sucralose comes from chlorinating sucrose. In plain English, that means chemists add chlorine atoms to table sugar.
As a result, even though sucralose tastes sweet, your body can’t digest it. It’s what’s known as a “non-nutritive sweetener.”
Therefore, for nutritional purposes, it has zero calories and zero net carbs. It’s also about 650 times sweeter than regular sugar[*]!
Common Products That Contain Sucralose
Along with brand name Splenda, you can find sucralose in generic (store brand) artificial sweeteners.
It comes in granulated and liquid forms. Low-sugar or low-calorie syrups like sugar-free maple syrup often contain sucralose, too.
It is found in a variety of foods including candies, chewing gum, toothpaste, fruit juice cocktails, sugar-free sodas, and frozen dairy products.
Most of all, you’re likely to find sucralose in products labeled “Sugar-Free,” “Reduced Sugar,” “Less Sugar,” “No Sugar,” and so forth.
But if you really want to know what contains sucralose, make sure to check all your labels.
In the United States, due to FDA labeling requirements, all ingredients must be listed in the label. And that includes sucralose.
Are There Benefits to Sucralose?
Other than potentially helping you cut back on sugar, there are no proven benefits to consuming sucralose.
If you’re addicted to sugar, virtually anything that helps you combat your sugar habit will result in weight loss, lower blood glucose, and other health benefits.
But you definitely don’t need sucralose to kick sugar–you could use natural sweeteners instead, or you could just go cold turkey and stop the sweets altogether.
Sucralose Side Effects: Is Sucralose Safe?
A body of research that has come out in the years since sucralose was first approved suggests it may have undesirable side effects.
Here are just a few reasons why you might want to avoid sucralose:
- Studies suggest artificial sweeteners, including sucralose, can actually worsen sugar cravings[*].
- When combined with carbs, sucralose may result in insulin resistance and weight gain[*].
- Consuming diet sodas, including those with sucralose, may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes[*].
- Some evidence suggests sucralose is harmful to your gut bacteria[*].
- Some doctors say there’s not enough safety data for the use of artificial sweeteners in pregnant or nursing women, children, people with diabetes, and sufferers of migraines or epilepsy[*].
- Sucralose may form hazardous byproducts at high temperatures[*].
So why is sucralose still available for sale?
When the FDA granted full approval to sucralose in 1999, they took into account over a hundred safety studies[*].
According to the FDA, the “acceptable dietary intake” (ADI) of sucralose is 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day[*].
For the average person, that’s about 23 packets of Splenda per day or nearly 10 cans of soda!
And not only that, but the ADI actually represents an amount 100 times lower than the amount of sucralose found to be “safe,” according to safety studies.
However, many people still have concerns about its long-term effects on human health and the subtler side effects that early safety studies may not have detected.
Whether or not you use sucralose is up to you, but we recommend avoiding it.
Is Sucralose Keto-Friendly?
As with many questions about sucralose, the answer depends on your definition.
If we define keto-friendly as sugar-free and fitting within keto macros, the answer is yes, you could call sucralose keto-friendly.
But then again, if you go by that definition, you might as well go dirty keto.
In reality, though, dirty keto is not the best choice for your health, and neither is sucralose. How can fast food, lab-made chemicals, and other low-quality foods compare to healthy, whole foods?
Therefore, if your keto goals include long-term health and wellness, there are far better alternatives to sucralose.
The Best Ketogenic Diet Alternatives to Sucralose
- Stevia for baking and keto beverages
- Monk fruit sweetener for baking and general use
- Non-GMO erythritol for desserts
- Allulose for potential weight loss and lower blood sugar levels
And remember, you can also experiment with combining two or more low-carb sweeteners for different tastes or other properties.
For example, sweetening with sugar alcohols (like erythritol) can reduce the bitter aftertaste of stevia. Or you can add a little bit of monk fruit extract to a recipe for its healthy, anti-inflammatory mogrosides[*].
But ultimately, keep in mind that any sweetener, even healthy, natural, calorie-free options, can perpetuate a sugar addiction.
So if you’re trying to overcome a severe sweet tooth, your best bet is to avoid sweets for a while, then work to develop a healthier relationship with treats later in your keto journey.
The Takeaway: Is Sucralose Keto?
If you’re transitioning to a low-carb diet or ketogenic lifestyle, your eyes will naturally be attracted to “Sugar-Free” and “Low Carb” products on the grocery store shelves.
And as you just learned, many of those products contain sucralose.
Although a little sucralose likely won’t hurt you, consuming it frequently probably isn’t a good idea.
Regardless, as long as you remember to read your labels, avoiding sucralose is easy, and there’s really no good reason to choose it.
Stevia and other sugar alternatives are much better keto sweeteners — most people can’t tell the difference in taste and they come with a few health benefits as well[*][*][*].
Ultimately, though, remember to check in with yourself about your relationship with sweets. Any sweetener can sustain a sugar addiction, which makes you more likely to relapse in the future.
If you think you’re psychologically dependent on sweets, try cutting them out for a while, then come back later. With a healthier relationship, you’ll enjoy the occasional treat much more.