Are We Really Consuming ‘Healthy’ Products by Brooke Mauldin, nutrition student at UNCG

According to Down to Earth; Organic and Natural, “Sucralose is a widely used sugar substitute that is considered safe by the U.S Food & Drug Administration (FDA) but recent research is challenging the safety of sucralose.”

Sucralose, AKA, “Splenda”, is an artificial, unnatural sweetener that is used to replace sugar. This sweetener is hidden in the ingredients list, where most do not think to look. Sucralose is appealing to consumers because typically, “0g Sugar” is listed on the food label, making consumers think there are no sugars or sweeteners in the products they are consuming. When Sucralose is used, it decreases the amount of calories while still giving the sweet taste that everyone desires; making this hidden sweetener even more appealing.

When conducting my own research in a grocery store to see what I could find, I discovered many things about these “healthy” drinks we think we are consuming. The drinks I came across were Gatorade, Powerade, Powerade Zero, ICE Sparkling Water beverages and Vitamin Water. Each of these drinks have been widely advertised as being healthy, whether we see these drinks being used by famous athletes, or broadcasted using catchy slogans like, “Gatorade; Thirst Quencher, ‘REhydrate, REplenish, REfuel’”. They seem to all be “healthy” right? Not so much as we think. These drinks contain high sugar content and those that are claimed to contain no sugar, such as the ICE beverages or the Powerade Zero, contain the unnatural sweetener Sucralose.

Here are some helpful tips for the next time you are considering purchasing a beverage or food item:

AVOID:

· Ones that list high amounts of sugar on the food label

· Ones that contain the unnatural sweetener, Sucralose, listed in the ingredients list

CHOOSE:

· Ones with 0g or low sugar content on food labels

· Look for Stevia, listed in the ingredients list; Stevia is a natural sweetener used to replace sugar

Do not let advertisements fool you; read your product’s food labels and check the ingredients list. Get Rehydrated, Replenished and Refueled by making smarter, healthier choices.

For more information go to pertaining to sucralose please visit: https://www.downtoearth.org/articles/2009-03/68/sucralose-dangerous-sugar-substitute

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