Using this Artificial Sweetener May Lead to Leukemia, New Study Finds

March 11, 2016

A new study finds that popular sugar alternative Splenda may be linked to leukemia.

Those looking to limit their intake of sweets may want to avoid reaching for that yellow packet of Splenda. According to the study published by the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, the artificial sweetener sucralose has been linked to leukemia in mice.

In the experiment, mice who were fed sucralose daily throughout their lives beginning prenatally developed leukemia and other blood cancers. Splenda as well as other sucralose-based sweeteners are to be avoided as advised by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition watchdog group.

The same company had previously listed sucralose as a safe alternative to sugar before the new health discovery. The study stated that sucralose is an ingredient in over 4,500 products and was funded without any special interests.

According to Eat Clean, Lisa Lefferts, a senior scientist at the CSPI, stated:

“For most additives, the safety studies are conducted by the manufacturers who have financial incentives. When something causes cancer at high doses, it generally causes cancer at lower doses, the risk is just smaller.”

h/t: KSAT

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