A new study published in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health on January suggests that artificial sweetener, Splenda could be associated with an increased risk of developing leukemia.
The study, led by Italian researchers at the Ramazzini Institute was focused on determining whether a person’s high intakes of sucralose or Splenda increase the risk developing leukemia.
It’s worth noticing that sucralose is approximately 600 times sweeter than regular sucrose, and this artificial sweetener can be found in over 4,500 products nationwide. This poses a huge threat to U.S. consumers of the artificial sweetener as even kids and toddlers can consume it.
The study from the Ramazzi Institute researchers included a test on over 400 male mice and almost 400 female mice to see if high amounts of sucralose altered their health significantly. Although the effects on human patients won’t be the same as in mice, the animal shares many traits with the human anatomy and one of them is blood disease control.
The safety ratings of sucralose for Splenda were rapidly updated due to the recent investigation by the Center for Science in the Public Interest or CSPI for short. Nevertheless, the makers of Splenda, the Heartland Food Product Group released a statement questioning the Ramazzini Institute’s reliability.
Splenda’s long-term menace
The records showed that long-term consumption of the artificial sweetener Splenda increased considerably the risk of mice to develop blood cancers. According to the findings published in the January edition of the International Occupational and Environmental Health, the study found a significant dose-related increased incidence of males bearing malignant tumors.
“More studies are necessary to show the safety of sucralose, including new and more adequate carcinogenic bioassay in rats,” said the publishing from the Ramazzini Institute in Italy. “Considering that millions of people are likely to be exposed, follow-up studies are urgent.”
However, the artificial sweetener company Splenda has not given in to none of the accusations of their product ever causing leukemia, nor increasing the risk for users to develop the blood disease.
Source: UPI