Splenda is an artificial sweetener made from sucralose, which has fewer calories than sugar. It is used in home baking, commercially prepared foods, and hot beverages. It has been tested in over 100 scientific studies and is suitable for daily use by diabetics. The lifetime daily use limit is 0.5 ounces/day.
Splenda is an artificially manufactured sweet that is sold in the United States. In the European Union, the same product is known as E955. It is available in a variety of grocery stores and can be found in the same aisle as sugar. Splenda is not sugar but is a sucralose based product. Sucralose is a chemical that has many of the same properties as sugar but has fewer calories.
Pure surcalose has zero calories but has approximately 600 times the sweetness of sugar. When sold as Splenda, sucralose is combined with binders, fillers and other agents that add about three calories to each teaspoon (5 mL). U.S. Food and Drug Administration rules state that any product with fewer than five calories per serving can be labeled a zero-calorie product.
There are three uses for Splenda: in home cooking, in commercially prepared foods, and in hot beverages. When used in home baking, replace 1 cup (240 mL) of sugar with 3/4 cup (180 mL) of Splenda and ¼ cup (60 mL) of sugar. In this proportion, the dessert will have the exact same texture and moisture as a sugar-based dessert, but will have lower calories. One-for-one substitution of sugar for Splenda reduces the moisture content of the item and may have a slightly bitter aftertaste.
Splenda is the most popular artificial sweetener in commercially baked goods, as it is stable at high temperatures and can be used to keep the moisture level up to extend shelf life. This product is used as a sweetener in candies, breakfast bars, sodas, and canned fruits. It is used in place of high fructose corn syrup additives, which have higher calories.
Each package contains one teaspoon (5 mL) of Splenda, which has 3.31 calories. Calories are carbohydrate based, due to the bulking agents dextrose or maltodextrin. Splenda is sold in individual yellow packets to add to coffee, tea, or sweetened iced tea.
Over 100 scientific studies have been conducted to test the human health impact of Splenda. The results of these studies do not confirm an increased risk of cancer and no reproductive or neurological effects. Splenda carries a reduced risk of tooth decay or cavities and is suitable for daily use by diabetics.
The lifetime daily use limit, with no adverse effects, is 0.5 ounces/day (14 g/day) of surcalose. Some patients have reported headaches while using Splenda. For these patients, it is best to avoid artificial sweeteners and use sugar, which is a natural and well-tolerated product.
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