NC study discovers chemical in common sweetener damages DNA, can cause cancer

RALEIGH, N.C. (WRAL) - A new study discovered that a chemical found in sucralose, which is sold under the trade name Splenda, damages DNA.

Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found sucralose-6-acetate, the chemical that forms when we digest Splenda, is “genotoxic,” meaning it breaks up DNA.

The chemical is also found in trace amounts in Splenda itself, raising questions about how the sweetener may contribute to health problems, researchers said.

“Our new work establishes that sucralose-6-acetate is genotoxic,” said Susan Schiffman, corresponding author of the study and an adjunct professor in the joint department of biomedical engineering at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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