Does the nonnutritive, no-calorie sweetener sucralose really help you lose weight? Many people use low- or no-calorie sweeteners because they want to avoid the calories that natural sugar, aka sucrose, provides. How does sucralose compare with sucrose? Scientists have explored these and other questions in numerous studies, the most recent of which appeared in the JAMA Network Open.
First, however, let’s learn a little about sucrose and sucralose.
What Is Sucrose?
Sucrose, also known as table sugar, sugar, or granulated sugar, is a type of carbohydrate composed of glucose and fructose. It occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables, and nuts, and is also made commercially from sugar beets and sugar cane. Sucrose is considered a natural sugar when you consume it from whole foods (e.g., apples, carrots) and an added sugar when it’s found in processed or refined foods (e.g., soda, condiments, canned foods).
What Is Sucralose?
Sucralose is an extremely sweet (600 times sweeter than sugar) nonnutritive sweetener that actually begins its life as sugar. However, through the magic of chemistry, three specific hydroxyl groups on the sucrose molecule are eliminated and replaced with three chlorine atoms. This structural change prevents enzymes in the digestive tract from metabolizing the molecule so nearly all of the sucralose you consume leaves the body in stool while the rest is excreted in the urine.
