I saw a commercial for Splenda for the first time last night. It’s billed as “the only no calorie sweetener that is made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar.” Here is Splenda’s web site. The sweetening ingredient is sucralose, which they say is not metabolized by the body because it is not a carbohydrate.
So does anyone know anything about this stuff? Are there side effects (like with Olestra)? Can it really be used for cooking, especially baking, in place of sugar?
According to this site,
I think the Splenda site used the other site to build its FAQ since many of the entries seem the same. Splenda sounds safe, but I still wonder about side effects. I guess my main question, though, is whether it can be used in place of sugar without changing the end result.
I also checked the price of the stuff. It’s $10.95 for three two-pound boxes – that’s $1.83/pound! I can get regular sugar for 1/4 of that.
Ive been using the stuff for about a year, love the stuff. Yes, you can cook with it, they have been using it in canada for quite some time(I have relatives who used to smuggle it into the US before it was available here.)
It is not an exact replacement, but it is better than most. They have available in stores now in Fort Worth, where I live, and it is used in Diet RC, and Diet Rite cola, among other products.
I have just started using it (to sweeten iced tea). I am allergic to NutraSweet and concerned about side-effects in any case.
I am finding that Splenda tastes good and has no aftertaste, The packet says that it is equivalent in sweetness to 2 tsp. of sugar. I find that it is much sweeter than that.
I am getting the headachy/odd feeling that I get from NutraSweet, but it is likely entirely psychosomatic. I am uncomfortable with the use of artificial sweeteners, but I am on a low-carb/no sugar diet at the moment, and would like to have some sweetened drink options.
I am interested to learn more. Thanks for starting this topic.
I’ve used it and like it. We got a free sample box (about 2 cups worth) here at the office, and I used it in a cheesecake. No problems. I’ve used Equal for cooking in the past, but that breaks down somewhat under high heat. The Splenda seemed A-OK.
I’ve also had it in soft drinks. Not bad; not especially better or worse (tasting) than aspartame when by itself. Unfortunately, they usually pair it with acesulfame potassium, which tastes completely vile, IMO.
I’ve never experienced neghative side-effects from any artificial sweetener, though, so I can’t comment on that aspect.
Some incoherent thoughts on Splenda
This is the closest thing I found to real sugar w/o the carbs.
I think RC cola uses it exclusivly, but I don’t like cola so havn’t tried it.
Other soda brands pair it w/ another which makes it taste bad.
It is sold w/ bulking agents.
It is highly touted on low carb listserves and websites.
Supermarkets are starting to carry it, Pathmark has it around me.
yes, but if you don’t want sugar (because of carbs or calories) then you might as well say I can get peanuts for $0.99 per pound or 10 penny nails for $0.85 per pound. I suggest if you are looking for a low carb/calo sweetner then compair the price per pound to nutrasweet, sweet and low, and that new (horrible tasting in my humble O) asulifide K or whatever it is.
Also check out Stevia extract white powder (liquid will do to try it out). Find it at health food stores and vit. shops). not as good at Splenda but worth looking into.
A lot of protests about sucralose are based on concern that the molecule is “Chlorinated”, and some pesticides contain chlorinated molecules, and they will accumulate in body fat. Chlorine = pesticide = bad. Right.
I’ve started using it, because I like it better than aspartame or saccharine. It’s better for hot beverages because it doesn’t break down as readily as aspartame, and it doesn’t have a metallic taste like saccharine. Sugar alcohols (maltol, mannitol, sorbitol, etc) play heck with my digestive system and I can only eat a small amount before serious…ummm…“explosive” results are obtained.
Another option k2dave mentioned can be found at natural food stores, as a plant extract from the stevia rebaudiana plant. Stevia extract or leaf can not be sold as a sweetener (it is not approved by the FDA), only as a dietary suppliment. I have some, but haven’t tried it yet. Supposedly it has been used for centuries by south americans, yada, yada, yada, but after seeing what ma huang can do to you, I’m a bit nervous about using unapproved plant extracts.
So I went to the stupidmarket to see about the Diet Rite cola. I got some and it tastes good.
I also got a packet of Kool-Aid to see if that would work when sweetened with the Splenda. I used 12 Splenda packets for the 2 quarts of Kool-Aid, and it tastes wonderful. I try not to drink Kool-Aid, but I do like it as an occasional vice.
So far, I am very impressed.
I can’t say anything about the chemical composition of Splenda, or about the [potential] aftereffects for your health. However, I can speak for Splenda’s suitability in cooking and baking. It works really well! My dad is a recently diagnosed diabetic and Mom is working on revamping her cooking repetoir to refect his new needs. At Thankgiving she made two pumpkin pies, one using her traditional recipe unaltered and the other substituting the bulk Splenda for the sugar, and low-fat evaporated milk for the high-octane stuff. She took the pies to a pot-luck and slipped them onto the table without comment. Everyone present had a piece (Mom is a great cook and her stuff almost always goes first at a pot-luck). Nobody noticed any difference between the two pies. Flushed with success, she made her traditional gingerbread with Splenda instead of sugar (Dad has had a serious molasses jones since his diagnosis!). He had to be careful with the gingerbread because of the molasses, but was able to have a medium sized piece instead of the tiny piece he could have had had it been baked with regular sugar. Again, the Splenda gingerbread was identical in taste to Mom’s usual gingerbread.
Thanks for all the great replies. Jess, bdgr, and toadspittle, thanks for the info on cooking with Splenda. Green Bean, thanks for being willing to experiment on yourself. 
It’s not so much that I don’t want sugar, but if Splenda is a viable substitute, I’d use it. If I can make just as good brownies, cookies, cakes, etc. with fewer calories, why not try it? The problem is that I do a good deal of baking (I go through a 5 pound bag of sugar every few weeks), so substituting Splenda could get expensive. I may try it for special occasions though.