Does Splenda Break a Fast?

“Oh My God! I gained again, none of the weight loss methods are working for me”
Every second person.

Is your story the same? Well then, it’s possible that you have heard of numerous weight loss methods like exercising, dieting, HIIT, etc. One such hot and trending technique is “intermittent fasting”. A recent survey by Vitality Pro revealed that 41.81% who follow healthy intermittent fasting observed increased efficacy compared to other methods. When it comes to intermittent fasting, there are several speculations about different food items and whether the said item breaks a fast, the most talked about being Splenda. If you are also wondering whether Splenda breaks fast or otherwise, we are here for you. But first, let’s see what Splenda is.

What is Splenda?

Splenda is a widely known low-calorie sweetener and is preferred as an alternative to sugar. It is often used by people trying to manage their weight and reduce their sugar intake. But, Splenda’s chemical structure is different from other sweeteners available in the market. The primary difference is that Splenda is made from original sugar. It is the brand name for sucralose, made by replacing the hydrogen-carbon bonds in regular sugar with chlorine atoms. After this chemical alteration, Splenda becomes 400-700 times sweeter than sugar and is also low-calorie. 95% of Splenda is D-glucose and maltodextrin, both of which are easily absorbable sugars for the human body.

Nutritional value of Splenda –

Carbohydrates: 0.9 g
Energy: 3.31 kcal
Sugar: 0.8 g
Potassium: 0.04 g
0 grams of protein and fat.

Now the million dollar question – does Splenda break a fast?, Technically yes, but it also depends on the goal behind your fasting.

Religious or Therapeutic Fasting: Any intake, including Splenda, can break the fast as these fasts often have strict guidelines.
Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss: While sucralose (Splenda) is non-caloric and doesn’t affect insulin directly, the presence of D-glucose and maltodextrin can cause a spike in blood sugar levels. This can potentially disrupt the fasting process by affecting insulin levels.

In case you are fasting to lose weight, intermittent fasting, or to improve your gut and overall health, you can consume certain food items. Coming to Splenda, it is made of sucralose, maltodextrin, and D-glucose. Sucralose alone is non-caloric and does not affect your insulin levels. On the other hand, D-glucose and maltodextrin have a higher glycemic index compared to regular sugar. In simple words, both these substances will increase the blood sugar levels by 14% to 20% faster.

The goal of intermittent fasting is to control the blood sugar levels, i.e., any spikes in the insulin level will break your fast. Since Splenda has all three (sucralose, D-glucose, and maltodextrin) and can spike your insulin levels, therefore, Splenda WILL break your fast.

How Does Splenda Affect Your Overall Health & Weight Loss Journey?

We have already discovered that Splenda is an artificial sweetener and all the artificial sweeteners are marketed as “better” than sugar in the sense that they do not spike your insulin levels. But that’s not entirely true.

A study revealed that Splenda, when consumed by healthy people, who already take artificial sweeteners daily, did not increase the insulin levels and had no effect whatsoever. But, the results changed, when Splenda was tested on obese people or ones who do not regularly consume artificial sweeteners, the insulin and glucose levels went 14-20% faster.

The whole purpose of intermittent fasting is to keep your glucose and insulin levels in check and eating Splenda can take those benefits outside the home.

Besides, such fast spikes in insulin and glucose levels are not good for your health and can raise major health concerns. For instance, sucralose upsets the gut microbiome balance, thus affecting your gut health. Another example is diabetes, if you have it, consuming Splenda can surely be dangerous.

When it comes to weight loss, Splenda does not have any major impact. Since it is a low-calorie artificial sweetener, it neither slows nor increases the weight loss process. Still, swapping regular sugar for Splenda might help limit calories and promote fat loss, since it is non-caloric.

Splenda Alternatives (Sucralose) While Fasting

There are several commonly available sweeteners that can replace Splenda in your diet and are far more effective, like:

Stevia

Monk fruit

Erythritol

Pure vanilla extract

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Cardamom

FAQs on Splenda

Q1. Can my insulin levels spike after eating Splenda?

There are studies suggesting that artificial sweeteners like Splenda affect insulin levels, but the evidence is inconclusive. But in practicality, most people reported having minimal impact on insulin levels compared to sugar after eating Splenda.

Q2. Does Splenda stop intermittent fasting?

While it technically doesn’t contain calories, some people argue that its sweet taste might trigger an insulin response, potentially affecting fasting. But, many people include Splenda in their fasting regimen without issue, so it varies from person to person.

Q3. What sweetener can I use while fasting?

Stevia and monk fruit are popular choices for sweeteners during fasting periods, as they are plant-based and have minimal impact on blood sugar and insulin levels.

Q4. Is Splenda an artificial sweetener?

Yes, Splenda is an artificial sweetener. Its main ingredient, sucralose, is made from sugar through a process that replaces three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sugar molecule with chlorine atoms, making it much sweeter than sugar and with zero calories.

Key Takeaways

Now that you’ve reached the end, you know well that despite being a non-caloric artificial sweetener, Splenda can break a fast and increase your insulin levels due to the presence of D-glucose and maltodextrin.

Splenda is not keto-friendly and in some rare cases like that diabetic people can also have adverse health effects. It is best if you switch to healthier alternatives like Stevia, Erythritol, etc.

For any queries, don’t forget to drop a comment!