Does Splenda Break an Intermittent Fast

What is Splenda | How Does Splenda Affect the Body | Pros and Cons of Splenda | Splenda and Intermittent Fasting | Fasting-Friendly Sweetener Alternatives to Splenda

If you have been thinking of incorporating a fasting practice into your everyday life to fight the ills of excessive weight gain or to simply maintain a healthy lifestyle, intermittent fasting could come to your rescue. Let’s dive into – Does Splenda Break an Intermittent Fast and much more!

Not only has this fasting practice become highly popular over the years, but it also allows flexibility thanks to the different forms of intermittent fasting one can choose from. This practice comprises an eating window and a complete fasting period, regardless of intermittent fasting type. Although IF does not prescribe a specific diet for the eating window, healthier options are always recommended for better weight loss results.

Often, when it comes to losing weight, people start looking for alternatives to sugar. But are all sugar substitutes known as artificial sweeteners calorie-free? Do these interfere with your intermittent fasting goals? These are some important questions to ask.

One of the most common sweeteners, Splenda, is often used by people as a sugar substitute.  Well, if you, too, are contemplating whether or not to consume Splenda during intermittent fasting, this comprehensive guide has you covered.

What is Splenda?

Splenda is an artificial sweetener that is considered low in calories but isn’t free of calories. Used as an alternative to regular sugar, it is often the first choice made by people who drop sugar from their diet. It is important to understand that Splenda has a unique chemical structure that is different from many other artificial sweeteners in its genre.

Altered for taste, sucralose, marketed as Splenda, can pass through your body and does not get stored to release energy later. To reduce its calorie content, some of its naturally occurring sugar elements, known as hydroxyls, are replaced with chlorine.

Splenda is known to be derived from sucralose and is almost 600 times sweeter than table sugar.  Splenda contains the OC sweetener sucralose and fillers, including maltodextrin and glucose. Both of these substances can be easily metabolized by the body.

Maltodextrin is a starch-like element with a higher glycemic index than regular sugar, while glucose is also called Dextrose. Considered safe, Splenda can have negative side effects if taken beyond recommended measures.

How Does it Affect the Body?

So, if you are planning to introduce Splenda to yourself, it becomes imperative to understand how it works in your body.

Many people who plan to lose weight include Splenda in their morning coffee, tea, or other food items, thinking it is a sacrosanct sugar substitute. Although it could be a good alternative to sugar, the quantity and frequency with which it is consumed will determine its impact on your body.

The process of weight loss is gradual and requires you to keep your caloric intake low while maintaining a stable and healthy blood sugar level. Research suggests that the impact of artificial sweeteners on body weight management is dependent on a score of other factors, including the body’s gut microbiota, or GI tract, insulin secretory capacity, insulin resistance, intestinal glucose absorption, and many other aspects.

While trading table sugar for Splenda might seem like an easy option, it may not be the best thing to do, especially if you are fasting. Splenda might help limit calories to a certain extent, but only when used in moderation.

Splenda can impact your blood sugar and insulin levels. Also, it can affect your gut health.

• Research indicates that artificial sweetening agents can decrease the insulin resistance of your body, especially when taken regularly for longer periods.
• Sucralose or Splenda intake can impact the gut flora. From decreasing the efficacy of medicines to disturbing the smooth digestion process, Splenda can impact your gut’s metabolism and microbiota. Overdoses of artificial sweeteners like Splenda can also cause indigestion and diarrhea.

Hence, swapping sugar with Splenda alone may not be the best solution. Always moderated use can help achieve fat loss.

A packet of 1 gram of Splenda could contain up to 3.36 calories. Although the calories come from carbohydrates, energy, and sugar content that can eventually add to the total calorie intake, they do not contain fat.

Pros and Cons of Consuming Splenda

Here are some of the positive and negative effects that Splenda might have on your body.

PROS	CONS
Splenda is 600 times sweeter than table sugar. You may need to add only a meager amount to achieve the desired sweetness in your food or beverage.	Splenda could be low calorie compared to sugar, but it isn’t calorie-free and could add to your calorie intake when taken during a fast.
Splenda is widely available at any grocery or pharmacy store.	Splenda might leave an aftertaste that is not palatable to everyone.
The sucralose in Splenda is non-cariogenic and hence doesn’t interact with the bacteria in your oral cavity or cause tooth decay.	Excessive consumption can cause decreased insulin sensitivity and impact your gut microbiome.
Mostly contains easily digestible compounds
It can be used in any recipe, including baking recipes
Adds taste to the food or beverage it is used in

Splenda and Intermittent Fasting

Returning to whether Splenda can break your intermittent fast, here’s what you need to know.

Intermittent fasting (IF) can have some rewarding health benefits. Now, it is crucial to understand that IF has two prominent periods, one where you eat and the other where you should ideally abstain from consuming anything that adds to your daily calorie intake.

As there is no specific restriction on the food choices you make during the eating window, it is recommended that you eat healthy for the best results of fasting. Hence, you could replace regular sugar with Splenda during the eating window if necessary. However, the real challenge is understanding what should be avoided during fasting.

To know more about healthy eating during intermittent fasting, read Intermittent Fasting Food List – What Should I Eat?

While water consumption is recommended during fasting to maintain the body’s electrolyte balance, some people look forward to adding sugar-free tea, low-fat creamer to their coffee, or other such beverages during the fasting window. And to this, many add sweeteners, thinking it won’t break their fast. This is where you may need to make sure that you aren’t adding calories in any form, as it could lead to breaking your fast.

Let’s first see how many calories can break your fast. Anything less than 50 calories may not break your fast. So, if you add a sachet of 1 gram Splenda to your favorite beverage during intermittent fasting, it may not break your fast, but consuming multiple cups of tea, black coffee, diet sodas, or any other artificially sweetened beverage can break your fast. Moreover, excessive intake of coffee or tea, whether sweetened or not, can increase the chances of dehydration in your body.

On the one hand, intermittent fasting can improve insulin resistance, control glucose, and regulate metabolic health, and on the other, Splenda might diminish these effects. For individuals aiming to reduce their weight or living with diabetic conditions, Splenda consumption should be limited to a specific measure only, as it can otherwise spike insulin and blood sugar levels. Unchecked blood sugar levels could also increase your appetite during a fast.

Fasting-Friendly Sweetener Alternatives to Splenda

If you have a sweet tooth and want to replace your regular sugar during intermittent fasting with healthier options, here are a few common sweeteners you can try.

Stevia

Stevia, obtained from the stevia plant’s leaves, can make a healthier sugar substitute. As a natural sweetener, it has no calories or carbs like Splenda and is free of artificial ingredients. Relatively less sweet than Splenda, you don’t have to fear breaking your fast with this when taken in the recommended dose.

Monk Fruit

A calorie-free sweetener derived from a fruit plant, Monk fruit has no carbs or fats and can be used in your eating window of intermittent fasting. Although it doesn’t add calories and is considered one of the best natural sweeteners, it should be used moderately as it could raise the insulin response in some people.

Erythritol

Also known as a sugar alcohol, Erythritol is considered a replacement for regular sugar. You can use it in moderation, even in the fasting window if needed, as it has zero calories. Moreover, this non-nutritive sweetener can be easily absorbed by the body. It doesn’t increase blood sugar levels or cause an insulin response. However, too much of the substance can increase cravings in some people.

Concluding Thoughts – Does Splenda Break an Intermittent Fast

The good news is that an artificial low-calorie sweetener, Splenda, can be used as a moderate replacement for sugar, as maintaining blood sugar levels is vital during a fast aimed at weight loss. Too much consumption will end up breaking your fasting state as it can impact your body’s insulin response and affect blood glucose levels.  The short answer is no, Splenda in small quantities will not

Try sticking to it in your eating window during intermittent fasting to lose weight or give your gut a rest. You can also try calorie-free natural sweeteners such as Stevia, Monk fruit, or erythritol. Make sure to read the recommended dosage details on the product label. If unsure, it is best to always consult a medical professional or your nutritionist before introducing anything new to your diet.

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