There's been a lot of hype over artificial sweeteners in the last few years, both good and bad. Obesity in America is more of a hot topic than ever, and artificial sweeteners with minimal to no calories are seen as a great way to combat the sugar problem that is faced. We're going to compare two of them, Truvia vs Splenda, and see which is the best for your health.
Some people prefer certain types of artificial sweeteners for particular reasons, such as taste, sweetness, amount used, and the chemicals that they contain. Here's the rundown for Truvia vs Splenda to see how they compare.
The General Breakdown
Truvia is a product of the stevia plant, whose leaves are grown in the ground and then harvested and steeped for rebiana, a concentrated form of the leaves' sweet properties. This is then combined with erythritol for bulk and sold as a granulated sweetener.
Though Splenda is older on the market, it is still newer than sweeteners such as Equal and Sweet-n-Low. Splenda was considered the most 'natural' form of artificial sweetener before Truvia, because it is a chemical derivative of the sugar molecule itself.
Both of these products are approved by the FDA for consumption, and are both seen as 'natural' sweeteners, so we have to break it down further from here in the battle of Truvia vs Splenda to determine which one might be healthier for you.
Sweetness
According to Truvia's website, one packet is as sweet as two tablespoons of sugar. Splenda advertises as being 600x as sweet as regular sugar, which means you'll need far less of it in order to sweeten up your coffee or your tea. Both have the aftertastes that are typical of artificial sweeteners, slightly bitter, and Truvia has a vanilla hint to it as well.
Side Effects
One of the most common side effects of Truvia is an upset stomach. Sugar alcohols are seen as low-cal because they are not fully absorbed by the body. But, when they are in the colon, these sugars are fermented by bacteria and may cause gas and bloating. When consumed in excessive amounts, they could even have a laxative effect - see the Sugar Free Gummy Bear reviews on Amazon for more details on that.
The same is true of Splenda. When consumed in excess, there may be excess bloating, and an extreme amount of the product can cause a laxative effect as well.
Baking
One of the biggest consumption of sugar comes through baked goods, and if you bake at home, you have witnessed first hand just how many cups of sugars goes into a batch of cookies. As someone who bakes a lot of cookies, it's a lot more than you think. Some people turn to artificial sweeteners for their baking needs, but not all are created equal.
Splenda can be used for baking, because it retains its sweetness at high temperatures. According to those who have tested this method, the cake they made resulted in a slightly biscuit-like texture, with a slight aftertaste that isn't normally present in cakes.
Truvia can also be used for baking, but like all other artificial sweeteners, it doesn't deliver the aesthetically pleasing cake that regular sugar helps with, and it also gives the dessert a slight vanilla aftertaste.
Downsides
Splenda actually cannot be be metabolized by the body, because it is made of Sucralose, which cannot be turned into carbs or calories. While this seems like an upside because it seems that there is no known affect on the body, the act of something passing through the body without providing any nutrients is not the healthiest thing you can do.
Also, all of the Splenda that you consume does not necessarily leave your body. Studies have shown that at least 15% of Splenda does not leave your body and is accumulated in the system. This can create health problems as the body does not recognize the identity of this artificial chemical.
All-natural stevia is a plant with little known side effects. The plant's leaves are natural sweeteners that do not have potential to damage the body. Stevia leaf extract contains steviol glycosides, which are completely natural, and at least one study has determined that they can actually promote health. However, Truvia is not made with just the all-natural stevia plant.
Truvia is made with isolated components of the stevia leaf along with fillers, which is what erythritol is used for in the product. Since Truvia is made with fillers, it loses many of the health benefits that are in the completely natural stevia plant.
Natural or Not?
Both of these products are marketed as natural sweeteners - like honey, agave, maple syrup, coconut sugar, date sugar, etc. - but they in fact, are not. Both products are made with fillers and are compounded in some way that categorizes them as artificial sweeteners.
Truvia vs Splenda is a hard question to answer, because they are both in the same category of almost natural, but just not quite. There currently are not huge downsides to either one, so the choice between the two all comes down to preference. However, we all know that less processed is better, so whenever possible, try to us