Artificial sweetener sucralose may reduce immune function

Published March 27, 2023

The sweetener behind Splenda may reduce immune function, a UK research team has discovered, which could pave the way for future treatments for autoimmune disease.

In a study of mice, a high dose of sucralose reduced levels of T-cells, a crucial element to how the body fights illness.

Dysfunction of these T-cells is linked to rheumatoid arthritis. And they are responsible for destroying the pancreas in type 1 diabetes. Finding ways to stop them could theoretically lead to a cure for both diseases. The results are published in the acclaimed journal, Nature.

“We believe it may be worth studying if sucralose could be used to ameliorate conditions such as autoimmunity – especially in combinational therapies,” says Dr Fabio Zani, who worked on the study. Sucralose is one of eight artificial sweeteners approved in the UK.

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