The consumption of sugar substitute sucralose has been linked to male infertility, a study released by Taipei Medical University (TMU) said yesterday.
TMU School of Nutrition and Health Sciences head Hsia Shih-min (夏詩閔) told a news conference that the school’s research found that sucralose causes lowered performance to the T1R3 (taste receptor type 1 member 3) receptor protein in the testes.
The decreased performance of the protein then effects the secretion of hormones such as testosterone, which dampens the vitality of sperm cells and causes a deformity of the cells, Hsia said.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
After two months of feeding lab rats sucralose at levels acceptable to human beings, the testes of the rats sustained damage, while the rate of death observed in sperm cells increased by 25 percent, he said.
Lipid peroxidation is a process linked to abnormal release of hormones, and sucralose not only has the ability to increase lipid peroxidation, but can also suppress the growth of testes cells, Hsia said, adding that this was why he told the general public to be careful with their diet and be aware of their daily intake of the additive.
The average daily intake of sucralose for an adult Taiwanese should be 5 milligrams per kilogram, meaning a 60kg adult should consume no more than 300mg per day, he said.
Using carbonated sugar drinks as an example, Hsia said that an adult should drink no more than six bottles a day.
Natural foods such as fruit are a better choice than artificial sweeteners, he said.
Other than negatively affecting male fertility, sucralose could also cause female infertility or increase the possibility of premature birth, Hsia said.
Due to its adverse effects, the government should re-evaluate the substance’s risk and its regulatory policies, Hsia said.
The results of the TMU study were published last month in Environmental Health Perspectives, a peer-reviewed open access journal published monthly with support from the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
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