Possibly. Splenda®, the brand name for a sugar-like substance called sucralose might just fit the bill.

If you are like me, you have probably tried Sweet N’ Low® and Equal® and had mixed feelings. They taste nothing like sugar, but with only one calorie, are they worth getting used to? Some say yes, some say no.

Then along comes Splenda, and people start raving about it. They swear it tastes just like sugar! Is this possible? Are the people who are the promoters of Splenda users of Sweet N’ Low® and Equal® and find that it’s just slightly better tasting? What about people who would NEVER EVER use artificial sweetener in their coffee, or drink a diet soda because they think artificial sweeteners tastes absolutely horrible? What do they say? Does Splenda actually taste like sugar? I tried Splenda by itself and also in my coffee (which I am very particular about- I use only raw sugar) it tasted like…….sugar! Wow, I would have not have thought it was possible even though everyone at Starbucks swears it does. It does look kind of weird, not really like sugar. More like very small, very white round particles of Styrofoam (regular table sugar is much more granular and not nearly as white). My next thought was ok, it tastes great but is it going to cause cancer? Apparently not, says the FDA. “More than 100 scientific studies on sucralose conducted over a 20-year period have demonstrated the safety of SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener. The data from these comprehensive studies were independently evaluated by the FDA and international experts in a variety of scientific disciplines. The safety of sucralose has also been confirmed by years of both domestic and international use.”

The FDA has not required any warning or special information statements to be placed on the labels of products sweetened with SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener. Based on the findings from more than 100 scientific studies, sucralose has been found by leading health authorities to be a safe and an essentially inert ingredient. It has no known side effects, no effect on carbohydrate metabolism (meaning no carbs!) and no effect on short- or long-term glucose control or on serum insulin levels. Which means it’s safe for diabetics.

So it tastes like sugar, has no calories, no carbs, no cancer, virtually no side effects… I might just have to rethink that raw sugar in my coffee!

Steve Veener is the owner of the http://www.moderndayhealth.com