Amino Acids + BCAAs Without Sucralose

August 10, 2020
by amino VITAL

When deciding what kind of fitness supplement you want, there are a lot of factors to consider. Some make more sense for a person who’s looking to gain weight, while others are a better option for lean muscle growth or vegan fitness supplementation. In recent years, people have begun to take a look at the sweeteners they consume, bringing this ingredient to the forefront of many people’s minds when selecting their ideal supplement. As one of the most popular kinds of artificial sweeteners out there sucralose – which is also known by its brand name, Splenda – has found its way into a wide variety of products, including those sold by top brands like Muscle Milk. However, the use of sucralose is somewhat controversial, which is why amino acid supplements from aminoVITAL® don’t contain this compound. To learn more about the benefits of choosing amino acids and BCAAs without sucralose, keep reading as the aminoVITAL® team explains.

Why Pick Amino Acid Supplements Without Sucralose?

Although the federal Food and Drug Administration has given sucralose its “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) rating, there continues to be some concern regarding the use of this artificial sweetener in the products people consume. Much of this controversy stems from studies like the one published¹ in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health in 2016, which found that high doses of sucralose caused malignant tumors in mice; additional studies have linked other artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin, to the development of bladder cancer in rats.

However, experiments like these are difficult to reproduce with human subjects, given the risk, and so far, no studies involving humans have shown this increased cancer risk. As a general rule, the consensus among most governmental and scientific bodies, including the FDA and National Cancer Institute, is that sucralose is more or less safe for use in small quantities. That said, there are those who point to the limited evidence available as a sign that this compound, along with other artificial sweeteners, should be avoided, if only to be on the safe side.

What Sweetener is Used in BCAA Supplements Without Sucralose?

Rather than adding sucralose to our BCAA supplements, the experts at aminoVITAL® chose instead to use stevia leaf extract, a plant-based alternative to sugar that, like other artificial sweeteners, has next to no calories. Unlike synthetic sweeteners like sucralose, however, its links to cancer may actually be beneficial.

In two studies^2,3, stevioside, a sweet-tasting compound found in stevia, has shown an ability to fight the growth and spread of cancer cells, including those found in patients with leukemia, breast cancer, lung cancer, and stomach cancer. While there is not yet enough evidence to conclusively prove this effect, the available data is promising – and, at the very least, there’s no indication that stevia carries any risk of causing cancer.

In addition to this possible benefit, stevia leaf extract can offer all the same benefits to BCAAs without sucralose that any other sugar substitute might. Not only does it have almost no calories, but it can help those with diabetes control their blood sugar; a 2010 study⁴ found that stevia lowered glucose and insulin levels when consumed, and participants in the study also reported feeling more satisfied with fewer calories when using stevia. Another study⁵ suggests that stevia could also help lower cholesterol, so there are plenty of reasons to prefer this option over sucralose.

Benefits of Taking BCAAs Without Sucralose

While the ability to avoid a possible carcinogen is probably reason enough to prefer BCAAs without sucralose, these products also offer a number of benefits to the fitness-minded among us. The three BCAAs – leucine, isoleucine, and valine – each impart their own particular advantages:

The leucine in a sucralose-free BCAA supplement is used to tell the body to produce new muscle tissue, which aids in the healing process and increases gains.
The isoleucine in a BCAA supplement without sucralose promotes greater energy and endurance when exercising by facilitating the flow of glucose into muscle cells.
The valine in an amino acid supplement without sucralose protects the muscles from harm, reducing soreness and limiting the amount of healing that has to take place.

Because aminoVITAL® BCAA supplements still use a low-calorie sweetener – stevia leaf extract – in place of sucralose, these products are very lean. Take our Action mid-workout mix, for example: this BCAA supplement contains a mere 15 calories and has no sugar at all.

In addition, the fact that these supplements are made with free-form amino acids instead of whole proteins means that they can kick in much more quickly than popular products like whey – up to three times as fast, in fact. Even without sucralose, aminoVITAL® supplements taste great and come in a variety of fruity flavors; just add one of these products to a bottle of water and enjoy it before, during, or after a workout for best results.

Try Amino Acid + BCAA Supplements Without Sucralose from aminoVITAL®

If you prefer a fitness supplement based on sound science and proven results, consider the amino acid-based BCAA supplements from aminoVITAL®. Our products offer only those ingredients essential to improving performance – five amino acids, plus vitamins, electrolytes, and a small dose of carbs for post-workout recovery – to help you meet your unique fitness goals. To learn more about the BCAA supplements available from aminoVITAL®, visit us online or call us today at (888) 264-6673.