UPDATE: One aspect the mainstream media and internet medical sites like WebMD failed to report was that this study looks specifically at a metabolite of sucralose called "sucralose-6-acetate." For you nerds that love to sift through the data, you can read about the distinction and the argument for and against sucralose toxicity here.

Oh no.

Sucralose, which you probably consume even if you don't know you do, has been found to damage DNA in a new study:

Sucralose, a chemical found in the popular zero-calorie sweetener Splenda, has been shown to cause damage to DNA, raise the risk of cancer and cause leaks in the gut lining, according to a new study from North Carolina State University.

Yep. For all these years you've been crushing that Diet Coke With Splenda like Quint himself...

...Turns out it might not have been such a great idea.

"Sucralose is utilized in tens of thousands of food, beverage, and pharmaceutical products worldwide," Susan Schiffman, an adjunct professor at North Carolina State University who led the study, told Newsweek. "For example, it is found in baked goods, beverages, chewing gum, gelatins, frozen dairy desserts, and pharmaceutical products."

Specifically the research found that a metabolite of sucralose, called sucralose-6-acetate, is "genotoxic," which the NIH says "is a chemical or agent that can cause DNA or chromosomal damage." This sort of thing can lead to cancer.

Sucralose was also shown to cause "leaky gut," which is precisely as awful as it sounds. And this isn't the first study to identify the risks from the chemical:

"Previous studies have shown a wide range of adverse effects from sucralose, including dysbiosis (including damage to good bacteria in the gut) and alteration of blood glucose and insulin."

Of course, one study doesn't necessarily prove anything. Researchers next week could come out saying that sucralose cures cancer and gives you wings made of gold.

But yeaaah I think I'll just opt for plain old sugar at the coffee shop next time.