New Study of Splenda Reveals Shocking Information About Potential Harmful Effects

What do you all think?

New Study of Splenda Reveals Shocking Information about Potential Harmful Effects

James Turner, the chairman of the national consumer education group Citizens for Health, has expressed shock and outrage after reading a new report from scientists outlining the dangers of the artificial sweetener Splenda (sucralose).

In animals examined for the study, Splenda reduced the amount of good bacteria in the intestines by 50 percent, increased the pH level in the intestines, contributed to increases in body weight and affected P-glycoprotein (P-gp) levels in such a way that crucial health-related drugs could be rejected.

The P-gp effect could result in medications used in chemotherapy, AIDS treatment and treatments for heart conditions being shunted back into the intestines, rather than being absorbed by the body.

According to Turner, "The report makes it clear that the artificial sweetener Splenda and its key component sucralose pose a threat to the people who consume the product. Hundreds of consumers have complained to us about side effects from using Splenda and this study ... confirms that the chemicals in the little yellow package should carry a big red warning label."

Sources:
Globe Newswire September 28, 2008
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A 2008;71(21):1415-29

I've never used Splenda because I always thought a report like this would come out one of these days. It reminded me of saccahrin, I'm not surprised.

Well I love splenda. Looks like Im going to stop using it. Why is it that everything thats sooo good is bad for you?? lol

Well, this doesn't surprise me at all, researchers have indicated that along with process foods/beverages, fast-foods, refined sugar, sugar substitutes/artificial sweetners can exacerbate IBD symptoms, same with additives/MSGs....

but not everything that tastes good is bad for you, fruits taste awesome and they are very healthy and good for you...fruits and veggies contain natural sugars that our bodies are designed to abosrob/process. about the only sweetners that are safe is honey and stevia because they are natural, which are the only sweetners I use.

:)

I'm not surprised. It's an artificial sweetener. I never touched the stuff.

     I've been using Sweet N Low for years.  My maternal grandmother was a diabetic and used saccharin as long as I could remember.  She died at 84 from heart disease.

pb4 said...
about the only sweetners that are safe is honey and stevia because they are natural, which are the only sweetners I use.

:)

Don't forget about Agave Nectar.

That's okay Q, you stick with your sugar and I'll stick with my Stevia.

:)

They're adding stuff to the Truvia and other stevia products. I bought a stevia plant and I just grind it up and put in in my food as is.

Stevia's not a man-made chemical and shouldn't be compared to artificial sweeteners. It's an herb from South America that has been used safely for hundreds of years in other countries. And it doesn't affect blood sugar levels or aggravate candida overgrowth.

What's wrong with plain old sugar????? It's not plain old sugar when it has a shelf life of about a thousand yrs....sugar has all kinds of side effects on people from mental to physical, some kids bounce off of walls because of sugar, if you gave them stevia I would bet anything they would not be bouncing off of walls.

I don't use Truvia, I use plain old Stevia which is a natural plant and not processed the way sugar is, and there's no calories which is quite the opposite of plain old sugar, and not to mention people with diabetes can use Stevia with no issues what so ever, unlike plain old sugar.

about the only negative thing that was discovered about Stevia (which of course those useless FDA's jumped all over, was a very small study that supposedly indicated that it could possible cause infertility in women, but because the study was so small and not accurately done (whatever that means) apparently that one and only particular study has no credit.

I've been using it for yrs now with no issues in anyway, and only a tiny bit on the tip of a tsp goes a long way, it's no wonder there's no calories, not to mention that tiny amount would likely be very difficult to cause any serious issues. Especially considering people in south america that have been using it for decades are still using it and coca cola is now trying to put it in their product, of course they're messing with the original plant so they can patent it so I wouldn't trust how coca cola is altering, it probably will kill you once they're done manipulating it and then of course that will in turn give Stevia a bad rap.

Look at the big picture, people in general aren't using Stevia, you can tell by their waist sizes and increasing issues with health, especially diabetes which is now on the rise like crazy.

:)

I just want my sweet treats to taste good!

I like my coffee sweet, and don't want the calories and carbs in sugar. That's what I've liked about Splenda, it tastes like sugar to me, no weird aftertaste. Stevia alone has an aftertaste of licorice, and Truvia tastes better. I've read it's because they just use the best tasting part of the plant. So I'm trying it...see if I can get used to the taste (and carry it with me because it's too expensive for restaurants to offer).

Eva Lou said...
well for me, I'm lucky in that I don't add sugar to much of anything- I use it when I bake, obviously, or if I eat candy, cake, ice cream- they all have sugar in them. I don't add it to coffee, or sprinkle it on cereal or fruit, or use it in tea.... I guess my thing is "When does someone need to use an artificial sweetener?". In what food product do you use it? Cooking, baking, general table use??? Is it to cut caloric intake? I see the sugar-free candy, for diabetics, but other than that.... I don't generally drink sodas, once in a blue moon I'll have a ginger ale. So to have a need for packets of artificial sweetener always puzzled me- sugar packets, too, for that matter! Also, salt probably has a shelf life of about a thousand years too, so...... that means nothing.

You can bake with it, just google "baking with Stevia", I add it to tea sometimes or when I have a decaff...I don't generally use sugar or stevia or any sweetners for cooking though.  It just natrually has such a low calorie intake, it's not designed that way by manufacturers, it's naturally like that.  My brother is diabetic and he uses it in his coffee and loves it.  I don't eat candy, or any store-bought sweets of any kind because it's all filled with not just sugar and artificial sweetner crap but other junk as well.  As far as the salt goes, it's not good for you either, not in the excessive amounts people basically get in their diet daily, but no one ever thinks about that.  Of course we need some salt but not what most eat in a day that's for sure.

:)