Splenda is the no calorie sweetener that is popping up everywhere . You can use it just like regular sugar. In coffee, baking, iced teas –anything. It is a relatively new product but many artificial sweeteners have come after Splenda. I was very interested in this topic because ever since it came out my mother always told me how not to use it because it “isn’t good for you” . I always took her word for it but I never knew what were the actual reasons why and if that was even true or not. I had other people tell me that Splenda can cause cancer! That sounded s bazaar to me so I really needed to do some research.
The chairman of the national consumer education group Citizens for Health , James Turner was “in shock and in outrage” after reading recent reports on the effects of Splenda also known as (sucralose) . Many studies were tested on animals. Through these studies they explained how Sucralose (Splenda) reduced by 50% the amount of “good” bacteria located in the intestines, The pH levels increased in the intestines as well. Because of this body weight was increasing in those who chose Splenda over natural sugar. This was a direct contributor to the P-glycoprotein levels . This can be dangerous because if this is present the individual became at risk because important health related drugs can be rejected by the body.
Like anything else everything is safe if its in moderation, but if Splenda is a daily part of your life you may be unaware of the building side effects . There are reported side effects from Splenda . They are all “short term effects” but occur more than once. Some examples are…
1) Stomach pain and aches
2) Bladder issues
3) Skin redness , itching , and swelling
4) Heart palpitations
5) Joint pain
6) Blurred vision
7) Blood sugar increases
8) Weight gain
9) Gastrointestinal problems
10) Migraines
There are many more effects but it depends on the person and varies the extent of the side effects. Splenda has reported that the makeup of their product can cause major liver problems in humans if consumed in excess but not a recommended doses .
Nowadays Splenda is made of both dextrose, and sometimes with maltodextrin, different from when it just started out with just the Suralose (which is a good thing). The effects of the Suralose as stated before in this post have been prevailing and accumulating a lot of issues and no positive effects . They are growing slowly but surely. Majority of the food testing was perfumed by the food industry and is showing the strong indicator there is issues with the artificial sweetener.
No matter what the study, the end product is always the same : Splenda the artificial sweetener is hazardous .
I use a lot of sugar since I am a big coffee drinker, so I’ve always tried to use zero calorie sweetener. However, my mom has always tried to tell me to stay away from it for reasons that I didn’t know. Splenda is actually known for causing cancer. You can read more here: http://www.livescience.com/41543-thanksgiving-myth-busted-eating-turkey-won-t-make-you-sleepy.html
My question is why is splenda still so popular even though this information can be obtained by the public SO easily? I work at a restaurant that serves breakfast and I am consistently taking requests for more Splenda packets for coffee, tea, etc.
I am a big fan of Dr. Mercola, and subscribe to his monthly newsletters; he releases some really interesting stuff. Anyways, he has an article that reviews facts about splenda he encourages the public to read if they think the “splenda sugar” they are consuming is safe. These are the “12 Questions You Need To Have Answered Before You Eat Splenda:” http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/01/10/splenda-questions.aspx
His answers are very blunt, and I find his information extremely helpful.
The most interesting thing I learned from the article is that splenda is 600 times sweeter than regular sugar. That is so unfair because people become addicted to the sweeter tastes. That’s so unnatural. No wonder our obesity rates in the US are soaring.
Do you think if this information about the dangers of the product were more widespread we would stop consuming so much?
Hi Cara! I enjoyed reading your article because I too have heard that Splenda is not a healthy alternative to sugar. An article from WEB MD provides further insight on why Splenda is not a suitable substitute to sugar. The article explains that Splenda is 600 times as sweet as table sugar and since sucralose is chemically altered in a lab it passes through the body unmetabolized which is never a good thing. However the article does explain that Splenda is a good substitute for sugar when it comes to baking because it has no calories and is heat stable. The article also talks about four alternative sweeteners that they feel are suitable healthy substitutes to sugar, and number one on the list happens to be Truvia as mention in Kelsey’s comment above. Overall I enjoyed reading your post and found it insightful, I would recommend that you take a look at the article I found on WEB MD because I’m sure you’ll find it just as interesting as I did.
I knew Splenda in recent years, was said to be harmful but was definitely not aware of all the serious side effects you mentioned above! As someone who is always health conscious but never looking to lose all the good flavor, my family and I were in the market for another sweetener when we came across Truvia/Stevia. Stevia is basically the all-natural version the artificial sweetener world. There are no real long-term studies that show if it could have negative side effects, however some studies have indicated that it could potentially cause cancer or induce the pancreas to induce insulin, thus being a cure for diabetes. So what should we make out of all of this? (http://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/1644/the-truth-about-stevia-the-so-called-quot-healthy/0 My guess is to try and avoid all artificial sweeteners if possible, but like all things, everything in moderation should suffice.
You would think that as a young kid, I would have a strong love for sugar, however I was more so a follower of my mother. Because she always used artificial sweeteners, I felt that it was okay for me to use them too. Parents are very cautious of their children so I believed that if my mom thought it was bad for me then she would tell me no to use them. I wasn’t exposed to the possible negative affects of artificial sweeteners until recently, but my mom and I were able to find a way to better our sweetener decisions. It turns out that if you use certain sweeteners for different jobs, you can stay healthier and skinnier. Yes, Splenda includes Sucralose which is said to be maybe hazardous for our body, but there have been no studies of harm when it’s baked with. Splenda is actually 600 times sweeter than sugar which makes it the best artificial sweetener to bake with. Heating it up doesn’t lessen its sweetness, however it may reduce the harmful effects of damaging organs.
On another subject, I find it interesting that most of those organ failure studies have been with animals,There has actually been very few studies where Splenda has been harmful towardser subject, I find it interesting that most of those organ failure studies have been with animals, yet very few have been found with humans. Usually, animals and humans are very similar. Could there be something in animals that makes them even more different then humans? I’m curious to find out.
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56790
Whenever possible, my mom always said “Never use Splenda!” I never really thought much of it and I also don’t drink that much coffee or anything that would need added sugars but I was always curious as to why she often said this. Splenda is made up of something called Aspartame. In the article from fitday.com, Aspartame vs. Splenda: Which is Worse for You?, it states, “Aspartame was designed as a low-calorie sugar substitute to help you cut calories while still sweetening your foods and beverages.” While this sounds like a smart and healthy way to lower your calorie intake, it is not what it appears to be. The article states that both Aspartame and Splenda are equally bad for you. “The truth is that all sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners can be bad for you. It really depends on how often you use them and what else you’re getting through your diet. In order to avoid the negative side effects that come along with using each of the products, try only using them in moderation to prevent your body from suffering needlessly.” Honestly, I don’t really need extra sweeteners so I don’t have to worry about watching what I’m using to sweeten my drinks. This plays a huge roll in diets because people will think they’re doing something good for their body when in reality they’re putting harm to another cause.
It’s definitely surprising to think that something that was all the rage when first released to the public can actually be so unhealthy for us. All of the points you bring up in your post are definitely true and I also even found an article that discusses studies held about the healthiness of Splenda. In addition to all of the side effects that you listed, studies show that Splenda has been linked to blood sugar and insulin spikes both of which are closely related to Type 2 Diabetes. Check it out: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/03/splenda-blood-sugar-sucralose-insulin_n_3362122.html