posted August 11, 2005 09:30 AM         

*sigh* I always seem to be the bearer of bad news.
http://www.mercola.com/2005/feb/2/splenda_marketing.htm
He has several articles on Splenda, but here is an excerpt:

quote:

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Many people have been misguided into believing Splenda, or sucralose, is a healthy alternative to sugar. They are just not aware of some of the questionable science that went into the marketing of this product. There are an amazing number of similarities to a previous harmful artificial sweetener, Nutrasweet.

The problem: Deceitful marketing ploys are working. However, the truth is there is no "magic" alternative to sugar when it comes to sweeteners. You simply cannot have your cake and eat it too when it comes to this area.

Can You Handle The Truth About Splenda?

So if you are among those who continue to use Splenda because you think it is a safe alternative to sugar or other artificial sweeteners, then I am about to give you a rude awakening. This artificial sweetener is not natural at all. Although they start with a sugar molecule they add chlorine molecules do it. This is a similar chemical in many respects to pesticides like DDT, and no one can even guess the long term consequences of ingesting this substance over many years.

Research in animals provides us with some concerns at it has already shown that consuming sucralose comes hand-in-hand with a plethora of health problems:

Shrunken thymus glands (up to 40 percent shrinkage)
Enlarged liver and kidneys
Atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus
Reduced growth rate
Decreased red blood cell count
Extension of the pregnancy period
Aborted pregnancy
Diarrhea

The most revealing and powerful way to learn the treacherous truth about Splenda is to read someone's personal experience with it. Nearly every month we receive a report from someone who has had an adverse reaction to Splenda, and after reading just a few of the submitted testimonials you won't even want to look at Splenda again.

Additionally, eating too much real sugar will also adversely affect your health, as it will cause your insulin level to rise and this is associated with a host of health problems.

Therefore, the best option for your health is to radically reduce the sugar and sweets in your diet. Amazingly, over time your desire for them will dramatically decrease once you normalize your insulin levels. Try avoiding sugar for even a week, and then go back and taste a sugary item you used to love. You'll be amazed at how overpoweringly sweet it will taste.

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Here's some more:
http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/sugarfree_blues.html

quote:

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It is not only diabetics who need worry about the safety of sucralose. Research conducted with rats, mice and rabbits has shown that sucralose consumption can cause shrinking of the thymus gland (up to 40 percent shrinkage), enlargement of the liver and kidneys, atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus, increased cecal weight, reduced bodily growth rate, decreased red blood cell count, hyperplasia of the pelvis, extension of gestational periods in pregnancy, decreased fetal body weights and placental weights, and diarrhea. According to the FDA’s “Final Rule” report on sucralose, it was considered to be “weakly mutagenic in a mouse lymphoma mutation assay.”75

The reason for this host of side effects is not fully understood. Many detractors have raised concerns due to the fact that sucralose is a chlorinated molecule. Chlorinated molecules, which are used as the basis for pesticides such as DDT, tend to accumulate in body tissues. Johnson & Johnson maintains that sucralose passes through the digestive system without any absorption or metabolization, but the FDA’s own research has shown that 11 to 27 percent of sucralose is absorbed in humans, while the rest is excreted unchanged in the feces. Tests performed by the Japanese Food Sanitation Council have found that as much as 40 percent of ingested sucralose is absorbed. To further dispute the manufacturer’s claims, research indicates that about 20 to 30 percent of the absorbed sucralose is metabolized. Both the metabolites and unchanged absorbed sucralose are excreted in urine, but some absorbed sucralose has been found to concentrate in the liver, kidney and gastrointestinal tract.76

Not only does sucralose break down within the digestive system, but, as the FDA notes, “[it] may hydrolyze in some food products…[and] the resulting hydrolysis products may also be ingested by the consumer.” Prolonged storage, particularly at high temperatures and low pH, causes sucralose to break down into other chemicals, including 4-chloro-4-deoxy-galactose, 1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxy-fructose and 1,6-dichlorofructose, none of which has ever specifically been tested in terms of safety for human ingestion. Additionally, as the FDA again acknowledges, sucralose may contain up to 2 percent of various impurities, such as heavy metals, arsenic, triphenilphosphine oxide, methanol, chlorinated disaccharides and chlorinated monosaccharides. Even if these “impurities” are within existing manufacturing guidelines, they are still all potentially dangerous to human health.77

Sucralose production and consumption may also pose a threat to the environment in general. To quote from Dr. Joseph Mercola’s website (www.mercola.com/2000/dec/3/sucralose_dangers.htm): “Although sucralose is being flushed down toilets [after human excretion]. . . , what happens to it next is simply a matter for speculation. I know of no studies showing what happens to the chemical when the raw sewage is treated and then released back into the environment. Does it remain stabile or react with other substances to form new compounds? Is the sucralose or any resulting chemicals safe for the environment? How will this chemical affect aquatic life such as fish, as well as other animals? Will sucralose begin to appear in our water supplies, just as some drugs [such as antibiotics] are beginning to be found? . . . [Ultimately] the ecological impact of this new chemical being introduced into the environment is unknown.”

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posted August 11, 2005 09:49 AM         

Hi pixie!

posted August 11, 2005 06:15 PM         

Thanks Trillian & beebuddy for bringing this up

posted August 12, 2005 12:01 PM         

New word I learnt recently, good huh?

posted August 13, 2005 10:16 AM         

Your other safe bet is raw sugar or honey.