What you should know about Splenda

Splenda (aka sucralose) was approved by the FDA in 1998 as a tabletop sweetener and for use in products such as baked goods, nonalcoholic beverages, chewing gum, frozen dairy desserts, fruit juices, and gelatins. Sucralose is also permitted as a general-purpose sweetener for all processed foods.

It's become very popular over the last decade as it's claimed your body does not metabolize it and therefore provides no calories.

As Doctor Mercola details in his book, Sweet Deception, researchers have found evidence that Splenda is absorbed by your fat, contrary to claims. This is not good as it will tend to accumulate in your body over time. Since it is chemically related to DDT and no study in the world has looked at toxicity over a few months, it might lead a prudent person to be more cautious with its use.

Splenda Facts

 Splenda was approved after the FDA supposedly reviewed more than 110 animal and human safety studies, but out of these 110 studies, only two were human studies, and the longest one was conducted for four days!

Those animal studies revealed plenty of problems, such as:

* Decreased red blood cells -- sign of anemia -- at levels above 1,500 mg/kg/day
* Increased male infertility by interfering with sperm production and vitality, as well as brain lesions at higher doses
* Enlarged and calcified kidneys (McNeil stated this is often seen with poorly absorbed substances and was of no toxicological significance. The FDA Final Rule agreed that these are findings that are common in aged female rats and are not significant.)
* Spontaneous abortions in nearly half the rabbit population given sucralose, compared to zero aborted pregnancies in the control group
* A 23 percent death rate in rabbits, compared to a 6 percent death rate in the control group

A recent study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health also found that Splenda:

* Reduces the amount of good bacteria in your intestines by 50 percent -- a disturbing finding since these bacteria help maintain your body's overall balance of friendly versus unfriendly microorganisms and support your general health.
* Increases the pH level in your intestines
* Affects a glycoprotein in your body that can have crucial health effects, particularly if you're on certain medications


The symptoms are so numerous I can't include them all here, but the following are common symptoms, usually noticed within a 24-hour period following consumption of Splenda products:

* Skin -- Redness, itching, swelling, blistering, weeping, crusting, rash, eruptions, or hives (itchy bumps or welts). These are the most common allergic symptoms that people have.
* Lungs -- Wheezing, tightness, cough, or shortness of breath
* Head -- Swelling of the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, or throat; headaches and migraines (severe headaches)
* Nose -- Stuffy nose, runny nose (clear, thin discharge), sneezing
* Eyes -- Red (bloodshot), itchy, swollen, or watery
* Stomach -- Bloating, gas, pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or bloody diarrhea
* Heart -- Palpitations or fluttering
* Joints -- Joint pains or aches
* Neurological -- Anxiety, dizziness, spaced-out sensation, depression