Artificial Sweeteners
Information from www.mercola.comTragically, the truth is this: artificial sweeteners such as Splenda and Nutrasweet are NOT healthy -- or safe.
Is It REALLY Sugar?
There is no question that sucralose starts off as a sugar molecule,
it is what goes on in the factory that is concerning. Sucralose is a
synthetic chemical that was originally cooked up in a laboratory. In
the five step patented process of making sucralose, three chlorine
molecules are added to a sucrose or sugar molecule. A sucrose molecule
is a disaccharide that contains two single sugars bound together;
glucose and fructose.
The chemical process to make sucralose alters the chemical
composition of the sugar so much that it is somehow converted to a
fructo-galactose molecule. This type of sugar molecule does not occur
in nature and therefore your body does not possess the ability to
properly metabolize it. As a result of this "unique" biochemical
make-up, McNeil Nutritionals makes it's claim that Splenda is not
digested or metabolized by the body, making it have zero calories.
It is not that Splenda is naturally zero calories. If your body had
the capacity to metabolize it then it would no longer has zero calories.
How to Determine if Splenda is Harming You
The best way to determine if Splenda or sucralose is affecting you
is to perform an elimination/challenge with it. First eliminate it and
other artificial sweeteners from your diet completely for a period of
one to two weeks. After this period reintroduce it in sufficient
quantity.
For example, use it in your beverage in the morning, and eat at
least two sucralose containing products the remainder of the day. On
this day, avoid other artificial sweeteners so that you are able to
differentiate which one may be causing a problem for you. Do this for a
period of one to three days. Take notice of how your body is feeling,
particularly if it feels different than when you were artificial
sweetener free.
Splenda May Still Be Harming You
If you complete the elimination/challenge trial described above and
do not notice any changes then it appears you are able to tolerate
Splenda acutely. However, please understand that you are not out of the
woods yet.
The entire issue of long-term safety has never been established. Let's look at the facts again:
Considering that Splenda bears more chemical similarity to DDT than
it does to sugar, are you willing to bet your health on this data?
Remember that fat soluble substances, such as DDT, can remain in your
fat for decades and devastate your health.
If the above facts don't concern because you believe the FDA would
not ever allow a toxic substance into the market then read on.
12 Questions You Need to Have Answered Before You Eat Splenda
From Janet Starr Hull‘s Health Newsletter, December 2003
The following interview was conducted with Janet Starr Hull on the safety of sucralose found in Splenda.
Q: What exactly is Splenda?
A: In a simple sentence, you
would just as soon have a pesticide in your food as sucralose because
sucralose (Splenda) is a chlorocarbon. The chlorocarbons have long been
known for causing organ, genetic, and reproductive damage. It should be
no surprise, therefore, that the testing of sucralose reveals that it
can cause up to 40 percent shrinkage of the thymus: a gland that is the
very foundation of our immune system. Sucralose also causes swelling of
the liver and kidneys, and CALCIFICATION of the kidney. Note: if you
experience kidney pain, cramping, or an irritated bladder after using
sucralose in Splenda, stop use immediately.
Q: So sucralose is not found as a natural compound in nature, like real sugar?
A: Absolutely not. No sugar molecule is compounded with chlorine anywhere in nature.
Q: Do you know how it is made in the laboratory?
A: I found this information from
a statement from the manufacturer, actually. ‘Sucralose is made from
sugar, but is derived from sucrose (sugar) through a process that
selectively substitutes three atoms of chlorine for three
hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sucrose molecule. No artificial sweetener
made in the laboratory is going to be neither natural to the body nor
safer than unprocessed sugar‘, they claim.
People need to stop searching for excuses to eat all the junk food
they want without penalty. In the long run, no one benefits from this
product but the corporations.
Q: The corporate researchers claim that the
chlorine atoms are so tightly bound; they create a molecular structure
that is exceptionally stable under extreme pH and temperature
conditions. Do you agree?
A: They are testing these
conditions in lab rats, and these types of corporate studies have
forced and ‘selective‘ results, in my opinion. Aspartame research is
the proof of this!
Test these chemicals on a child and see how stable it is--but that
would be cruel. So, why then do we buy it and give it to our children?
I don‘t buy into manufacturers‘ claims when it comes to human beings
using ANY man-made chemical. Plus, I have learned over the past 25
years of aspartame research to value independent research above that
which is funded by corporations.
Q: The corporations say sucralose is safe.
A: They said the same thing
about aspartame, and look at the rampant disease and obesity taking
over America since aspartame was put into the food supply over 20 years
ago.
Q: Can sucralose cause cancer?
A: Any animal that eats chlorine
(especially on a regular basis) is at risk of cancer. The Merk Manuel
and OSHA 40 SARA 120 Hazardous Waste Handbook states that chlorine is a
carcinogen and emergency procedures should be taken when exposed via
swallowing, inhaling, or through the skin.
It all depends upon how much you use and how often, your present and
past health status, and the degree of other toxins you are putting
inside your body. Good luck with this one ...
Q: Sucralose has been thoroughly tested,
they claim. Actually they have stated that sucralose is the most tested
food additive in history. I quote, " ... more than 100 studies on the
safety of sucralose designed to meet the highest scientific standards
have been conducted and evaluated over the course of 20 years. "
A: I don‘t believe that for a
second. They stated verbatim the same thing about aspartame. We are
looking at the same scenario in so many ways. As with NutraSweet, no
human studies, corporate payrolled researchers, selective result
reporting, government involvement and personal financial interests and
controlled media. I will say that sucralose is not as dangerous as
aspartame.
Q: Splenda is approximately 600 times sweeter than sugar. How can that be?
A: As I stated before, the
product is a forced product, not a natural sugar the body uses for
fuel. People forget that sweetness is a by-product of foods--a bonus so
to say. Forced sweetness, revved-up sweetness, and artificial
sweetness--all altered foods that are a trap for people to get addicted
to the sweeter tastes. People with eating disorders, children who are
just learning about food, and people with illnesses are all being ‘sold
a bill of rubbish‘ in my opinion.
Q: The manufacturer claims sucralose doesn‘t react with other substances in the body and is not broken down in the body.
A: They claimed the same thing
about saccharin, even though I feel saccharin is the only artificial
sweetener with true merit. To answer your question, if the body is
digesting properly, anything you put into the body will be assimilated.
If it happens to be rancid, the stomach will throw it out immediately
by vomiting or diarrhea. It is totally out of the realm of biological
science to think the body will not immediately attack a toxic chemical.
Henceforth, migraines from aspartame and diarrhea from Splenda.
Now, to add a note to this: if the body is fed an indigestible
product such as plastic (like in margarine) that it is incapable of
dissolving through normal digestion, it will pass through undigested
(if it doesn‘t get stuck in the gall bladder, that is.) So, if
sucralose is indigestible due to its laboratory compounding, then we
have yet another serious health problem to consider, don‘t you think?
Technology is great, but we sure don‘t need to be eating it!
Q: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
and government food authority committees and the Health Ministries in
countries such as Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad
& Tobago, Argentina, and Brazil have confirmed the safety of
sucralose. So have the countries of Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Uruguay,
Romania, Lebanon, Qatar, Bahrain, Pakistan, Tajikistan, China, South
Africa, and Tanzania. What do you think of all these countries
confirming Splenda‘s safety?
A: The history of aspartame has
unfortunately proven that individuals within government agencies cannot
and should not be trusted to make such empowering public decisions
behind closed doors.
Now, re-read this list of countries ... Mexico, Jamaica, Tajikistan
and Tanzania? These are the countries in which Splenda is now marketed?
(See the final question.) As an international geographer, I can
comfortably say that these countries are not nations with the same
technology and mass marketing strategies to be compared with the United
States. These countries are more concerned with birth control, food
staples, hostile take-overs, and drought--not diet sweeteners. Compare
apples to apples.
Q: Is sucralose safe for children?
A: The manufacturer actually
made this statement for disclosure: "One should note, however, that
foods made with low-calorie sweeteners are not normally a recommended
part of a child‘s diet, since calories are important to a growing
child‘s body."
Pay attention ... Children should not be encouraged to grow up on
fake foods. But just like cigarettes and alcohol, do what I say and not
what I do? And we wonder why the younger generation is angry, ill, and
ridden with ADD/ADHD and diabetes?? How many kids do you see taking a
sip of mom or brother‘s diet cola?
Q: Who manufactures and markets sucralose?
A: McNeil Specialty Products
Company (MSPC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson,
along with Tate & Lyle PLC, a world leader in sweeteners and
starches, all share responsibility for developing and manufacturing
sucralose for commercial use. Sucralose is the first product from
McNeil Specialty, whose mission is to develop and market innovative
food ingredients that help consumers control, maintain and improve
their health. Internationally, McNeil Specialty markets sucralose in
the United States, Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Australia, New
Zealand, and the Middle East; Tate & Lyle markets sucralose in
Africa, Asia, Europe and Canada. Internationally, McNeil Specialty
markets sucralose under the name SPLENDAR Brand Sweetener. SPLENDAR is
a registered trademark of McNeil Specialty Products Company.
