This is why I always use sugar or honey: artificial sweeteners are bad for you.

[99th_Monkey]

Chairman of Citizens for Health Declares FDA Should Review Approval of Splenda
New Study of Splenda and Sucralose Reveals Shocking New Information About Potential Harmful Effect on Humans

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 22, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- James Turner, chairman of the national consumer education group Citizens for Health expressed shock and outrage after reading a new report from scientists at Duke University. "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, published this past week in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A, confirms that the chemicals in the little yellow package should carry a big red warning label," said Turner.

Among the results in the study by Drs. Mohamed B. Abou-Donia, Eman M. El-Masry, Ali A. Abdel-Rahman, Roger E. McLendon and Susan S. Schiffman is evidence that, in the animals studied, Splenda reduces the amount of good bacteria in the intestines by 50%, increases the pH level in the intestines, contributes to increases in body weight and affects the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the body in such a way that crucial health-related drugs could be rejected. Turner noted that the P-gp effect "could result in crucial medications used in chemotherapy for cancer patients, AIDS treatment and drugs for heart conditions being shunted back into the intestines rather than being absorbed by the body as intended."

The study was conducted using male rats over a period of twelve weeks. The manufacturers of Splenda also used a rat study when they applied for and received approval to market the product from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. At the time, the findings from their rat studies were extrapolated as to possible effects on humans. This is standard FDA practice and this study is consistent with that practice.

Turner said, "This report followed accepted policies and procedures and the results make clear the potential for disturbing side effects from the ingestion of Splenda. It is like putting a pesticide in your body. And this is at levels of intake erroneously approved by the Food and Drug Administration. A person eating two slices of cake and drinking two cups of coffee containing Splenda would ingest enough sucralose to affect the P-glycoprotein, while consuming just seven little Splenda packages reduces good bacteria." Although the effect of consuming Splenda does not result from a one time use, the side effects do occur after accumulated use. Turner also noted unmistakable evidence that Splenda is absorbed by fat, contrary to the claims of Johnson & Johnson.

Turner announced, "We are calling today on the FDA to immediately accept our petition filed over a year ago and initiate a review of its approval of sucralose and to require a warning label on Splenda packaging cautioning that people who take medications and/or have gastrointestinal problems avoid using Splenda. The new study makes it clear that Splenda can cause you to gain weight and lose the benefits of medications designed to improve and protect your health. The FDA should not continue to turn a blind eye to this health threat."

http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=150785

[wildflower]

1. I hadn't heard about this...thanks. n/t

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. Alternative to diet soft drinks:

Plain seltzer with just enough fruit juice to give it some flavor. White grape juice is especially good.

[supernova]

3. Or a dash of lemon or lime juice

It's my fizzy of choice now.

And it's dirt cheap. ;-)

[8 track mind]

32. hell i like plain selzer on ice. it's awesome in the summertime! n/t

[tridim]

8. I spoil myself with any of the bottled 100% fruit juices.

They're so much tastier than soft drinks and obviously more healthy.

I've been Dr. Pepper free since 2006. :)

[blonndee]

11. Thanks--I will try that. I drink WAY too many diet sodas because I like the fizz,

not necessarily the taste (except for Wild Cherry Diet Pepsi). I also use an aspartame sweetener in my coffee, which I drink a lot of, but I've known for years that it can't be good for me at all. I'm not sure what to replace that with, though. I don't like the taste of sugar in coffee, and it takes a LOT of regular sugar to make it sweet enough for me, anyway. Hmmmph. Oh, I once had a friend who actually put HONEY in his coffee every day. Blech.

[juno jones]

30. Try stevia in your coffee

It's flavor neutral unlike honey and is sweeter than sugar so you don't need so much.

[corkhead]

55. agave nectar... sweet and natural

http://www.madhavahoney.com/agave.htm

[Kajsa]

73. I love this stuff!

That's all we use in coffee/tea.

It tastes better than sugar, and has
a lower glycemic index.

[blonndee]

delete--glitchy dupe

[tavalon]

18. yeah, I used to be addicted to soft drinks,

now if I get the urge, it;s fizzy water with a dash of lemon or oj.

[devilgrrl]

27. water with lemon

it's good for your liver.....

[glowing]

4. Splenda was created to be used as a pesticide. AND now its a sugar.

[DJ13]

5. The makers of Aspartame must love this study

[safeinOhio]

6. I like home made ice tea

with just a little sweet&low.

[patrice]

7. "reduces the amount of good bacteria in the intestines by 50%" my niece the nurse practitioner

likened the use of Splenda to being similar to ingesting a teaspoon of Clorox. My sister, close to finishing her Chemistry degree, also disapproves of it.

[fortyfeetunder]

60. Chemically speaking, Splenda is a chlorinated sugar molecule

that is so creepy about the effects on the intestine.

[BrklynLiberal]

9. All of the above are great suggestions..and there is always Stevia

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/living-well-usn/2008/07/28/the-zero-calorie-sweetener-stevia-arrives.html

<snip>
Stevia's already a hit with fans of alternative medicine, since it has long been sold by health food stores as a dietary supplement. (The Food and Drug Administration hasn't yet endorsed the safety of the new products as food additives, but the companies claim they've met requirements to establish stevia as "generally recognized as safe" by scientists.) Boosters tout all those zeros as evidence that the herb is far more healthful than sugar and artificial sweeteners. A packet of sugar has about 11 calories, 3 grams of carbohydrates, and an estimated "glycemic load" of 2, for example. Dietitians recommend keeping your glycemic load, a measure of how much particular foods raise blood sugar levels, below about 100 a day. A packet of sucralose (Splenda) has 3 calories, 1 gram of carbohydrates, and a glycemic load of 1, according to NutritionData.
<snip>

[elocs]

10. And life is terminal--everybody dies, but we can never have too many things to worry about.

[SammyWinstonJack]

67. .

:thumbsup:

[reggie the dog]

12. stevia

from www.stevia.net "If you've ever tasted stevia, you know it's extremely sweet. In fact, this remarkable noncaloric herb, native to Paraguay, has been used as a sweetener and flavor enhancer for centuries. But this innocuous-looking plant has also been a focal point of intrigue in the United States in recent years because of actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The subject of searches and seizures, trade complaints and embargoes on importation, stevia has been handled at times by the FDA as if it were an illegal drug.

Since the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), stevia can be sold legally in the United States, but only as a "dietary supplement." Even so, it can be found in many forms in most health-food stores, and is also incorporated into drinks, teas and other items (all labeled as "dietary supplements"). It cannot, however, be called a "sweetener" or even referred to as "sweet." To do so would render the product "adulterated," according to the FDA, and make it again subject to seizure.

The purpose of our Web site is to provide as much information about stevia as possible, from the scientific studies regarding its safety to the petitions submitted by the Lipton Tea Company and the American Herbal Products Association. "

yet another herb banned by the fda who tell us that the stuff made by humans is safer than the herbs. STEVIA IS SWEETER THAN SUGAR AND NON TOXIC, like other illegal herbs here in France, I have friends that grow this one, it is really sweet.

[Stevenmarc]

68. I've been growing it in my herb garden for years

Fortunately there's a new product that contains Stevia called Truvia that's on the market.

[reggie the dog]

13. eat sugar, and work out

you will not gain weight. I am 6 feet tall and weigh 155 pounds. I do lots of mountain biking and eat a shitload of French cakes. I also dump sugar, a lot of it, on my cereal and on my yogurt.

[Thickasabrick]

16. This advice should not be followed by diabetics

[reggie the dog]

24. stevia is for you then

[grace0418]

33. Agave nectar is good for diabetics and has a pure sweet taste (unlike stevia IMHO).

I've used it in baking, cooking, on my yogurt, in hot and cold drinks, whatever. My diabetic husband has no issues with it, it's all natural, and tastes great.

[stuntcat]

14. I only use honey and turbinado from now on.

turbinado, the raw sugar. I don't even use the white kind anymore unless it's at restaurants.

I'm gonna share this with my mom, she offers all kinds of fake sweeteners at her inn. I mean she'll still have to, I just wish she wouldn't use them herself.

[Thickasabrick]

15. Truvia is another alternative, made of erythritol and stevia

[katandmoon]

17. And sugar's not good for you either

[tavalon]

20. Moderation

In moderation, it's fine. For Diabetics, it's better to choose low glycemic index items like Agave Nectar, which I happen to prefer to sugar. Thing is, we Americans are not good at moderation but we're vain. I've doubted artificial sweeteners since nutrasweet and have shunned them for as long.

[MattSh]

62. 76 Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health

Properly footnoted, and all...

76 Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health

[PDJane]

19. I'm diabetic.

And have to avoid corn products and beet sugar. It wrecks my blood sugar. Cane sugar, Cane syrup, maple syrup, honey or turbinado don't.

Of course, you realize I have to bake everything, yes?

[tavalon]

22. Yup, you do

You might try Agave Nectar as well. My issue is that I have Celiac Sprue so if it's bread, it's homemade with exotic flours that most people have never even heard of.

[grace0418]

36. Okay, sorry to post this again, but have you

tried agave nectar? My husband (who's diabetic) can use agave nectar with no problems. I've baked with it and it's wonderful.

[Lex]

38. Where can you get that? Regular grocery store?

nt

[madmom]

43. I have seen it at Kroger, don't know about the others though.

[Lex]

44. Okay thanks.

I will look for at Kroger next time I go.

[madmom]

50. When I saw it here it was in the health food section, not the sweetener section.

[Lex]

70. Thanks, I found it & bought some. Wasn't expecting 60 calories per serving

but I'd probably only use it once a day.

[grace0418]

58. I've seen it in the organic section at the local grocery, it's also readily available

at Whole Foods and Trader Joes. It's sweeter than sugar so a little goes a long way, so it's a good value for the price.

[Kajsa]

74. Most health food stores carry it.

Trader Joe's also carries it as does Ralphs/Krogers.

We use agave nectar all the time.

My SO is diabetic and has no problems with it.

Imho, it tastes better than sugar.

:)

[Maat]

61. I love agave nectar.

I use on the pancake I have to have in the morning. I also use it to sweeten my tea, etc.

[RC]

56. Cane sugar and beet sugar are chemically the same.

[Kip Humphrey]

76. Try agave nectar too...

doesn't solve the baking problem but it has a low GI and doesn't leave everything tasting like bees and trees.

[Blue_In_AK]

21. Oh, this is a bummer.

I always felt like I was somewhat safe using Splenda when trying to cut back on sugar. Curses, foiled again.

[lame54]

23. try agave nectar

[cali]

25. Maple Syrup and Maple sugar

are my primary sweeteners. I use maple syrup in coffee- it's delicious.

[Number23]

26. Is Splenda the products whose side effects included "anal leakage?"

I'm with you -- None of that artificial stuff for me. And that even includes artificial butter.

[Berry Cool]

28. I think you're confusing Splenda with the artificial fat, Olestra.

They are not the same thing at all.

As for the "news release" of the OP, it's obvious propaganda from an alarmist special-interest group, But it will be believed by some people inclined to believe things like "bras cause breast cancer" and such. Alarmist stuff like that always is.

[Number23]

49. Olestra! That's right. Thanks! That's been gone forever hasn't it??

Now I remember. That was the stuff used in potato chips.

[bvar22]

29. The entire Corporate Food Chain cannot be trusted.

My wife and I feel so strongly about this that in 2006 we left the city, moved FAR out in the country and now grow our own. We have 2 healthy HoneyBee colonies (expanding to 4 this Spring), and use honey from our hives for sweetener. We have also planted BlueBerries, Raspberries, Strawberries, and Boysenberries as additional sources of sweet treats.

Needless to say, NO chemical based fertilizers or pesticides are allowed on our hilltop.
ALL seeds are heirloom.



We don't even trust the Farmers Market. We found that "some" small scale local farmers will use MORE pesticide and herbicides than a commercial farm if their crop is threatened.....and then swear their stuff is "Organic".

You never know unless you grow your own.

[TankLV]

31. The only sweetner that has been PROVEN safe is saccharine - 'SWEET'N'LOW" the pink stuff...

it's had over forty years of use with almost NO ill side affects...at least from what I've heard and read...

[AspenRose]

40. Really? I thought it was cancer-causing

:shrug:

[wildbilln864]

48. Yes I read that too somewhere...

anyone else?

ETA: Oka here's what wikipedia says about it...
"Throughout the 1960s, various studies suggested that saccharin might be an animal carcinogen. Concern peaked in 1977, after the publication of a study indicating an increased rate of bladder cancer in rats fed large doses of saccharin. In that year, Canada banned saccharin while the United States Food and Drug Administration also proposed a ban. At the time, saccharin was the only artificial sweetener available in the U.S., and the proposed ban met with strong public opposition, especially among diabetics. Eventually, the U.S. Congress placed a moratorium on the ban, requiring instead that all saccharin-containing foods display a warning label indicating that saccharin may be a carcinogen."
:shrug:

[grace0418]

34. Agave nectar. All natural, good for diabetics, sweeter than sugar so you use less, and

best of all, it doesn't taste like chemicals. Just pure sweetness.

[8 track mind]

35. My Mother abused

Nutrasweet when it came out in the 80's. Everything was ok for about 1 years until it seriously messed up her stomach and lower intestine and it caused her to be bed ridden for two weeks. The stuff was attacking her from the inside. Thankfully there was no permanent damage.

[Lex]

37. What's Splenda made from?

Or, what's sucralose made from?

[Hanse]

39. Turner and "Citizens for Health" are cranks.

I haven't read the original JTEH paper yet, but I will.

But I've little doubt, based on the history of these clowns, that they're seriously distorting, misrepresenting, and making claims that even the original authors would reject. These people are fearmongers and a perfect example of why you shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet.

[Thickasabrick]

41. Thanks for the heads up....you never know anymore.

[Hanse]

42. A little common sense goes a long way.

If somebody makes an extraordinary claim, like a sugar substitute that millions of people have been using safely for many years is really poisonous and should be banned, then it's a good idea to google the name and organization of whoever's making the claim.

[Lex]

45. They claimed for years that NutraSweet caused Multiple Sclerosis.

nt

[Hanse]

47. The same people? Citizens for Health?

Because the same people do recommend raw, unpasteurized milk.

[Confusious]

46. All those artifical sweeteners

Make me poo in not a nice way

[ecstatic]

51. I believe that's true. I've gained weight that I can't seem to lose

ever since I started using Splenda sweetened drinks called 4C. :( I'm now faced with the task of losing about 15 lbs I gained. And it's harder than ever to lose it for some reason (used to be easy for me to shed pounds quickly). I fear my digestive system is in trouble. I'm sure those drinks had something to do with it because my weight had been stable for years prior to discovering those drinks.

[GaYellowDawg]

52. Just the opposite for me.

I've lost 47 pounds since mid-August and I've had a LOT of diet sodas.

[ecstatic]

54. splenda or aspartame? I used aspartame prior to discovering

the splenda drinks with no problems. The only problem was all the fear mongering going on on the web, which was why I switched. ;(

[GaYellowDawg]

79. Both. Mostly aspartame, I think.

That said, I've used Splenda for making tea, too.

[TexasObserver]

53. I've just about eliminated it from my diet.

And I had a serious Diet Coke addiction.

Let's see: acid, caramel, high sodium, caffeine, artificial sweetner - all bad for you.

I've gone to water, with an occasional drink of Aloe Vera juice, which seems to be pretty good for the body.

[Danascot]

57. You know the Rumsfeld/Aspartame story, right?

http://todayyesterdayandtomorrow.wordpress.com/2007/08/10/donald-rumsfeld-in-bed-with-aspartame/

[99th_Monkey]

59. No ... I hadn't seen this. Wow. Great find. you should top post it

maybe with link to my article too. thanx for sharing. ;-)

[LunaSea]

63. If bugs won't eat it....

It's not food.

[Lex]

71. so then if bugs will eat something

it is food?

[pipi_k]

75. So does that mean we should avoid whatever bugs won't eat?

Because I'm thinking I really don't want to go out and sample the dog turds in the yard that the flies have been snacking on...

:puke:

[OneBlueSky]

64. try unrefined (raw) sugar . . . you have to use a lot less of it, and it's better for you . . . n/t

[liberalla]

65. * agave * nectar * is the best!

I won't use sugar. Honey is good and natural, but triggers my cravings for more sweetness. Agave nectar is similar to honey in consistency, and is natural, yummy and healthy. Best of all, it doesn't increase my blood sugar and trigger sugar cravings.

I've used Splenda before, and think it tastes good for an artificial sweetener (Stevia is gross, even though it's a healthy alternative).

Sadly, I've come to believe that anything giant corporations process, refine, formulate, package and advertise so heavily (such as splenda), is probably not completely safe...

[Bluenorthwest]

66. Stevia

is a natural sweetener. It has recently been approved for use in food by our FDA, having been food for others for centuries. This week I had a new Stevia sweetened soda, delicious, zero on the glycemic index, no caloric content, the works. The brand I had was called Zevia Soda. Tried cola and orange, both yummy. No chemi-sweetners.

[dysfunctional press]

69. my wife and i both detest diet soft drinks.

and any other products with artificial sweeteners. we don't like them, and we don't buy them.

[lonestarnot]

72. eee gads. That is enilightening. Guess I will reconsider using it.

[pipi_k]

77. Some concerns about agave nectar

I use a lot of sugar and Splenda, and so when I read about how great people thought agave nectar was, I got interested and decided to do a bit of reading on it.

What I found was, although agave nectar comes from Nature, it's not "pure".

In fact, it's no better than refined high fructose corn syrup.

The article below says it pretty well..."natural" means you can go to the orchard and pick an apple without processing it. You can pick an ear of corn and eat it without processing it.

You cannot do the same with agave nectar. It must first be processed...

Which is fine as long as people aren't mistakenly thinking that it's coming straight from the plant without it being changed at all from its natural state.

anyway, here's a link to one of the articles I found...

http://www.ianchadwick.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=5002

[mackdaddy]

78. I personally have a serious reaction to Splenda/Scuralose....

Even small amounts such as from drinking one or two Diet Rite sodas causes me to loose so much strength in my legs that I have difficulty walking up stairs. I quit Spenda and I regained my strength. I was able to identify this reaction about 3 years ago, and I have had several instances of a direct cause and effect with this when I accidentally ate something which had Splenda in it. They seem to put Splenda or the generic form "sucralose" in everything, and it is rather difficult to avoid. Half of my Grocery shopping time seems to be reading ingredient labels.

The longer version:
About three years ago I fairly suddenly developed a severe lessening of the strength in my legs especially in my thigh mussles. I had difficulty walking up stairs, and could not get up out of a low chair any more. I was afraid I was developing a degenerative disease like MS or Als, and started a web search on leg weakness. I found a website run by a Dr. Mercola which had a section on artifical sweetners, and someone described symptoms identical to mine.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/12/03/sucralose-dangers.aspx

I had recently switched from saccarine to Splenda in my iced tea as they started carrying the big bags of Splenda at the local Sam's club. I had also been drinking Diet Rite Cola as my mother is addicted to these, and they had an OK taste. I stopped using Splenda and avoided any other source of sucralose, and in less than two weeks I could easily go up stairs without even touching the handrail I had needed to pull hand over hand to get up before, and could easily push up out of the low seat.
Several times over the last few years I have had episodes where I was loosing strength in my legs, and every time I would find I had consumed something which had splenda/sucralose in it. Once at my girlfriend I was having Cranberry Juice. I checked the label, and no Splenda. Unfortunately there were two bottles, and the second identical looking bottle was "low calorie" with splenda. This past summer I had another leg strengh episode, and found that the Activia pro-biotic yogurt had splenda in it.
Less certain than the leg strength issue but I believe was also a reaction to sucralose was an occasional rash around my neck, and some occasional "floating head" type feelings. I found that the Dentyne ICE gum I was chewing several times a day had sucralose as one of the many artificial sweeteners in it. This was very upsetting as I really liked this gum. I stopped chewing it, and found some alternatives without sucralose. These occasional symptoms went away, and my early stage gum disease my dentist had been after me about also went away. I changed nothing else, my toothbrush/toothpaste and brushing habits were the same. But the measured tooth to gum pocket depths went from 3-5mm on most of my teeth to 1-3mm everywhere, with anything higher than 4mm indicating receding gums. My dentist has these measurements for several years taken every six months. There was an immediate change from disease to no disease after I changed from the gum with the sucralose in it, and it has stayed this way for two years.

This is my experience, and your mileage may vary as they say. I know that millions have consumed Splenda without any obvious side effects, but I would like to point out that aproximately 990 out of a thousand people can eat peanuts without any problem, but 10 out of a thousand will have their throat and air passage swell up to the point they will die from peanuts without an eppi pen injection. Fortunately I am ok with peanuts, but Splenda kicks my ass.

[ecstatic]

80. I was going to ask how long it took you to recover

2 weeks? That's not bad. Hopefully I will recover from its effects soon as well but I consumed A LOT of it for months.

[cletustakethewheel]

81. Stuff is poison! When, oh when, are people gonna get that ARTIFICIAL

means that it's not good for you? DOY!!!!!

I use raw (turbinado) sugar, Sucanat, stevia, brown rice syrup, raw honey, agave nectar, maple syrup...