Evidence that there are side effects of Splenda is accumulating little by little. Sucralose has been implicated as a possible migraine trigger, for example. Self-reported adverse reactions to Splenda or sucralose collected by the Sucralose Toxicity Information Center include skin rashes/flushing, panic-like agitation, dizziness and numbness, diarrhea, swelling, muscle aches, headaches, intestinal cramping, bladder issues, and stomach pain. These show up at one end of the spectrum — in the people who have an allergy or sensitivity to the sucralose molecule. But no one can say to what degree consuming Splenda affects the rest of us, and there are no long-term studies in humans with large numbers of subjects to say one way or the other if it’s safe for everyone.
If this sounds familiar, it should: we went down the same path with aspartame, the main ingredient in Equal and NutraSweet. Almost all of the independent research into aspartame found dangerous side effects in rodents. The FDA chose not to take these findings into account when it approved aspartame for public use. Over the course of 15 years, those same side effects increasingly appeared in humans. Not in everyone, of course — but in those who were vulnerable to the chemical structure of aspartame.
As food additives, artificial sweeteners are not subject to the same gauntlet of FDA safety trials as pharmaceuticals. Most of the testing is funded by the food industry, which has a vested interest in the outcome. This can lead to misleading claims on both sides.
But one thing is certain: some of the chemicals that comprise artificial sweeteners are known hazards — the degree to which you experience side effects just depends on your individual biochemistry. Manufacturers are banking on the fact that our bodies won’t absorb very much of these compounds at any one time. And many of us don’t. But what happens when we are ingesting a combination of artificial sweeteners like Splenda dozens of times a week through many different “low–sugar” or “sugar–free” products?
People have been using artificial sweeteners for decades. Some react poorly, some don’t — the problem is, you never know until you’re already sick. Scientists are calling Splenda a mild mutagen, based on how much is absorbed. Right now, it’s anyone’s guess what portion of the population is being exposed to the dangers of Splenda or already suffering from Splenda side effects. Until an independent, unbiased research group conducts long-term studies on humans (six months is hardly long-term!), how can we be certain? With all the new Splenda products on our shelves, it looks as if we are now in the process of another grand public experiment — without our permission. And we may not know the health implications for decades. As with all things, time will unveil truth.As you can see, I am totally against artificial sweeteners. A few years ago, I thought I was doing my children a service by buying them sugar free juices, popsicles, candies, etc. About this same time, our oldest son started suffering from debilitating migraines. . .at age 8. It was a common occurrence for him to come down with at least two migraines per week! Truth be told. . .we were WORRIED!!!! I was so terribly afraid that the doctor was going to find something terminally wrong with him.
I started doing my own research and began to link his migraines with his ingestion of the sweeteners. I immediately went through our pantry and fridge and tossed every item that contained the "poison". Know what? The headaches went away within three days. Cured. . .healed. . .problem solved!
We no longer spend one penny of our income on anything sugar free, diet, or skinny. . . just to name a few of the gimmick names for artificial sweeteners. I read the labels on EVERYTHING that I purchase! I found that many everyday products, even though they may not say reduced sugar or sugar free, may contain one of the many artificial sweeteners. . .for example. . .cereals, protein bars, coffee creamers, granola bars, sweet Keurig coffee pods. . .you always have to check your ingredients!
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| Magnification of grains of real sugar |
I am all about staying healthy the natural way! I choose butter over margarine, regular soda over diet (when and if I drink it), clean and natural foods over processed! Being fit and healthy takes a lot of knowledge and dedication. Think about the decisions that you make and the choices of the things that you put into your body! An informed decision is a wise decision!
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