Splenda - safer than aspartame
but is it really safe?
The Potential Dangers of Sucralose
By Dr. Joseph Mercola. D.O.
www.mercola.com
reprinted by kind permission of author (see copyright notice below)
There's a new artificial sweetener on the block and it is already in a wide
range of products (CLICK HERE to see list), some even sold in health food stores
and manufactured by nutritionally-oriented companies. But is it proven safe?
Does it provide any benefit to the public? Does it help with weight loss? Are
there any long term human studies? Has it been shown to be safe for the
environment? The answer to all of these questions is unfortunately a resounding
NO.
The artificial sweetener sucralose, which is sold under the name Splenda™, is
one of the up-and-coming "next generation" of high-intensity sugar substitutes.
It is non-caloric and about 600 times sweeter than sucrose (white table sugar),
although it can vary from 320 tp 1,000 times sweeter, depending on the food
application. The white crystalline powder tastes like a lot like sugar, but is
more intense in its sweetness.
How it is Manufactured
Sucralose is produced by chlorinating sugar (sucrose). This involves chemically
changing the structure of the sugar molecules by substituting three chlorine
atoms for three hydroxyl groups.
History
Sucralose was discovered in 1976 by researchers working under the auspices of
Tate & Lyle Ltd., a large British sugar refiner. In 1980, Tate & Lyle arranged
with Johnson & Johnson, the world's largest health care company, to develop
sucralose. Johnson & Johnson formed McNeil Speciality Products Company in 1980
to commercialize sucralose.
In 1991, Canada became the first nation to approve the use of sucralose.
In April, 1998 the US Food and Drug Administration granted approval for
sucralose to be used in a variety of food products (CLICK HERE for complete list
of products using sucralose). Diet RC cola was the first US product with
sucralose, introduced in May 1998.
Sucralose is not yet approved for use in most European countries, where it is
still under review.
Safety Concerns
Few human studies of safety have been published on sucralose. One small study of
diabetic patients using the sweetener showed a statistically significant
increase in glycosylated hemoglobin (Hba1C), which is a marker of long-term
blood glucose levels and is used to assess glycemic control in diabetic
patients. According to the FDA, "increases in glycosolation in hemoglobin imply
lessening of control of diabetes.
Research in animals has shown that sucralose can cause many problems in rats,
mice, and rabbits, such as:
Shrunken thymus glands (up to 40% shrinkage)
Enlarged liver and kidneys.
Atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus
Increased cecal weight
Reduced growth rate
Decreased red blood cell count
Hyperplasia of the pelvis
Extension of the pregnancy period
Aborted pregnancy
Decreased fetal body weights and placental weights
Diarrhea
According to one source (Sucralose Toxicity Information Center), concerning the
significant reduction in size of the thymus gland, "the manufacturer claimed
that the sucralose was unpleasant for the rodents to eat in large doses and that
starvation caused the shruken thymus glands.
[Toxicologist Judith] Bellin reviewed studies on rats starved under experimental
conditions, and concluded that their growth rate could be reduced by as much as
a third without the thymus losing a significant amount of weight (less than 7
percent). The changes were much more marked in rats fed on sucralose. While the
animals' growth rate was reduced by between 7 and 20 percent, their thymuses
shrank by as much as 40 percent. (New Scientist 23 Nov 1991, pg 13)"
A compound chemically related to sucrose, 6-chloro-deoxyglucose, is known to
have anti-fertility and neurotoxic effects, although animal studies of sucralose
have not shown these effects.
According to the FDA's "Final Rule" report, "Sucralose was weakly mutagenic in a
mouse lymphoma mutation assay." The FDA aslo reported many other tests as having
"inconclusive" results.
Just how few studies currently exist on sucralose is an issue. Endurance News
provides the following table illustrating this fact:
Sweetener # of Studies*
Saccharin 2374
Aspartame 598
Cyclamates 459
Acesulfame-K 28
Sucralose 19
*Number of studies determined by MEDLINE search.
In terms of safety, it is not just the original substance (sucralose) that one
needs to worry about. As the FDA notes, "Because sucralose may hydrolyze in some
food products...the resulting hydrolysis products may also be ingested by the
consumer."
Is There Any Long-Term Human Research?
None. According to the Medical Letter on Drugs & Therapeutics, "Its long-term
safety is unknown." According to the Sucralose Toxicity Information Center, the
"Manufacturer's '100's of studies' (some of which show hazards) were clearly
inadequate and do not demonstrate safety in long-term use."
Is Sucralose Absorbed or Metabolized?
Despite the manufacturer's claims to the contrary, sucralose is significantly
absorbed and metabolized by the body. According to the FDA's "Final Rule"
report, 11% to 27% of sucralose is absorbed in humans, and the rest is excreted
unchanged in feces. According to the Japanese Food Sanitation Council, as much
as 40% of ingested sucralose is absorbed.
Plasma sucralose has been reported to have a half-life of anywhere from 2 to 5
hours in most studies, although the half-life in rabbits was found to be much
longer at about 36 hours.
About 20% to 30% of absorbed sucralose is metabolized. Both the metabolites and
unchanged absorbed sucralose are excreted in urine. The absorbed sucralose has
been found to concentrate in the liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract.
According to The Sucralose Toxicity Information Center, sucralose is broken down
"into small amounts of 1,6-dichlorofructose, a chemical which has not been
adequtely tested in humans."
Chlorinated Pesticides
According to Consumers Research Magazine "Some concern was raised about
sucralose being a chlorinated molecule. Some chlorinated molecules serve as the
basis for pesticides such as D.D.T., and accumulate in body fat. However,
Johnson & Johnson emphasized that sucralose passes through the body unabsorbed."
Of course, this assertion about not being absorbed is complete nonsense. As
shown above, a substantial amount of sucralose is absorbed, so the argument is
not valid.
According to the HAD, "The manufacturer claims that the chlorine added to
sucralose is similar to the chlorine atom in the salt (NaCl) molecule. That is
not the case. Sucralose may be more like ingesting tiny amounts of chlorinated
pesticides, but we will never know without long-term, independent human
research."
Contaminants
The FDA acknowledges that sucralose "is produced at an approximate purity of
98%." While that may sound pretty pure, just what is in that other 2%? It turns
out that the final sucralose product contains small amounts of potentially
dangerous substances such as:
Heavy Metals (e.g., Lead)
Arsenic
Triphenilphosphine Oxide
Methanol
Chlorinated Disaccharides
Chlorinated Monosaccharide
Although manufacturing guidelines do specify limits on these substances there is
no guarantee that such limits will always be met.
Environmental Concerns
Despite the fact that a portion of sucralose is metabolized into some chemicals
of questionable safety, a majory of the consumed sucralose is excreted unchanged
in the feces and urine. While that may be good for the person using the product,
it may not be so great for the environment.
Although sucralose is being flushed down toilets wherever sucralose is approved
for sale, 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 are
beginning to be found.
Of course, we will likely not know the answers to these questions for many
years, if at all. One of the main reasons for this is that the FDA did not
require an Environmental Impact Statement for sucralose, because in their words,
"the action will not have a significant impact on the human environment."
One study did find that sucralose is metabolized by microrganisms in both the
water and soil (Labare 94). However, the ecological impact of this new chemical
being introduced into the environment is unknown.
Is There a Benefit for Consumers?
According to Consumers' Research Magazine, sucralose provides some benefits for
the corporations making and using it, but not for consumers. They state:
"But are such foods truly beneficial and desirable? Diabetics, weight watchers,
and the general public might make better food choices by selecting basic, rather
than highly processed foods; for example, apples, rather than turnovers; or
plain, rather than sweetened, dairy foods. "
They note that non-caloric artificial sweeteners are not replacing, but rather
supplementing conventional sweeteners. They note that as of 1990 Americans were
consuming an average of 20 pounds (sugar sweetness equivalency) of artificial
sweeteners, and as consumption of sugar-substitutes has risen so too has
consumption of sugar.
Does Sucralose Help with Weight Loss?
According to Consumers' Research Magazine "There is no clear-cut evidence that
sugar substitutes are useful in weight reduction. On the contrary, there is some
evidence that these substances may stimulate appetite."
Where is Sucralose Found?
In the United States, the FDA has granted approval for the use of sucralose in
15 food and beverage categories: (For a complete list of products containing
sucralose CLICK HERE)
Baked goods and baking mixes
Chewing gum
Confections and frostings
Fats and oils (salad dressings)
Fruit and water ices
Jams and jellies
Processed fruits and fruit juices
Sweet sauces, toppings and syrups
Beverages and beverage bases
Coffee and tea
Dairy product analogs
Frozen dairy desserts and mixes
Gelatins, puddings and fillings
Milk products
Sugar substitutes
Comparison to Other Sweeteners
Its promoters cite several benefits over other sweeteners, such as:
Unlike saccharin, sucralose leaves no bitter aftertaste.
Unlike other artificial sweeteners, it remains stable at high temperatures.
Unlike sugar, it does not raise blood glucose levels
As a comparison to sucralose's 600-fold sweetness increase over sugar, consider
the other artificial sweeteners on the market:
Saccharin (Sweet-and -Low) - 300 to 500 times sweeter
Aspartame (NutraSweet and Equal) - 150 to 200 times sweeter
Acesulfame K (Sunette) - 200 times sweeter.
Big Business
A 1998 report in Chemical Week states that the high-intensity sweetener market
is about $1.5-billion/year. About 70%-80% of that market is made up of soft
drink sweeteners, of which aspartame has a near monopoly. They note that
although sucralose is 50% sweeter than aspartame, it will be difficult to
persuade many soft drink producers to give up NutraSweet (aspartame) since it is
widely accepted by consumers.
Is Anyone Monitoring Post-Approval Reactions?
Apparently not. With no established system for monitoring and tracking
post-approval adverse effects, how can it ever be established whether
large-scale and long-term consumption of sucralose is safe?
Technical Information
Sucralose is made from sucrose by substituting three chlorine atoms for three
hydroxyl groups to yield
1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxy-BETA-D-fructofuranosyl-4-chloro-4-deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranoside.
This is accomplished in a five-step process.
Prolonged storage, particularly at high temperatures and low pH, causes the
sucralose to break down into 4-chloro-4-deoxy-galactose (4CG) and
1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxyfructose (1,6 DCF),
The Chemical Abstracts Service Registry number (CAS Reg. No.) for sucralose is
56038-13-2.
Should Sucralose be Avoided?
The Holistic Medicine Web Page cites the following reasons to avoid sucralose:
Pre-approval tests indicated potential toxicity of sucralose.
There are no *independent* controlled human studies on sucralose (similar to 15
years ago for aspartame).
There are no long-term (12-24 months) human studies of sucralose's effects.
There is no monitoring of health effects. It took government agencies decades to
agree that there were countless thousands of deaths from tobacco. Why? Simply
because there had been no monitoring or epidemiological studies. Without such
monitoring and studies, huge effects can easily go unnoticed.
Do Products with Sucralose Carry Any Warning Labels Or Information Statements?
No. The regulatory agencies and scientific review bodies that have endorsed the
safety of sucralose have not required any warning information to be placed on
the labels of products sweetened with sucralose.
Conclusions
The Sucralose Toxicity Information Center concludes that:
While it is unlikely that sucralose is as toxic as the poisoning people are
experiencing from Monsanato's aspartame, it is clear from the hazards seen in
pre-approval research and from its chemical structure that years or decades of
use may contribute to serious chronic immunological or neurological disorders.
The Consumer's Research Magazine concludes that:
"As Americans continue to choose ever-increasing amounts of such foods and
beverages, sweeteners may soar to higher consumption levels. The long-range
health effects from such escalation need careful evaluation. Do additional
approved sweetening agents truly contribute to good health? Do they really meet
special dietary needs? Or, do they merely further encourage poor dietary
choices? "
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Recent Examples of What Splenda Can Do To You
Dear Dr. Mercola,
I wanted to thank you for posting your article regarding sucralose, and to
inform you of my reaction to eating it today.
I bought a low-carb bar called "Ultimate Lo Carb" by Biochem at a local health
food store. I have been eating foods low in starchy carbs and thought this might
be a good snack bar. Well, almost immediately after eating eat I became
nauseous. Then my stomach starting cramping and I began dry heaving.
I wondered what could have caused this and decided to try and read the label.
The only ingredient I did not recognize was "sucralose".
So, I jumped on the internet and did a search for it and found your article. In
the meantime I was heaving and feeling even worse. Well, I am allergic to
chlorine, as well as having a liver that doesn't function very well (I take a
natural supplement called "Lipogen" for liver support as prescribed by my ND),
and when I saw what you had to say about sucralose, I figured that was what was
causing it.
I kept feeling worse, and I decided I needed to get it out of my system and took
some ipecac (maybe not the best move, but the only thing I could think of). By
the time the syrup got into my stomach the heaving was getting worse and
intestinal distress was setting in. It was like eating bad seafood. I nearly
died of food poisoning by crab legs a number of years back, and this was the
closest thing to that feeling.
Finally everything in my system started coming out, and my body didn't stop
until my entire digestive tract was cleared out. I have never reacted this
violently to anything I have eaten except for when I have had food poisoning.
Something needs to be done to get this product off the market.
I can't help but be convinced that the FDA takes payoffs. No ethical person
could approve the use of things like MSG (another thing I cannot tolerate
eating), which is classified by the FDA as an excitotoxin and is known to be
harmful to the central nervous system. I will do everything to get people to
read your article and get the word out on the FDA's latest blunder.
Best,
Shelley Flis
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Dear Dr. Mercola,
THANK YOU so much for your informative site! I am currently "detoxing" from
using sucralose after a terrible reaction. It all began with purchasing a box of
Splenda. The changes (in my opinion) were subtle.
However, my family and friends noticed immediately. I became withdrawn and
disinterested in my usual hobbies. Everything became a "chore." I was tired
during the day, but couldn't sleep at night either. I play flute which requires
a quick mental process and fingering skills to match but suddenly I was
struggling to play. Typing is difficult, as well.
During the past three weeks I noticed myself "zoning out." I'd become forgetful
and moody. I thought perhaps it was the Splenda, because that was the only thing
different in my daily habits.
I quickly dismissed the thought - despite having experienced a similar situation
with Equal a few years back. I called it "Jekyl v. Hyde Syndrome." But it seemed
I noticed the changes much quicker with Equal than with Splenda.
I really suffered yesterday. I was an emotional wreck. I cried and cried. I felt
like I was losing my mind. My husband and son discussed my disturbing behavior
while I was in the shower. Our son, Tim, recalled that the changes began with
that little yellow box. Steve, (my husband,) mentioned it to me. Little by
little, things fell into place, including the unexplainable accident I recently
had in our truck.
I had just stopped at a stop sign and the trooper said that I couldn't have been
going over 15 miles an hour when I nearly rolled our truck. Even he said that I
narrowly escaped injury. I nearly had a second accident last week.
My senses had become SO dulled, I could barely function.
I could not focus on anything. Even playing my flute was so hard. I normally
stand to play, but for the past two weeks at practice, I sat a lot. I felt
"dazed."
This morning, I feel MUCH better than I have in the recent weeks. Not quite
"normal," but much better. Even the acne (on my otherwise clear skin) is fading
away. Yep! I had a patch of acne, which appeared when I began using Splenda!
How many people are suffering from what appears to be diseases - or even acne,
when it is simply a reaction to a chemical they are ingesting? If companies were
forced to list the ingredients of these products, such as arsenic, they'd sure
be a lot more careful! I mean, who would intentionally poison themselves?
Sincerely,
Debby Fazekas
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Dear Dr. Mercola,
Four years ago I began to have panic attacks and was on BuSpar for about a year.
I started reading about aspartame and consumed the product daily -- mostly in
diet drinks and was a big consumer of Diet Rite. After learning about problems
other people were having I quit completely consuming the stuff. And have been
panic free for 3 years.
In December I started using splenda and at the same time started having a great
deal of anxiety and had a couple of panic attacks but didn't think about the
link of Splenda and the anxiety until about a week ago. I also had my mom
visiting and introduced her to Splenda -- guess what -- she started having panic
attacks during her visit and actually cut her visit short due to her feeling
bad.
I haven't consumed anymore of it for a week but am still having problems. Oh, I
also was having an irregular heart beat which I did see my doctor about. He
assured me that my blood pressure was excellent and cholesterol also good and I
shouldn't worry about my heart.
I consume very little to no caffine. Local doctors don't put much faith in the
idea that Nutra Sweet caused problems. I'm sure my new theory about Splenda
would carry even less weight. By the way, I have a very stess-free life-style. I
run my own little business and set my own hours. I don't believe my environment
is causing any irregular stress.
Sue
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I found this website while researching the new sweetener SPLENDA, a sweetener
included in the DIET ICE BOTANICALS drink made by Talking Rain Beverage Co.,
Preston WA. 98050 Ph. 1-800-734-0748, WWW.TALINGRAIN.COM, currently sold at SAMS
warehouse club.
The shocking thing I read at the end of your article on this is the Food
Poisoning like symptoms. I've probably drank about 30 -16oz bottles of the
stuff, which supposedly contains St, Johns Wort, Kava-Kava, and Ginseng, among
other "good" things for you. My son has been sneaking a few bottles to past Mom,
despite my apprehension.
We both came down with a similar food poisoning which lasted nearly 10 days for
him, and is going on day 3 for me, and I'm throwing the stuff out today.
Thanks for your information,
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Dear Dr. Mercola:
Thank you so much for your webpage. I recently drank my first bottle of Virgin
Diet Cola, and experienced a mind-numbing headache. I was literally seeing
spots. I read the label, thinking there must be something crazy in the cola. The
one ingredient I didn't recognize was "Sucralose." My husband, a doctor, said
he'd never heard of the ingredient either.
After having read your site, I've cleaned my cupboards of Pure Protein bars,
which I had no idea contained this deadly chemical, and, needless to say, will
NOT be purchasing any of the other products you've listed. Thank you for your
thorough research and intelligent, accessible data.
M.C.
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Dr. Mercola,
I was horrified to read some of the letters on your website. I was excited at
first to find an artificial sweetener that did not give me Migraines like
Aspartame (which also caused some depression). Although I did not use it a lot,
after about 6 months of OCCASIONAL use, I detected a pattern in my Splenda use
and severe altered emotional state. I became irate, impatient, hyper-sensitive
to noise, clutter and children. I really thought this was a mental breakdown, or
spiritual attack of some sort. These episodes only came periodically, but they
really scared me. Then I noticed a pattern - use of sucralose, followed in hours
(or the next morning) by one of these events (lasting 3 to 5 hours). What a
relief! I'm not really going nuts - and I can fix this, by never using the
product again. What really upsets me is that how many people are suffering and
will NEVER make any connection.
How many doctors are treating these people with anti-depressants? How many
body-conscious teenagers are committing suicide because of this severe
alteration of emotional function? I realize that not all people have the same
symptoms, but I would really like to join a support group, or get involved in a
chat room or join a campaign and GET THE INFORMATION OUT!!!
I also would be interested in knowing if there is any information on exactly
what component of Sucralose affects the brain/nervous system and causes altered
emotional states.
Thank you,
L.A.
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I was looking up the sweetener Sucralose which is in ACTII kettle corn. I was
trying to find out if it was the same as nutra sweet or aspertine. Whenever I
eat anything that has that in it, I get pains in my leg and knee. I can not
sleep because of the pain, it hurts to walk up the stairs and so on. The pain
will go away when I stop eating anything with that in it, within one to two
weeks. I had a friend who got pain all over her body after drinking diet soda.
Thanks,
E.R.
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I wish to share with the medical field the terrible reations I experienced after
eating the product "splenda" .
I do not know who to tell, but I do feel it is important.
I am not diabetic; however, I had two good friends come to dinner, and they
brought this big "yellow box of Splenda"...my life, my health was so messed up
for the next week I didn't know what was wrong.
I am healthy. I am 44, in great health, 125 pounds, no medicine presc. at
all...and yet the morning after I ate this product "Splenda" I was in terrible,
terrible pain.
I only ate it, because I cooked two pies for my diabetic friends.
The next 6 days were full of such excruciating pain, I hated to have to go to a
doctor but I had to. I cried, the pain in my chest hurt so much.
I want someone that is doing research on this product to understand it really
can hurt healthy people, without their knowing it.
I thought I had a heart problem. Forturnately it was a reaction to this product;
yet the doctor I saw that ran all kinds of tests, never asked me if I had "ate"
anything new!!!!
If I can provide you with anything else I would be pleased to; I don't want
anyone else to have to experience the terrible pain in the chest that I did. It
was "EXCRUCIATING"...no doubt about it.
C.N.
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You can add me to the list of people who have had a bad experience with
sucralose. I purchased and ate a bag of jelly beans yesterday afternoon.
No carbs sounded wonderful, and they really did taste great, so I grabbed
another bag on my way home
Unfortunately, a couple of hours later, I started experiencing food
poisoning-like symptoms. It was clear to me that my system is trying to rid
itself of something, so I looked at the packaging of the only thing I ate last
night and found your web page. I was up all night and my normally flat and trim
tummy is distended to the point that, when I lay on my back, I look seven
months' pregnant!
I am grateful I now know what is causing my discomfort -- I will definitely
avoid this product at all costs when shopping for my family!! Thank you for an
informative article!!
Karen
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Dear Doctor Mercola,
I'm not expecting an answer to my email, however I do want to say thank you.
After reading your site I am certain now that I was poisoned by Splenda. I knew
I was poisoned and I knew it wasn't "food poisoning" from a bacteria. The pain
in my body was definitely neurological. I am still experiencing some of the pain
and am flushing my Splenda down the drain today. The pain was excruciating, in
every part of my body. I am a nurse and I knew instantly that I was experiencing
neurological symptoms. I had diarrhea for 3 days also. I came very close to
calling 911. I am a 53 year old female in excellent health. These symptoms hit
me like a brick very quickly. My blood pressure sky rocketed and I almost fell
on my face in a parking lot. I'm on my way now to whole foods to purchase some
granular vitamin c to detoxify my body. You saved my life. Thank you again for
your information.
Sincerely,
G., RN
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Hello,
I've just been reading up on sucralose because I realized just this past week
that I've been having a bad reaction to a product I've been using since December
- Splenda. I started using Splenda in my coffed and tea since late December and
shortly after I began itching in various place on my body and bright red rashed
and welts appeared as well. It seemed to be the worst in the evening and only a
little in the day. I didn't relate it to the Splenda at all, but I had my coffed
in the morning, two cups, the second I rarely finished, and I would have two to
three cups of hot tea in the evenings. I finally saw my doctor in March and
after seeing my rash and how badly I itched and hearing what I discribed, he
told me that I was allergic to something I was ingesting. I still didn't put it
together, at least I didn't want to.
I knew that Splenda was the only thing I had changed and had still been using
since the itching started, but I didn't want to go back to sugar and the other
substitutes weren't options for me because of the aspertame. Splenda "had" to be
alright since it was made from sugar, I thought. The doctor put me on some
medication to stop the itching and clear up the rash. While I took it for a week
and˝, the itching stopped. The rash would still be visible, but now it just
looked sort of like it was underlying the skin, as if it were just dormat. Two
weeks after my first doctor visit, I had a follow-up and the doctor said I
looked fine and to see him again in three months just to make sure, unless, of
course, it started again.
Well, it did start again, that very night, in fact. I itched and itched. I
waited a few days, but the itching got so bad, I took some of the medication
that I still had, since I hadn't used it up. I would just take it at night so I
could sleep and then only every two or three days so the pills would last until
I could get to the doctor again. The rash would still appear and it would be
that very bright red color, different size spots and some odd shapes as well.
Sometimes I would get streaks. One day last week I had two streaks going up my
neck side by side, each almost as wide as my finger and at the base of my neck a
large red splotch.
Wednesday night the itching was terrible again and I finally gave in to the
inescapable fact that Splenda had to be the root of this problem, so I stopped
using it in my tea that night, and have not used it in anything since. I have
still had the rash appear periodically as before, but not as often and not so
bright red, no welts appear, and I have not been itching nearly as much or as
badly. I'm guessing that it may take time for the stuff to get out of my system
completely. I guess I am writing this to you to have my experience with
Sucralose documented in some way, even if it's just an email. I would love to
know, though, if you know of anyone else who has had a similar experience. Thank
you for taking the time to read this.
Marcia
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DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:
Don't let these large companies fool you. There is no magic alternative to sugar
when it comes to sweeteners. You simply can not have your cake and eat it too
when it comes to this area. It is far too early to tell, as not enough people
have consumed this product to observe large numbers of adverse effects.
However, I have had a number of patients in our Wellness Center who have had
some severe migraines and even seizures possibly from consuming this product.
My advice?
AVOID Sucralose.
I am fond of telling people that if something tastes sweet you probably should
spit it out as it is not likely to be to good for you. This of course, is a
humorous exaggeration, but for most people who struggle with chronic illness, it
is likely to be a helpful guide.
PLEASE note this article is being written in 2000. This is one of the first
comprehensive clear investigative reports and warnings on sucralose on the
Internet.
Related Articles:
The Dangers of Chlorine and Issues With Sucralose
Sources:
Food and Drug Administration "Final Rule " for Sucralose, 21 CFR Part 172,
Docket No. 87F-0086.
Lord GH, Newberne PM. Renal mineralization -- a ubiquitous lesion in chronic rat
studies. Food Chem Toxicol 1990 Jun;28:449-55.
Labare MP, Alexander M. Microbial cometabolism of sucralose, a chlorinated
disaccharide, in environmental samples. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 1994
Oct;42:173-8.
Hunter BT. Sucralose. Consumers' Research Magazine, Oct90, Vol. 73 Issue 10, p8,
2p.
Maudlin RK. FDA approves sucralose for expanded use. Modern Medicine, Oct99,
Vol. 67 Issue 10, p57, 1/9p
Sucralose -- a new artificial sweetener. Medical Letter on Drugs & Therapeutics,
07/03/98, Vol. 40, Issue 1030, p67, 2p.
Q&A: Is newly FDA approved sweetener sucralose good for you? Executive Health's
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Sucralose Toxicity Information Center:
http://www.holisticmed.com/splenda
Splenda Product Web Site
http://www.splenda.com/
Dr Mercola's qualifications:
http://www.mercola.com/forms/background.htm
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