The Truth About Splenda

[justjane]

I hope this is the right place to post this!

We all know that Splenda is bad for us. Here are some links providing "solid evidence."

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-Jane

[Sweetfudge]

I've seen this before! I immediately quit buying splenda and any beverages/gums/candy with splenda in them!

[ArtGirl]

I've gone off Splenda, too (also, the individual packages contain dextrose and I'm allergic to corn). I used it when it first came on the market, but then figured I was better off not using any artificial sweetner and went back to sugar and stevia.

As a nation we are really addicted to sweet things (and high carbs, which is in reality the same thing), and are not used to using self-control about our diets (just look at all the overweight people and the crowds at fast-food restaurants). So we are willingly gullible to people who will give us what we want with the promise of no consequenses in our indulgence.

I'm just as bad as everyone else about wanting sweet things. It's a really tough addiction to break. I'm better, but certainly not "cured". I'm hoping that a few months down the road with having eliminated those food allergens in my system that the sweet cravings will significantly diminsh.

[eKatherine]

That wnho website has some mighty strange articles posted on it. You might want to browse through their authors and see what some of the others have to say.

[hannahsue01]

Oh my....thanks for posting this. I am very upset to find out that once again we have been mislead by a food company...like I should be surprised. I for one had no clue and thought it was "made from real sugar" therefore not bad for you....well any more than real sugar. I for one can not have the other fake sugar. If I even have a couple of sips of diet pop I get an almost instant headache and stomachache. I will make sure I spread the word and that my family consumes no FAKE sugar what so ever.

[Nancym]

There's very little truth in that web site. You're being manipulated by the sugar industry.

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  Quote

These ads are the brainchild of Rick Masters, a former Democratic operative who has gone into the public relations business. He was profiled last March in the Atlantic Monthly in an article entitled "J-School for Jerks," which was a piece about how Mr. Masters conducts a course for people who want to be the next Bill O'Reilly. Mr. Masters works for Qorvis Communications, a large, Washington, DC based public relations firm.

Qorvis Communications and Mr. Masters were hired by non other than the sugar lobby to mount an attack against Splenda. Why the sugar lobby would want to attack the folks who make Splenda, I can't imagine.

Mr. Masters and "a group of concerned consumers, led by sugar cane and sugar beet farmers across America" (read: Sugar Association, the sugar lobby) put up a website purporting to tell the horrible truth about Splenda. But does this website tell the truth or is it simply sugar lobby propaganda? Let's take a look.

[eKatherine]

It looks like any site member can post whatever they want on that site. My favorite is the doctor who has several articles objecting to the socialist practice of forced sharing of gluesticks in classrooms.

Also, there's a book-length article on how MS is caused by barium poisoning (lyme proponents take note).

[Flotenspieler]

And another little twist that may also affect some of you. I just found out in August after my blood panel that I am also allergic to sugar cane. Other forms of sugar are fine (ex. beet sugar, honey, maple sugar, agave, etc.) but there's something about the protein in sugar cane I can't handle. That includes Splenda, as it's made from sugar cane and has the same protein makeup. I was shocked when I saw the results of my blood panel. I rarely eat sugar but was using a whole lot of Splenda, especially in my coffee. Most of my intestinal problems vanished last winter after being diagnosed with gluten intolerance and going completely gluten-free, but my exzema just wouldn't go away (something that has been off and on now for over four years). For over a month now I've also removed the cane sugar from my life, and the exzema is now finally almost completely gone! Hopefully this is the last food I need to get rid of. At any rate, the testing doesn't show me being highly reactive to anything else but sugar cane and gluten, so if that's all I have to deal with, I'm happy with it!

[Lymetoo]

It looks like any site member can post whatever they want on that site. My favorite is the doctor who has several articles objecting to the socialist practice of forced sharing of gluesticks in classrooms.

hehehehhee!

Also, there's a book-length article on how MS is caused by barium poisoning (lyme proponents take note).

What about Lyme????

[mamaw]

artifical sweetners are usually not good for ones health. years ago a doctor told my diabetic relative that he would much rather him use a tsp of sugar in his tea rather than use one of the fake sweetners. He said the real deal would do less harm to his body.My relative took insulin twice daily. this was many years ago & i for one believed what he said as he was one of the leading doctors for diabetes.....

Most art.sweetners make me feel sick.......

just my two cents .....

mamaw

[VydorScope]

heh, dont both posting anything in defense of Splenda... or even mention how bad the highly processed white junk that ppl call sugar realy is... the Sugar Mafia will just come after you. After all its "all natural" just like cyanide and cocain THought to be fair. cocain is probably processed less then that white junk

[4getgluten]

I also have read a lot of scary stuff about Splenda, but you can't believe everything you read, right? I also believe where's there's smoke there's fire. Anyhow, what I do know is that Splenda is not for me. I get intense stomach pain when I have too much Splenda. If I have a little now and then, I'm ok. But, if I have a too much, I'm in pain. For example, if I have Spenda in my coffee for 3 day in a row, I'm in trouble.

[VydorScope]

  4getgluten said:

I also have read a lot of scary stuff about Splenda, but you can't believe everything you read, right? I also believe where's there's smoke there's fire. Anyhow, what I do know is that Splenda is not for me. I get intense stomach pain when I have too much Splenda. If I have a little now and then, I'm ok. But, if I have a too much, I'm in pain. For example, if I have Spenda in my coffee for 3 day in a row, I'm in trouble.

Some ppl can not east certin foods regaurdless of how healthy/safe it is. For example my son cannot eat wheat/barley/rye/malt/etc or eggs... my wife has to aviod brazil nuts... my SIL has to aviod rice/corn... and so on. Ppl that react to a food, no matter how "safe" it maybe, should aviod it. In your case that means aviod Splenda. In fact since Splenda is not digestible it is hard on some ppls digestive systems, and that is probably your case at a guess.

[4getgluten]

  VydorScope said:

Some ppl can not east certin foods regaurdless of how healthy/safe it is. For example my son cannot eat wheat/barley/rye/malt/etc or eggs... my wife has to aviod brazil nuts... my SIL has to aviod rice/corn... and so on. Ppl that react to a food, no matter how "safe" it maybe, should aviod it. In your case that means aviod Splenda. In fact since Splenda is not digestible it is hard on some ppls digestive systems, and that is probably your case at a guess.

Yes - It is not for me for sure. My dad has it all the time, with no problems. Everyone is different.

[elye]

Anyone interested in some in-depth, reputable articles on the real health dangers of not just Splenda (chlorinated sugar) but Aspartame as well, can peruse the library of Joseph Mercola, at mercola.com. I now use stevia for my coffee...

[brizzo]

you can buy 100% organic sugar from domino, and man... is it tasty! It's got a sort of brownish tint to it...here's a picture Open Original Shared Link you can buy it at Krogers/wal-mart. b.

[Nancym]

In preindustrial ages they refined sugar like this:

Clarify the cane juice

Boil it down into a thick syrup to concentrate and crystallize the sucrose

Drain off the impurity-laden syrup (molasses)

Washing the remaining syrup from the crystals

Sounds innocent?

Well... the cane stalks were first crushed and pressed and the resulting juice was heated with lime (not the fruit, the chemical) and a substance such as egg white or animal blood, which would coagulate and trap the impurities in a scum that could be skimmed off.

(bunch of other stuff)

Then it was poured into a cone-shaped clay mold where it crystalized into raw sugar. The cones were left to stand inverted for a few days, and the molasses would run off through a hole in the tip.

Then a fine wet clay was packed over the wide end of the cone.

Heh! So much for thinking sugar is pure and natural.

They still use lime though.

[VydorScope]

  elye said:

Anyone interested in some in-depth, reputable articles on the real health dangers of not just Splenda (chlorinated sugar) but Aspartame as well, can peruse the library of Joseph Mercola, at mercola.com. I now use stevia for my coffee...

Hmm a site buy a guy selling books/etc that forces you to sign up with your email to his spam list before you can read his articls... most of which are full of "maybes" and "mights"... not what I would call "reputbable".

The only thing I could find on his site to do with Splenda that is based on fact is that some ppl react to it. Yes some ppl do, just like some ppl die from eating peanuts. That does not mean the world should exterminate the peanut plant.

Ugh here I go again getting drawn in to a debeat I want no part of... I wont post/check this thread anymore.

I agree Stevia is a great option and when it falls in price (as of last week in my store its 2.5 times the cost of splenda per serving, thats liquid stevai vs powered splenda, cheapest of both lines) I plan to try it myself.

[elye]

Funny, this is the second thread I've been on in the last two weeks where I found myself defending Dr. Mercola. Ursula, where are you?

[lancpa]

How about Stevia, its none chemical

my niece has ms.

She used splenda and after a few weeks she had an attack of unknown origin. The attack receded when she quit the splenda. So I stay away from it as a rule.

Stevia is a natural plant from south america that has been used their for a long time without the contorversy that surrounds splenda arising. Taste is as good or better than splenda to me.

A couple things to be aware of with stevia. it is sold in two forms one is packets and that is not pure and has a corn derivitive mixed in.

The pure stuff is like 28 dollars for about 6-8 oz. However, 1/4 teaspoon equals 3/4 cup approximately. thats why they cut ist with the corn derivtive in the packets- to make it more equivalent in measurement.

Be very careful to add just a very little stevia at a time. if you put too much in it tastes really bad.

[Nancym]

I'm pointing out the obvious here but someone has to do it! Natural doesn't always mean harmless.

Dr. Mecola is very interested in inspiring fear, uncertainty and doubt in order to get you to buy his products. While not everything on his web site is utter BS, IMHO, a lot of it is. Or is at least somewhat tainted with the FUD factor. Personally, I prefer to get my information from more objective sources who don't stand to make a lot of money on fear mongering.

[justjane]

  lancpa said:

How about Stevia, its none chemical

my niece has ms.

She used splenda and after a few weeks she had an attack of unknown origin. The attack receded when she quit the splenda. So I stay away from it as a rule.

Stevia is a natural plant from south america that has been used their for a long time without the contorversy that surrounds splenda arising. Taste is as good or better than splenda to me.

A couple things to be aware of with stevia. it is sold in two forms one is packets and that is not pure and has a corn derivitive mixed in.

The pure stuff is like 28 dollars for about 6-8 oz. However, 1/4 teaspoon equals 3/4 cup approximately. thats why they cut ist with the corn derivtive in the packets- to make it more equivalent in measurement.

Be very careful to add just a very little stevia at a time. if you put too much in it tastes really bad.

I have heard about Stevia. A friend of mine who swears for it and against Splenda loves it. I will check out my local food store. Thanks for mentioning it.

[lancpa]

  justjane said:

I have heard about Stevia. A friend of mine who swears for it and against Splenda loves it. I will check out my local food store. Thanks for mentioning it.

glad it may help. there is also a liquid form. It doesn't effect your blood sugar, it has no calories, and its sweeter than sugar.

[hineini]

I am a believer in Splenda being "evil" as with all artificial sweeteners... I mean I'm not about to run a one-woman campaign to get people to stop eating it, but I know that it makes me feel ill and I don't trust it one bit. Not saying I trust the sugar industry more, but rather that I wouldn't touch Splenda or any other artificial sweetener with a 10-foot pool.

As for Dr Mercola - I can't even spend 2 minutes on that site and actually think he's legit. That site screams "profiteering shyster" to me. Some people talk about him like he's G-d and all he says is the gospel. That scares me. More power to you if you've found stuff on there that's helped you - That's great. Everyone deserves to find things that work for them to have a healthier life. I'm sure much of what he says holds some truth and some value and some of his theories are dead-on (especially his advocacy of gluten-free diets). But I would take everything I read on there with a grain of salt... I think he gives a bad name to natural health practitioners.

[Michi8]

  lancpa said:

Be very careful to add just a very little stevia at a time. if you put too much in it tastes really bad.

You've got that right! I put one of those packets of stevia in my coffee, and it rendered it undrinkable. Yuck! I'd like to give it a shot again, but with the "pure" stevia...in a very small dosage...I like my coffee sweet, but not that sweet!

  hineini said:

As for Dr Mercola - I can't even spend 2 minutes on that site and actually think he's legit. That site screams "profiteering shyster" to me. Some people talk about him like he's G-d and all he says is the gospel. That scares me. More power to you if you've found stuff on there that's helped you - That's great. Everyone deserves to find things that work for them to have a healthier life. I'm sure much of what he says holds some truth and some value and some of his theories are dead-on (especially his advocacy of gluten-free diets). But I would take everything I read on there with a grain of salt... I think he gives a bad name to natural health practitioners.

Any website has to be read with a grain of salt...after all, you can't believe everything you read! Besides, I'm totally disgusted that I have to give up my email addy to read an article on Dr Mercola's (or anyone else's) website. No information is worth getting spam email.

Michelle