Is Splenda really that dangerous?

Splenda is a very popular sugar substitute, used in "diet" sodas, low calorie foods and also Atkins diet. So many people use it, so WHAT CAN BE HARMFUL ABOUT IT?

According to the web site:
www.mercola.com...

"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.."

Sucralose can cause:
# Shrunken thymus glands (up to 40 percent 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


Recently, I've visited this website and it was so surprising to read HOW DANGEROUS sucralose can be! There is also a link from this website to get the list of the main products using sucralose.

There are also many testimonials about bad experiences with Splenda.

www.mercola.com...

Did any of you experience allergic reaction to this product?

Nope, but then again I aviod any artificial sweetner. Better safe the sorry.

I've been drinking the new Diet Coke with Splenda. I haven't noticed any side effects..but I also noticed that in several cases it took awhile for them to show up. So I guess I'll quit and go back to water. Like sardion2000 said "Better safe than sorry."

Yeah, the same with me, I haven't had any reactions to it, but I try to avoid it. I recently noticed that even Danone yogurt drink has Splenda.... I thought Danone was supposed to be healthy, but I guess I won't buy it anymore.

You might have the makings of a good conspiracy thread there. Diet and mind control. Remember how religious cults always try to modify the diet, low protien, no meat. make people suggestable. Is the government foisting these new sugar substitutes on us to meddle with our brain chemistry? Remember that the low protein diet make s people sugestible becaus eit alters the balance of amino acids in the brain, and many sugar substitutes are amino acid conpounds.

I have been using splenda for two years now, so far I have not side effects from it.

I just have my annual check at the doctors office and blood test done, everything is better or below the mark.

So in other words my liver test, kidney creatine leves low and seems that organs are working very good.

Cholesterol down 45 points, good cholesterol high I feel wonderful I also lost 5 pounds.

I am actually looking into stopping the splenda use, not because any problems but because I am tired of using it.

Well, it may be unsafe or it may be not THAT bad, we probably won't know for many years.

When they made sucralose, they tampered with the sugar molecule, right?
Is messing with nature a good thing, ever?

I started using splenda when I began low-carbing 2.5 years ago.
It seems to be sweeter than sugar, but in this case if you use too much splenda in something, it gets an off-taste, noticeable on fruit, to me anywya.
Itdoesn't melt like sugar. The splenda for baking has a bulking agent--another chemical we don't need.

I plan to use less and less splenda in my life. Maybe a little sugar instead.
Then honey and molasses when possible.

As for dr. merola's web site, I tak ehim with agrain of salt. Some stuff makes sense, some stuff is way out there...
...and some stuff he's trying to sell

[edit on 26-5-2005 by DontTreadOnMe]

I have been doing the "low carb" thing for maybe 6 months, and Splenda has been a part of my regimen. The good news is I have lost 25 pounds, cholesterol is down, and my doctor (and I) are really happy. The bad news is I have been dealing with what looks like to me to be an allergic reaction - a skin rash kind of thing - along the ribs, inside of arms, on my back, etc ... on what I would call the "tender skin" areas -- it is not really "localized" ... Rash has been there about 3 weeks, and I'm thinking it's about time to try a few things ... like eliminate Splenda from my diet - I use a fair amount of it in things like coffee, cereal, etc., so I think I'm going to back off of it and see what happens - I'll let you know the results!

I've not had any allergic reaction to using Splenda because I avoid artificial sweetener and any soda altogether. However, someone with diabetes took Splenda in her morning coffee and her blood sugar shot up right away. So I dunno if Splenda is dangerous except that if noone could pronounce the ingredients and don't know what it means, it's better to be safe and avoid that fake foodstuff which is manufactured from a 'lab'.

[edit on 2008-5-23 by pikypiky]

My cousin who was 33 years old at the time she died had down syndrome. She had used splenda her whole life and had only drank diet coke. When she past away she was found to have brain damage. I'm not sure if the brain damage was caused to using splenda or caused due to down syndrome. Since the state of Hawaii is planning to ban splenda I bet it causes some serious damage!

The important thing to remember is that correlation is not causation. Just because she had brain damage when she died doesn't mean that it's from the Splenda. In fact, I see no credible scientific sources saying that Splenda is bad for you in the amounts they use in food.

Originally posted by midnight_fairy


Did any of you experience allergic reaction to this product?

yes my tastebuds did

I avoid aspartame and all/any artificial sweeteners for the sole fact that it is 'artificial'
That alone speaks volumes really.

I could not see the information in your link as it asked for my e-mail address to do so (?) but here, from the same source shows how many times Aspartame itself came up for approval before the FDA.

What you don't know won't hurt you ...


... or will it ?
I personally will not risk it and avoid all foods with this and HFCS in it. I don't trust em.

yep it's true...
especially throughout the western countries, we are obsessed with
"fast-food this", "artificial that", "ready-meal this" etc...

many today rely on many artifical things and they are drifting away from all those natural wonderful things that have been used for THOUSANDS of years...

people buy factory packed meat, rather than venturing to a butcher, factory packed veg, rather than going to the market or picking your own... the list goes on.

it wouldn't surprise me if splenda is bad for you... why not substitute sugar for honey? NOT the type of honey in the supermarkets which CLAIM to be pure and are majority sugar... try a local health shop or track down a local bee farmer, or try to get hold of "sidr" honey which is taken from bees who feed from the lote tree / christ's thorn / jujube, from yemen or arabia...
check out my thread "it's all about the natural" for more info insha'Allaah...

at the end of the day, as many of you have already stated, natural things are best!
(there are some things like supplements, shakes etc which mainly use natural products, so if you need them then they would be an exception... but i still avoid it as much as possible!)

anyways, it's nice to see that some of us are more for natural products rather than chemical things... i would stay away from it anyway, i tried it bec=fore and maaan it is way too sweet! how can all that sweetness fit into one tiny sweetner? if that isn't dody i don't know what is lol!

In my Humble-regular-consuper-opinion: I personally don't think that Splenda can be all that good for you. Its been chemically altered, and tampered with, and its made from sugar. Made in this context, makes me think of a "Engineered" in a Science Lab with test-tubes. For this reason alone - I'm not a Splenda Consumer.

Sugar comes from Sugar Cane (correct me if I'm confused on the exact process) and as long as its not refined - like white sugar (White Evil/Death is what my dad calls it) - in moderation its okay. Its slightly more expensive to buy Raw, Organic Sugar but, its natural. It sure adds a dent in my grocery bill when I use sugar for baking and such around Christmas Time, but its a price that I am willing to pay. Yes it has higher Calories and Fat than Splenda, but I'd rather have the extra calories, than the extra Chemicals. I can add some extra cardio to work off those calories and I'm not a fan of Chemicals.

I don't use or consume a lot of sugar anyway, but, I do read the lables on everything I buy now. I never used to - I used to think that if the FDA approved it then hey! it must be good for me. I've come to realize that this is not always the case. As midnight_fairy said, Dannone uses Splenda in their Yogurt. I was a die-hard Dannone buyer, but when I started reading the lables I noticed the Splenda. Before I was looking at the section on the Packaging that says "Aspartame and Sugar Free" which is why I put it in my cart. However, since noticing the word Splenda on the Top right of the box, I stopped buying it.

The compromise with the Yogurt is that, at 40calories a (I think its 100g) serving, it still tastes pretty good. (Danone Silhouette) And most Organic Yogurts, are upwards of 160calories per 175 serving - and they also have the 19g of Sugar. But like I said, I'd rather have the extra Calories than the Chemicals - Its the compromise I'm willing to make.

- Carrot

Edit to add: Sorry I missed your post!

...why not substitute sugar for honey? NOT the type of honey in the supermarkets which CLAIM to be pure and are majority sugar... try a local health shop or track down a local bee farmer...

Agreed! Using Honey or Molasses even is a better alternative to sugar. In baking, you can substitue Honey in quite a few recipes. I bought Honey from a Farmer's Market Last Summer from a Local Bee Farmer - it was amazing!

[edit on 9/17/2008 by CA_Orot]

Originally posted by CA_Orot

Sugar comes from Sugar Cane (correct me if I'm confused on the exact process) and as long as its not refined - like white sugar (White Evil/Death is what my dad calls it) - in moderation its okay. Its slightly more expensive to buy Raw, Organic Sugar but, its natural.

...why not substitute sugar for honey? NOT the type of honey in the supermarkets which CLAIM to be pure and are majority sugar... try a local health shop or track down a local bee farmer...

Agreed! Using Honey or Molasses even is a better alternative to sugar. In baking, you can substitue Honey in quite a few recipes. I bought Honey from a Farmer's Market Last Summer from a Local Bee Farmer - it was amazing!

[edit on 9/17/2008 by CA_Orot]

yep you are right, i stay WELL AWAY from white sugar now
(usually get demarera or raw cane like you have said)... it tastes so much better too, though i would still say that white sugar is better than splenda lol

yes, REAL honey is AMAZING!
honestly when you taste the real thing you think "woah, what was that i was eating before???" lol

i made some home-made wax to do sugaring in the past and do you know what i used?
sugar and lemon juice...
and i got a bit on my finger and thought "aah let's try it shall we! only sugar!"
and you know, i swear, it was the same colour AND taste as MOST supermarket honey i have tried in the past!
maybe they do add SOME honey to it too, to give it that "distinct taste" but it tastes virtually the same!
(i think i discovered their secret = sugar and fruit juice! BUSTED lol)

Yes, I agree it is bad for you...I can not tolerate any sugar substitute...but get this. I bought one of those PUR water filters with the flavor packs...made with splenda...I just don't get it.

I am a diabetic with fibromyalgia and can not use many of the artificial sweeteners because they increase my fibro pain.
aspartame is the worst but only splenda does not increase my pain levels.

I suspect that most of these rumors and stories are planted false stories by people that work at plants that make other artificial sweeteners and are losing business.

I always remember the disposable lighter stories about them exploding
they were false and started by union worker working at companies that made matches.
It took years to stop companies from banning lighters on job sites because the companies were afraid that welders would have them blow up in there pockets.

The problems the banning of lighter caused when welders would forget and leave matches in there pockets far out weighed the danger if any of the disposable lighters.

The problem is that the American diet relies so damn much on sugar.

People bake treats as comfort food, and as a replacement for interpersonal affection. To me, that's a shame.

Splenda - did you know that Splenda (also called Sucralose) was "discovered" while trying to produce a PESTICIDE?

Yes scientists were out to produce a PESTICIDE and end up with this artificial sweetener which they are more than happy to sell to you.

It's comical if it weren't true.

Splenda is bad....just today I brought up how almost all the ingredients of Coke Zero are all KNOWN CARCINOGENS (it contains both Aspartame and Splenda), and somebody at another site, mentionws how she had terrible health for 2 years, and was coming down with MS. Somebody mentioned to her to throw out all products containing Splenda, she thought she was bat poop crazy, but was desperate to regain her health and did so. She fully recovered from all her health problems.

Just because you don't double over that day, doesn't mean you will not suffer long term effects later. Just get rid of all artificial sweeteners. They are all garbage.

Splenda is the trade name for sucralose, a synthetic compound stumbled upon in 1976 by scientists in Britain seeking a new pesticide formulation. It is true that the Splenda molecule is comprised of sucrose (sugar) — except that three of the hydroxyl groups in the molecule have been replaced by three chlorine atoms.

www.womentowomen.com...

[edit on 28-4-2009 by SirPaulMuaddib]

I don't do diet anything
I have full fat coke (when i do drink pop - has to go flat first, the bubbles come back up my throat), sugar in my tea, butter not marge, all the things they tell you not too - i feel great

I think personally, if you have too much of anything it is bad for you, i have what i like, just in moderation

[edit on 28-4-2009 by MCoG1980]