New Study of Splenda and Sucralose Reveals Shocking New Information About Potential Harmful Effect o

[CoM]

I am not sure of where to post this warning.

 

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

[Mrs B]

Thank you for this link. I switched to liquid Stevia for coffee and tea. It has a whopper of an aftertaste but it's just stevia leaf extract in glycerin. You only need 1-2 drops for a very sweet taste. About $6 for an 8-oz. bottle. Will last me a year at this rate.

[Cat]

...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 whole report, in case the link dies...

 

~~~~~

 

 

Source: Citizens for Health

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."

 

Citizens for Health will testify in Sacramento, CA, on October 3, 2008, before the California Assembly Committee on Health which is examining the use of deceptive advertising to promote sales of potentially unhealthy food additives, particularly artificial sweeteners.

 

About Citizens for Health

 

Citizens for Health (www.citizens.org) is an international non-profit consumer advocacy group working to broaden healthcare options, create an integrative health system based on wellness, and advance the freedom to make health choices. The group promotes the fundamental policies needed to improve health choices and information in the U.S. and internationally. The group works with grassroots and education organizations and partners to ensure consumer access to dietary supplements, safe foods, a healthy environment and a wide range of healing therapies. Citizens for Health fosters active citizen leadership and organizes natural health consumers to create political and legislative solutions that support those rights.

 

CONTACT: Citizens for Health

Jim Turner

202-255-8040

jim@swankin-turner.com

 

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

 

[ArmyOfFive4God]

I'm so glad we've decided on a traditional foods diet.

[sassenach]

It sounds like honey and stevia products are going to get my vote from now on!

[Violet]

Oh great. Being diabetic, this is not good news ! I use Sweet n low more than Splenda, but Splenda gives me a way to be able to make jams and jellies without sugar.

I can also make some salad dressings for Oriental salads with Splenda.

Rats ! I don't know how to make them without Splenda and be able to eat them.

I do appreciate you posting the message. I will read it when I get a chance.

 

[MommaDogs]

Violet, can't you use Stevia? It's a natural product, not sure about the acidity of it, but there has to be something on it out there.

[cowgirl8]

I rarely consume any artificial anything. I only drink filtered tap water. I went of diet cokes almost 4 years ago. Since then my body has been soo happy. My only bad habit is my morning coffee and the junk i put in it. I've been trying to wean myself off the stuff i put in it so that i drink plain black coffee, but, its been hard. I'm down to a scant tablespoon of powdered creamer, so i'm making progress. My sister on the other hand sucks down artifical sweetner like there is no tomorrow. She has a weight problem and everything she eats drinks has this splenda in it. I'll pass this to her.....

[Grace&Violets]

I'm so glad we've decided on a traditional foods diet.

 

Same here! Slowly, but steadily switching over to a traditional foods diet, too. Although, I have steered clear of all artificial sweeteners since high school, when Nutrasweet did a number on me.

 

WARNING TO THOSE TRYING TO AVOID SUCRALOSE---it's in EVERYTHING!! If you buy bread from the store, check the ingredients! Same for lots of yogurts, "health" drinks, those little Koolaid packets made for water bottles, even things with HFCS sometimes have sucralose! It's amazing how many store bought foods that sucralose is in! I pointed it out once to my mom, and she had been thinking it was sucrose, which is completely different...just the names look similar.

 

I am getting disgusted with all the carp that is in all foods these days, even "health" foods. That's why I've started switching over to the TF diet. Luckily, DH is noticing a difference in how he feels and is for it 100%, even when he thinks it's "wierd."

 

Thanks for posting this article. I cringe every time I see my friend giving her kids Splenda-sweetened treats, because she really thinks she's doing a good thing.

[Violet]

Violet, can't you use Stevia? It's a natural product, not sure about the acidity of it, but there has to be something on it out there.

 

 

I tried some stevia a few years back .It was SO disgusting. Yuck. I had a plant, too.

There is a new one out called Truvia, but not sure if it has sugar, too, or not.

Guess I need to check into some better alternatives. I do use Sweet n Low, which is saccharin.

[MommaDogs]

Ya'll should watch Sweet Deception on youtube if you want to see some scary sweet stuff.

 

[Ambergris]

I wonder about Jim Turner, who wrote this report about himself in the third person. I also wonder about a group that says it's out to widen access to a wide range of health options but acts by demanding that the government reduce access to a specified product. Seems like telling people "this stuff is bad for you" should fulfil the group's requirements while leaving open the expression of free will.

 

 

ETA Sucralose makes me ill. Always has. I love labelling. I hate people telling me what I can or cannot do.

[Violet]

I looked at the Truvia website. It says it is safe for diabetics, no affect on blood sugar levels. I will get some at the store and try it. Perhaps it is better tasting than what I had before.

[Mother]

Ambergris, I agree wholeheartedly. We DO need to be allowed to make our own decisions about what we put in our body. I believe what the watch dog groups are attempting to do is to make sure that someone doesn't benefit from our suffering by putting things in our foods to the point that we almost have no choice but to eat it or worse yet, we have no alternatives or knowledge of what is in our foods, such as GMO foods, field sprays and etc.

 

How DO we know who to believe. We can do all the research in the world, or rely on someone else to do it for us but then later down the road they come out with finds like this one about sucralose (which I have bad reactions to also). Like saccarine and other "artificial" sweeteners, like medications, like a lot of other things, too often the REAL research is withheld because of profit.

 

For instance, years ago (and nothing has changed since then) DuPont did a ton of research into Teflon coating. They convinced the FDA that it was totally safe. Then a few years back it comes out that they falsified reports and that they KNEW it was dangerous not only to produce it but in other ways as well. It came out that they had even done a study to see if the PROFIT from Teflon would be bigger than the LAW SUITS from it's manufacture and use. IT WAS!!! Would you believe that issue is still being fought. They just keep paying off people and towns and etc because they've made a lot more money on it, and continue to make money on it (a bit different formula to satisfy the PTB with more, probably false info).

 

I am always extremely cautious about believing any research by someone who is trying to make money on the product. There are always two sides to every story and there are always possibilities that what is considered healthful today will not be so tomorrow either because more is found out about it or because it has been found NOT to be what it was first thought to be or long term useage has shown problems.

 

We have some very serious diseases out there, most of which can be related to manufacturing, agribusiness, or pharmaceutical practices. As long as these things continue we are going to have these issues. At this point we almost have no choice but to have them because of the world situation. There ARE answers but they will not satisfy the greed and power issues out there.

 

Violet, be extremely cautious about believing a web site that is out to sell you a product. They can and will tell you anything to further their own ends, especially when it comes to people with diabetes or other diseases. They play on our needs.

 

This is a great thread. I hope we can use it to explore alternative options for sugar in our diets. Perhaps it could even bee used to explore WHY we even use sugar in our diets!!! What led us to believe we needed those things? Cravings? Brainwashing? Bodies gone haywire in a modern world? I'm pretty sure there are cultures out there who do NOT use sugar as a source of pleasure and comfort. Who and where are they and why DON'T they? Can we emulate them? Should we?

 

[Stephanie]

Interestingly enough, I was just planning to start a thread about some info I found about honey and sucanat. I'll do that shortly.

 

I agree, warnings on labels are a good thing. But, we should all have choices. And, we never do really know who to believe.

 

Remember when eggs were bad...now eggs are good. Coffee was bad....now coffee is good.

 

My motto is - All things in Moderation (now if I'd just live that way! )

[JCK88]

Violet, I am diabetic also but I am allergic to ALL of the artificial sweeteners out there because all of them, including splenda, contain corn ingredients.

 

When I make jams, I make very, very low sugar jam using Pamona's Pectin--which you can use to make NO sugar jam, also. No need to even add anything if you don't want to with that stuff. It's great stuff.

 

I have tried stevia, but don't really like it. But..I'm not allergic to it and they don't add corn to it! LOL

[ArmyOfFive4God]

JCK, stevia is def. an "acquired taste." It is a bit bitter at first & has an odd aftertaste. It can also mess with your gastro system if you don't wean yourself onto it. That said, it's something I'm willing to do for the sake of my family's health. I'll get some info together & start a thread on traditional foods. It really is the best way to go, seeing as how 100 years ago cancers were virtually unheard of, among other diseases that are running rampant these days.

 

Oh how I wish I were living in pioneer days!

[Stephanie]

I'll be looking for that Traditional Foods thred, sounds very interesting. As a matter of fact, I had just done a google out of interest and found this. I am VERY interested!!

 

http://cookingtf.com/

 

[ArmyOfFive4God]

hehe, I go by wyo-helpmeet on there!!! I also mod on there!

[Michelle_3kds]

Splenda-ugh! I'm allergic to it. It took me almost a year to figure out what was making me itch so much. I'd gone to Drs, taken steroids, tried all sorts of creams and oitnments. I'd itch and scratch so much I had bruises and sores on my legs. At one point my hands puffed up so much I had to go to an ER and get shots and more steroids, I couldn't bend my fingers. It took a couple months of drinking splenda in my coffee every day for me to start itching, it slowly accumulated I think before it started causing problems. That's why it was so hard to figure out what was doing it, I kept thinking I hadn't changed my diet in any way. I had to sequentially stop eating all sorts of things. Once I stopped using splenda, it took a couple weeks for the symptoms to subside. Thank God I finally found the culprit...I was miserable!

[ArmyOfFive4God]

I'll be looking for that Traditional Foods thred, sounds very interesting. As a matter of fact, I had just done a google out of interest and found this. I am VERY interested!!

 

http://cookingtf.com/

 

 

http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=35245

[Stephanie]

hehe, I go by wyo-helpmeet on there!!! I also mod on there!

 

 

Now, that's funny, because that is the one and only TF page I looked at, what are the odds?

 

Thanks for the link to the thread, I'm looking forward to it. I love to learn about new things (or new to me I should say).

[MommaDogs]

Totally not trying to contradict anyone here... I just never heard of Truvia, and I use Stevia from the health food store occasionally, so I went to look to see what it was and ran into this editorial. Thought it may interest someone. P.S. How about agave? I have read that it's a low glycemic sweetener, and I really like it's taste. I've read some reports it can be unhealthy also, but isn't everything? I looked and wasn't able to find those reports or recall what they said.

 

Is Truvia a Safe Alternative to Sugar?

 

by Shane Shirley-Smith Page 1 of 1 page(s)

 

www.opednews.com

 

A member of my online community emailed me today asking about the sweetener Truvia. I have had a few questions about this apparent miracle cure for sugar and decided to do a little digging. Could it really be our safe answer to sugar?

 

Truvia is a tale of the Stevia plant, big business and the F.D.A. Contrary to what some of you may believe, I am not a conspiracy theorist but this story smacks of conspiracy; A conspiracy to keep an incredibly safe sweetener (especially for diabetics), with 0 calories that won't rot your teeth away from the U.S. public until a big company like Cargill wanted to profit from it.

 

Truvia is based on the Stevia plant which has safely been used for hundreds of years by the Japanese and used in large quantities for the last 30 years. Truvia is made by boiling down the Stevia plant and making rebiana. There have been studies that say Stevia is unsafe but I was unable to find anything solid either way. You see, at the request of an anonymous complaint the FDA banned the use of Stevia in 1991 unless it was labeled as a supplement. They labeled Stevia as an unsafe food additive and limited it's import.

 

The F.D.A. based this ruling against their own guidelines that state that any natural substance used prior to 1958, with no reported adverse effects, should be generally recognized as safe (GRAS). So the FDA left many people confused as to how Stevia could be unsafe as a sweetener, but safe as a supplement in 1994 when they approved its use as such- a contradictory statement of safety based upon how it is sold. How could something be safe and unsafe at the same time? Labeling it safe for use as a supplement meant it would be much harder to market and thus, less likely to take a share of the artificial and natural sweetener market.

 

The big food manufacturers were happy with their Aspartame and the big profits at the time and had no interest in another sweetener. Still, they surely didn’t want any of their competitive markets growing. They knew there were questions about safety issues with current sweeteners but they regarded them as nothing more than annoyances. The FDA made it very clear that it would take the power to move a mountain to re-evaluate the safety of Aspartame.

 

Fast Forward to May 2007 when Cargill requests a patent on rebiana (or Rebaudioside A), a high-purity form of the best tasting part of the stevia leaf. Acceptance by many that aspartame is not the best alternative for our population at large is growing. Food manufacturers are looking for alternative sweeteners which fit with today’s current health and Wellness trends and will get them away from Aspartame.

 

Fast forward to May 2008 when "results of a rigorous safety evaluation program that affirms earlier positive safety findings and addresses outstanding questions to definitively establish the safety of rebiana are e-published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal and Cargill and The Coca-Cola Company Company introduce Truvia™, the brand name for rebiana" from Cargill's website.

 

I thought Stevia couldn't be patented as it was a leaf but hey, what do I know. Basically, Cargill and Coca Cola now own the main stream Stevia sweetener market in one very quiet, swell swoop. How did that happen? The FDA approved rebiana under GRAS (generally accepted as safe). But how does it go from being boiled to looking so pretty and white? I believe it is just a natural drying process but my call to Ann Tucker with Cargill to find out did not receive a response.

 

So there is a little history of Stevia in the US. It is still banned but now Cargill and Coca Cola have the patent on rebiana. If we should believe Cargill's research, rebiana is the first consistent, high-purity sweetener composed of rebaudioside A, which is safe.

 

So what to do? I truly think that everyone is different and Truvia will work sans side effects for some but not for others. But is it safe for the general population? I don't know, is sugar safe? It looks like there are no reproductive issues with Truvia but some have had some gastrointestinal problems associated with Truvia's use.

 

I will be sticking with my small amounts of sugar, honey and supplemental drinks sweetened with stevia to make me sweet for now. I will continue to look for reliable safety data on Truvia. The main problem I have is that I just do not trust Cargill, Coca Cola or especially the FDA. How can I trust an underfunded organization that tells me that stevia (or rebiana) is safe if I buy it from Cargill and Coca Cola, but not safe for purchase from other companies in foods and drinks unless labeled as a supplement?

 

Please help me out here. Am I missing something?

 

 

I have a B.A. in Communications from Michigan State University. My professional background is in business development, medical sales and marketing. After the birth of my first daughter in 1996, I found fulfillment in raising a family, volunteering (more...)

 

[Grace&Violets]

I'll be looking for that Traditional Foods thred, sounds very interesting. As a matter of fact, I had just done a google out of interest and found this. I am VERY interested!!

 

http://cookingtf.com/

 

I also frequent that site, using a different username.

 

Also try http://www.mothering.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=365, which is the TF part of a much larger message board. In fact, this is the forum I first learned about TF.

[Prickle]

I tried some stevia a few years back .It was SO disgusting. Yuck. I had a plant, too.

There is a new one out called Truvia, but not sure if it has sugar, too, or not.

Guess I need to check into some better alternatives. I do use Sweet n Low, which is saccharin.

 

I have some Truvia.

 

I'm not a fan of non--sugar sweetners in general because of the aftertaste (although I had other problems with Splenda too). Truvia definitely has the least aftertaste of anything I've tried.

 

Truvia is a combination of stevia and some kind fruit derived sweetener.

 

I don't like it in coffee but it's fine in cereal and my kefir drinks.