Should We Believe Everything the Manufacturer tells us?
You may be wondering what exactly is Splenda? …According to the official Splenda site:
Splenda is an exciting alternative to sugar that is low in calories and carbohydrates, so it provides you with a healthy way to enjoy all of your favourite sweet treats. In fact, SPLENDA® is the ingredient that is already used to sweeten many low calorie foods and beverages.
What makes SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener an ideal alternative to sugar?
- Made from sugar, tastes like sugar, but it’s not sugar
- Low in calories and carbohydrates
- Ideal for the whole family
- Suitable for people with diabetes
- Can be used in any food and beverage
- SPLENDA® Granular measures and pours like sugar
- Stays sweet during cooking and baking
- Free of the unpleasant aftertaste associated with some other artificial sweeteners
SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener is a revolutionary No Calorie Sweetener that is made from sugar, tastes like sugar, but it’s not sugar. SPLENDA® is made from sucralose, so it does not contain aspartame. It has an outstanding safety profile and is an ideal sugar alternative for the whole family.
Over the past 20 years, more than 100 studies have been conducted to support the safety of sucralose. Today, millions of people around the world can safely enjoy more than 400 foods and beverages sweetened with SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener.
Sucralose can be used by everyone, including people with diabetes as part of a healthy diet designed for their unique needs. Since SPLENDA® is low in calories and carbohydrates, and because it is safe for people with diabetes, SPLENDA® provides an ideal sugar-alternative for a healthy lifestyle without sacrificing taste. (emphasis mine)
Maybe We Shouldn’t Believe Everything They Tell Us…
- Are all of the claims above true? Is this fact or fiction?
- Is sucralose AKA Splenda actually proven to be “safe” for our bodies?
- Just because Splenda is made from sugar does that mean it is healthy?
Sugar, as many of you know, is widely known for causing tons of unsavory side-effects to our bodies. Sugar is enemy number one to our bowels alone!
So this poses the question: Can anything artificial that’s made from sugar actually be considered ideal and healthy for us?
My Thoughts
I had questioned the “safetly” claims about Splenda ever since it became the clouted new, “healthy” alternative to Aspartame.
Having a habit of leaning on the side of caution when it comes to health claims about new products, I did not become an early adopter of Splenda after I was first exposed to the hype. Many unfortunately are quick to trust in the manufacturer’s claims—that it is a healthy alternative to sugar because it is low in calories and carbohydrates. Those “positive” things that it does have do not answer the question about it’s long term safety, and does not lead me to conclude that it is healthy for me and my family. I for one was not willing to take the chance until I had done my due diligence and checked into it. Now after researching it for myself online I am confident that it is not something I want to give my daughter or take myself.
It is scary to think that this is in many diet foods sold in the market today. I guess it all depends on your definition of diet? Diet soda is kind of an oxymoron as if something like soda which is very unhealthy could be turned into something with the connotation of helping you lose weight (become healthier). You actually might lose weight and gain cancer… hmm not my idea of an ideal diet!
Take a moment to investigate for yourself and let me know your conclusions by commenting about it below.
Decide for Yourself
Check out The Truth About Splenda website for more information.
Click here to visit the Whole Foods Market website and find out why you will not find any products containing sucralose in Whole Foods Markets.
Is Splenda Really As Safe As They Say It Is?
Watch this informative video and come to your own conclusion.
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:41 am
Thanks for this excellent article. The July/August issue of On Fitness Magazine (from Barnes and Noble) has an article titled “The Sweet Sabotage – How Sweeteners are Harming our Health.”
There is a sub-titled paragraph in the article titled the “Saccharin and Sucralose Scourge.” Among other comments, the author states that “sucralose originated as an insecticide. The molecule contains a historically deadly “organochlorine,” or simply: a Really Nasty Form of Chlorine (RNFOC)” . . . . and, the author continues, “when used, the RNFOC yields such poisons as insecticides, pesticides and herbicides . . and can invade every nook and cranny of the body.”
“Cell walls and DNA – the genetic map of human life – become potential casualties of war. This may result in weakened immune function, irregular heartbeat, agitation, shortness of breath, skin rashes, headaches, liver and kidney damage, birth defects and cancer.”
“Hiding its origin, sucralose pushers assert that it is ‘made from sugar.’ Sucralose is as close to sugar as glass cleaner is to purified water. France has recently banned such false advertising statements. The deceit has been ignored within the U.S. ”
“Sucralose is the most widely used artificial sweetener today . . . ” The On Fitness article goes on to say that the “average yearly per-person consumption of sucrose is a whopping 160 pounds!” No wonder auto immune disorders and disease amongst Americans are sky-rocketing!
I will scan the article and send it to you. It also discusses Saccharin, sugar, maltitol and high fructose corn syrup, and concludes by stating that there are only two “safe” plant based sweeteners . . . stevia and agave. (both of which, the article concludes, are safe sweeteners for diabetics! ). On Fitness, Pages 56-57, July/August Issue.
August 5th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
I’ve done a lot of research on Splenda. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s definitely not a good sugar alternative. I greatly prefer to use stevia or xylitol in my coffee and tea. Thanks for the great post!