Splenda...Good or Bad?

2

Replies

  • BigBoneSista
    BigBoneSista Posts: 2,389 Member
    I love Splenda. I tried Stevia in the Raw...YUCK! I can't do it. Anything that makes 0% greek yogurt taste worst is not happening for me :noway:
  • lovejoydavid
    lovejoydavid Posts: 395 Member
    t
    Splenda contains chlorine according to "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills"

    It does, the chlorine replaces hydroxides in the bond. However, the electronegativity of that bond is the reason that we cannot digest it for calories. As such, the chlorine passes out of the body, intact with the molecule, without ever becoming a free chloride ion.

    Finally, someone who understands chemistry!
    This is why people need to understand the difference between biochemical research, and the practical application of that research.

    Yeah if you solely focus on the biomechanics of lots of things, it'll sound terrible. But what's the implications of those biomechanics when applied to the realistic intake of those foods? Nothing. That applies to artificial sweeteners, HFCS, saturated/trans fat, etc.

    Missing the forest for the trees - whenever someone tells you what the biochemical process is of <food>, ALWAYS ask what the practical implications are of that process for your everyday consumer.

    The hard part is when scare tactics are used, from a position of authority, on an audience that is not (nor should required to be) immediately prepared to deal with the data. Chlorine, for example, sounds terrifying (bleach, gas), when it is, in fact, a vital element that appears naturally in cocoa, cheese, beer, etc. Not a danger at all, and is even necessary. Ah well.
  • mynameisuntz
    mynameisuntz Posts: 582 Member
    The hard part is when scare tactics are used, from a position of authority, on an audience that is not (nor should required to be) immediately prepared to deal with the data. Chlorine, for example, sounds terrifying (bleach, gas), when it is, in fact, a vital element that appears naturally in cocoa, cheese, beer, etc. Not a danger at all, and is even necessary. Ah well.
    I think you just explained how the diet industry makes its money and why it's one of the top grossing industries in America: thrives off fear.

    Also this is the main reason why I think basic research/stats/scientific method courses should be a requirement in high school. EVERYONE in this country would benefit from understanding how to approach claims with a skeptical and empirical thought process. It would be much more difficult to dupe the masses, at very least.
  • lovejoydavid
    lovejoydavid Posts: 395 Member
    The hard part is when scare tactics are used, from a position of authority, on an audience that is not (nor should required to be) immediately prepared to deal with the data. Chlorine, for example, sounds terrifying (bleach, gas), when it is, in fact, a vital element that appears naturally in cocoa, cheese, beer, etc. Not a danger at all, and is even necessary. Ah well.
    I think you just explained how the diet industry makes its money and why it's one of the top grossing industries in America: thrives off fear.

    Also this is the main reason why I think basic research/stats/scientific method courses should be a requirement in high school. EVERYONE in this country would benefit from understanding how to approach claims with a skeptical and empirical thought process. It would be much more difficult to dupe the masses, at very least.

    It would be a different industry if, indeed, everytime someone makes some incredible claim, the target population starts asking for P values and confidence intervals, rather than going for their credit card. It would, at least, be amusing.
  • Tuffjourney
    Tuffjourney Posts: 971
    AAAgh man, I still use Sweet an Low.:blushing:
  • mynameisuntz
    mynameisuntz Posts: 582 Member
    It would be a different industry if, indeed, everytime someone makes some incredible claim, the target population starts asking for P values and confidence intervals, rather than going for their credit card. It would, at least, be amusing.
    That is the world I one day want to live in. Hell, just asking for P values alone would be such a leap.
  • FabCheeky
    FabCheeky Posts: 311
    I stay away from refined sugars and fake sugars. Splenda, in particular, caused me to have horrific kidney troubles. My doctor said that he sees that all the time in people that regularly use Splenda.

    I use small amounts of honey and whatever sweetness that is naturally found in fruits. BUT---I'm also pretty paleo. It's changed my entire life and my body.
  • SkylinePigeon9797
    SkylinePigeon9797 Posts: 8
    Stevia is what I have started using, it's natural and tastes just fine.
  • tinamwilson
    tinamwilson Posts: 32
    If it's made with chemicals it's not from nature. Truvia is made from the stevia plant and has no chemical additives. Splenda is chemical city! Might as well have Aspartame...
  • mynameisnutz
    mynameisnutz Posts: 123
    If it's made with chemicals it's not from nature. Truvia is made from the stevia plant and has no chemical additives. Splenda is chemical city! Might as well have Aspartame...

    Truvia is highly refined, and has large amounts of added erythritol.
  • lovejoydavid
    lovejoydavid Posts: 395 Member
    If it's made with chemicals it's not from nature. Truvia is made from the stevia plant and has no chemical additives. Splenda is chemical city! Might as well have Aspartame...

    Truvia is highly refined, and has large amounts of added erythritol.

    Yeah, and part of that refinement process is soaking it in methanol.
  • risefromruin
    risefromruin Posts: 483 Member
    I try not to use artificial sweeteners because I have a few health problems that I don't want to aggravate with that stuff. I usually use Stevia to sweeten most things and I've found that it works great. The thing is, Stevia is still a processed product, you're not really going to get away from that. If you can use Stevia that is liquid or still in the leaf form, it's better for you...but honestly I buy the granulated variety because it's super easy to find.
  • kelseyk14
    kelseyk14 Posts: 95
    DO NOT USE IT!!! Use stevia, xyitol or agave nectar instead. Here is a DOCTOR's opinion why not to use it...

    Dangerous-http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/12/03/sucralose-dangers.aspx

    NOT healthy-http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/08/23/splenda-part-one.aspx

    Made from sugar but closer to DDT (poison)-http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/04/26/major-media-finally-exposes-splendas-lies.aspx
  • kelseyk14
    kelseyk14 Posts: 95
    One of the previous posters mentioned the FDA. They are the ones that allow these products on the market and they are the ones selling the products as well. Just watch the video clip. http://www.foodista.com/blog/2011/06/20/how-splenda-is-deceving-you. I don't believe everything I see on the net, but Dr Mercola has done A LOT of research on this and also wrote a book on it- Sweet Deception.

    Sure, it's fine for humans if you want to chance getting cancer or gaining, YES gaining weight. We all have the right to make our own choices. Watch the video- make your own decision.
    Dr. Mercola - the one who had his license suspended for giving out false information? THAT Dr. Mercola? That guy is a nutjob. Can't even make up his mind on saturated fat/cholesterol. He hasn't done empirical, peer-reviewed research; his research consists of searching on Google.

    Again regarding the FDA - the facts which the FDA uses has been provided by multiple institutions, INCLUDING international institutions across the globe, which have no connection to the FDA. It's a silly justification to blame the FDA when the world of research is at a general consensus on this.

    I don't have to watch a video because no scientific research exists that would lead me to believe artificial sweeteners cause cancer or weight gain. If there were sufficient evidence to make that claim, then I'd watch your video. But that evidence doesn't exist, while counter evidence to that claim does exist, making the video baseless in terms of its sources and foundation.

    I don't have to watch a video that tells me unicorns are real to tell you the video is wrong. This is no different as there is no proof that exists.

    Continue drinking your kool-aid. Have a nice day :)

    SOO TRUE!! AMEN!! The FDA and media have everyone hoodwinked and they dont even know it! Most Americans are just a bunch of "sheeple people" that just follow the flow (media and others) and dont question or research anything themselves :( No wonder cancer, diabetes, obesity ECT are killing so many.
  • mynameisnutz
    mynameisnutz Posts: 123
    Like everything else, you should not just accept that the FDA has your best interest in mind in any decision they make, but you should find out for yourself. The aspartame approval process alone should make you take all their rulings with a grain of salt, as it was mired in all sorts of twisted politics, cross pollination with pharmaceutical companies, and lobbyist tactics.

    Having said that, I have yet to see any conclusive evidence that there are any practical negative downsides to artificial sweeteners.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    If it's made with chemicals it's not from nature. Truvia is made from the stevia plant and has no chemical additives. Splenda is chemical city! Might as well have Aspartame...

    Truvia is highly refined, and has large amounts of added erythritol.

    Yeah, and part of that refinement process is soaking it in methanol.

    Mmm, methanol! You know the funny part about methanol blindness? They cure it with ethanol....aka, vodka. Haha. :)

    Splenda is made by removing the hydroxyl (hydrogen + oxygen bonded) groups in sucrose (table sugar) and replacing them with chlorIDE, not chlorine. Chloride is a naturally-occurring electrolyte in the human body.
  • lovejoydavid
    lovejoydavid Posts: 395 Member
    DO NOT USE IT!!! Use stevia, xyitol or agave nectar instead. Here is a DOCTOR's opinion why not to use it...

    Dangerous-http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/12/03/sucralose-dangers.aspx

    NOT healthy-http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/08/23/splenda-part-one.aspx

    Made from sugar but closer to DDT (poison)-http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/04/26/major-media-finally-exposes-splendas-lies.aspx

    Mercola would have stop vaccinating for the flu (good bye old people, nice knowing you), throw out microwaves, stop using sunscreen, and cease pasteurization of dairy products. As far as I can tell, he is completely full of crap.
  • lovejoydavid
    lovejoydavid Posts: 395 Member
    If it's made with chemicals it's not from nature. Truvia is made from the stevia plant and has no chemical additives. Splenda is chemical city! Might as well have Aspartame...

    Truvia is highly refined, and has large amounts of added erythritol.

    Yeah, and part of that refinement process is soaking it in methanol.


    Mmm, methanol! You know the funny part about methanol blindness? They cure it with ethanol....aka, vodka. Haha. :)

    Splenda is made by removing the hydroxyl (hydrogen + oxygen bonded) groups in sucrose (table sugar) and replacing them with chlorIDE, not chlorine. Chloride is a naturally-occurring electrolyte in the human body.

    Chloride is just the ionic form of chlorine, with an extra electron. In essence, as soon as it attaches to the molecule, it is considered a chlorine atom. However, I agree that, in its ionic form, it is quite natural to the body, and poses no threat and is even beneficial.
  • HoneyBadgerVin
    HoneyBadgerVin Posts: 166
    +1 fan of Stevia.
  • mynameisuntz
    mynameisuntz Posts: 582 Member
    Mercola would have stop vaccinating for the flu (good bye old people, nice knowing you), throw out microwaves, stop using sunscreen, and cease pasteurization of dairy products. As far as I can tell, he is completely full of crap.
    Pretty sure he talks about chemical absorption from tap water when we shower, too.

    The guy is seriously out of his mind.
  • lovejoydavid
    lovejoydavid Posts: 395 Member
    If it's made with chemicals it's not from nature. Truvia is made from the stevia plant and has no chemical additives. Splenda is chemical city! Might as well have Aspartame...

    Truvia is highly refined, and has large amounts of added erythritol.

    Yeah, and part of that refinement process is soaking it in methanol.


    Mmm, methanol! You know the funny part about methanol blindness? They cure it with ethanol....aka, vodka. Haha. :)

    Splenda is made by removing the hydroxyl (hydrogen + oxygen bonded) groups in sucrose (table sugar) and replacing them with chlorIDE, not chlorine. Chloride is a naturally-occurring electrolyte in the human body.

    Chloride is just the ionic form of chlorine, with an extra electron. In essence, as soon as it attaches to the molecule, it is considered a chlorine atom. However, I agree that, in its ionic form, it is quite natural to the body, and poses no threat and is even beneficial.

    As I look at your profile, I see that you would clearly understand that. You must have been attempting to differentiate between organic, covalently bonded chlorine and ionic chlorine, for those that don't know.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Continue drinking your kool-aid. Have a nice day :)

    That? That right there cause me to snarf ALL OVER my monitor.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_the_Kool-Aid

    Ironic that the ones drinking the metaphoric Kool-Aid here wouldn't touch the stuff.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    If it's made with chemicals it's not from nature. Truvia is made from the stevia plant and has no chemical additives. Splenda is chemical city! Might as well have Aspartame...

    Truvia is highly refined, and has large amounts of added erythritol.

    Yeah, and part of that refinement process is soaking it in methanol.


    Mmm, methanol! You know the funny part about methanol blindness? They cure it with ethanol....aka, vodka. Haha. :)

    Splenda is made by removing the hydroxyl (hydrogen + oxygen bonded) groups in sucrose (table sugar) and replacing them with chlorIDE, not chlorine. Chloride is a naturally-occurring electrolyte in the human body.

    Chloride is just the ionic form of chlorine, with an extra electron. In essence, as soon as it attaches to the molecule, it is considered a chlorine atom. However, I agree that, in its ionic form, it is quite natural to the body, and poses no threat and is even beneficial.

    As I look at your profile, I see that you would clearly understand that. You must have been attempting to differentiate between organic, covalently bonded chlorine and ionic chlorine, for those that don't know.

    Yep. I think people are more concerned when they hear chlorine because they associate that with pool water. Chloride as an electrolyte maintains its ionic form in order to change membrane polarization and cease action potentials and such.
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    Splenda sodomized my wife and children.
  • Heather75
    Heather75 Posts: 3,386 Member
    Splenda hunts dolphins.
  • Heather75
    Heather75 Posts: 3,386 Member
    Splenda shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.
  • gr82run
    gr82run Posts: 48 Member
    I have used all of the artificial sweeteners at one time or another. The one I MUST avoid is Equal~ or ASPARTAME. It gives me horrible headaches. They just are not good for you. Just "Google" any of them and you can find controversy and enough to make you want to avoid them. I use TRUVIA or PURE VIA as these use STEVIA which is at least "natural".
  • c2sky
    c2sky Posts: 487 Member
    I have only a little Splenda, and occasionaly I cook with it. I have hired two registered dieticians, with high credentials, and they both feel that the amount I have is fine.
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    Splenda kills baby seals with a club covered in aspartame.
  • martinah4
    martinah4 Posts: 583 Member
    t
    Splenda contains chlorine according to "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills"

    It does, the chlorine replaces hydroxides in the bond. However, the electronegativity of that bond is the reason that we cannot digest it for calories. As such, the chlorine passes out of the body, intact with the molecule, without ever becoming a free chloride ion.

    Finally, someone who understands chemistry!

    I don't understand chemistry. I've had it told to me that Splenda is "left-handed" sugar, but I don't understand that analogy either. Can you explain it to me in laymens terms?
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