The dangers of Splenda?

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Grod6690
Grod6690 Posts: 22
in Food and Nutrition
Hi Guys,

I have heard recently that splenda can cause infertility and other health problems. I was wondering if anyone knew anything about this? Just a bit worried.

Also is stevia any better?

Thanks :)

Replies

  • Sl1ghtly
    Sl1ghtly Posts: 855 Member
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    Water can cause drowning, oxygen can cause hyperoxia... are you worried about that?

    I doubt it. Anything can be safe, or unsafe depending on the dosage. I don't think the average person could eat enough of these to cause health issues.
  • WickedGarden
    WickedGarden Posts: 944 Member
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    Splenda is an artificial sweetener.

    IMO-ANYTHING artificial/highly processed can be bad for you. I did hear of a new report that 'diet' sodas are worse for you than regular, because the artificial sweeteners turn on receptors in the brain that make you crave it more.

    Stevia, is processed much like high fructose corn syrup. It is a fairly new product that we have not done a lot of research on.

    Personally, I would just try to cut down on sugar entirely. I have cut out as much HFCs as much possible, I feel better, and can't stand drinking soda made with HFCs in it.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
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    I have a friend who ended up with blood in her stool because of Splenda. And she only used it in her coffee. Never mind how it is made. Yuck!

    Stevia (if you look carefully) is 100% natural. I use Sweetleaf organic stevia. Nothing but ground leaves and a fiber for stablization. Truvia add xylitol to give the stevia a crystallized look, so it looks and dissolves more like sugar.
  • mooglysmom
    mooglysmom Posts: 319 Member
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    I would prefer to use Stevia in the Raw. Stevia is from a plant, and I'd have to argue that if its from nature... its probably better than something concocted in a lab. Not always true, of course, but Splenda is really not good for you (google it).

    But, if you're allergic to Ragweed, you may not tolerate Stevia as its in the same family.
  • Viva_Karina
    Viva_Karina Posts: 398 Member
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    every time I've had splenda it's caused severe dizziness where i have had to lie down followed by a major headache. i don't use artificial sweeteners at all.

    i like and use the natural sweetness of fruits if i'm craving dessert or a sweet treat, otherwise i go without.
  • teephil
    teephil Posts: 135 Member
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    I've yet to see any studies showing that sucralose (Splenda) in reasonable doses is toxic to humans. I only found a couple studies which show feeding 3000mg of sucralose to rats daily (equivalent to a 176lb human consuming 20,000 Splenda packets a day) for a month caused thymus shrinkage and gastrointestinal problems. Everything else I found online saying Splenda will kill you seems to either be from people who read those studies and took the results grossly out of context or from companies trying to scare you into buying some sort of natural health product they're selling...

    I'd have no problems consuming this stuff, that is, if it didn't taste so freaking terrible to me.
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
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    Hi Guys,

    I have heard recently that splenda can cause infertility and other health problems. I was wondering if anyone knew anything about this? Just a bit worried.

    Also is stevia any better?

    Thanks :)

    There's no evidence that splenda is harmful in any way, despite what people will say in this thread. You are welcome to do you're own digging if you'd like though. Go to http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ and search for sucralose.

    People love to be alarmists about anything man-made. They'll tell you crazy things that just aren't true. If you like the taste of splenda, you can consume it without fear (as teephil pointed out, as long as you're not eating 20,000 splenda packets a day or something).

    As for Stevia... it's more expensive. Personally, if I were looking for a "natural" sweetener, I'd go with honey and just budget in the macros.

    Best wishes!
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
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    Dangers of Stevia

    Stevia has been linked to several long term side effects which has made it a reason for controversy and doubt in the recent years. Although it has been used since centuries by the natives, there are several claimed dangers of stevia. The following are some of the claimed dangers or side effects of stevia.

    * Firstly, it is said to be the biggest hindrance in the process of metabolism in the body. Regular consumption of stevia slows down or stops energy metabolism and hence, disrupt the process of conversion of food into energy.

    * Secondly, one of the biggest stevia dangers is its link to cancer. When tested in a laboratory, it was found that stevia was capable of bringing mutations in cell's DNA or the genetic material. This is only a claimed side effect as this effect has not been observed in human beings till date. However, scientists and researchers have still not confirmed whether stevia can cause this mutation in human beings or not.

    * Thirdly, difficulties or problems in reproduction is also believed to be one of the stevia side effects. Long term regular consumption of stevia is claimed to affect the male reproduction system, specially leading to a decreased amount of sperm production. When tested on female animal, it was found that stevia led to decreased number of offsprings.



    ANYTHING is bad, if you believe all you read.
  • rjt1000
    rjt1000 Posts: 700 Member
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    "(equivalent to a 176lb human consuming 20,000 Splenda packets a day)"

    THANK GOD I'm only eating around 15,000 packets a day. I swear everytime I go into Starbucks they look at me like I'm crazy just because I put 250 packets into my vente coffee. I mean, doesn't everybody like their coffee just a little bit crunchy?
  • phinners
    phinners Posts: 524 Member
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    I just have a spoonful of sugar in my tea/coffee. Not exactly a million calories so I dont get bent up over it.

    And when worrying about things of this nature, it's a great idea to search out scholarly articles on the subject, read them, then make your mind up because you'll get a whack of misinformation on here or any forum!
  • Okieace
    Okieace Posts: 56
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    * Secondly, one of the biggest stevia dangers is its link to cancer. When tested in a laboratory, it was found that stevia was capable of bringing mutations in cell's DNA or the genetic material. This is only a claimed side effect as this effect has not been observed in human beings till date. However, scientists and researchers have still not confirmed whether stevia can cause this mutation in human beings or not.

    Wait, it can cause mutations? Like in X-Men? I'm sooo getting this stuff in bulk! ;-)
  • Okieace
    Okieace Posts: 56
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    I've seriously given up on studies trying to claim what is good or bad for you. One week choclate is bad, the next it is good. How many times have they flip flopped on coffee? And most of the time the dosages these studies are based off of are ridiculous. I'm pretty sure fruit has adverse side effects if you find the right conditions. We banned DDT because drinking a bathtub full causes cancer. Meanwhile millions of deaths from malaria could of been prevented by the use of DDT.


    Sugar, is sugar, is sugar. Be it natural, artificial, whatever. Just eat it in moderation. I think the real problem with artificial sweeteners is people overusing it to get their sugar fix. Three cans of pop a day is three cans of pop, real sugar or not.
  • jojophet
    jojophet Posts: 8
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    I have a friend who ended up with blood in her stool because of Splenda. And she only used it in her coffee. Never mind how it is made. Yuck!

    Stevia (if you look carefully) is 100% natural. I use Sweetleaf organic stevia. Nothing but ground leaves and a fiber for stablization. Truvia add xylitol to give the stevia a crystallized look, so it looks and dissolves more like sugar.

    LOL....I'd like to see this actually confirmed....It's bogus random claims like this one that scare up a frenzy. If your adjusting your diet for long term success, you have to learn to use everything in moderation. The reason most of us are trying to lose weight is because we lack moderation in some area, to much sugar, fat, and probably couch sitting. Use a little splenda if it makes your coffee taste better, if it doesn't, a teaspoon of sugar is not going to cause you to gain weight or totally de-rail your fitness goals. Spend an extra 10 min on the treadmill/stair climber/elyptical and eat that small amount of sugar.....again the whole point is moderation.

    Blood in your stool...haha...amazing.
  • russellma
    russellma Posts: 284 Member
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    To each his own, but I can tell you that Splenda has a terrible effect on me.

    I suppose everyone's body reacts differently, but I personally will not (on purpose) use Splenda or any other artificial sweetener.

    I ate something made with Splenda (which I didn't know at the time) on Thursday and Friday and suffered all weekend. I'm fine now that it's out of my system. Personally, I'd rather add a few calories than deal with bad side effects.
  • Emily_Katherine
    Emily_Katherine Posts: 150
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    I've never experienced unpleasant side effeccts from artificial sweeteners. I think the saying "all things in moderation" applies here.
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
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    I've found more research showing sugar to be bad than any artificial sweetener out there.
  • ericcumbee
    ericcumbee Posts: 117 Member
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    Stivia and Xyiltol are supposed to be two of the better artificial sweeteners.

    I love the Kiwi Strawberry Drink low calorie drink mixes from walmart and that has stevia in it.

    i keep low calorie sugar free jello pudding cups that have xyiltol

    and a bottle of sugar free french vanilla syrup i use in my coffee that has splenda. but i use it sparingly.


    over the summer i switched from regular coca cola to Coke Zero and stuck with that for a while but then i found out about aspartame and was getting headaches after a while so i cut those out as well. i figure the risk vs. reward trade off of going from cokes to no cokes using coke zero was probably worth it in the end.
  • rides4sanity
    rides4sanity Posts: 1,269 Member
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    If your body deals well with it, go for it, because quite frankly unsweetened tea and water get boring. I am sensitive to aspartame or one of the other crazy ingredients in diet soda, but i think that's all it is... a sensitivity. I choose not to drink diet sodas or anything that contains aspartame, and the issues I was having have subsided. I do still occassionally have a diet soda with a meal (just can't do pizza without a diet Pepsi), and notice a difference in how my body functions.
  • sweetnlow30
    sweetnlow30 Posts: 497 Member
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    I have used 2 - 6 packets of Splenda every day for years and I am just fine :wink: i conceived two healthy children while using Splenda in place of sugar due to my gestational diabetes. Aspartame gives me stomach aches so I had to give up Crystal Light or dilute one packet in several cups of water. I switched to Nestea singles with Splenda and I have no more stomach issues. I tried stevia for two weeks and I became VERY dizzy and confused. I must be allergic or sensitive to it. It was so scary! The way I see it, everything will kill you eventually, you just have to pick your poison or choose to live in a bubble of restrictions. That kind of living just isn't for me. I enjoy my processed foods (in moderation) and sweeteners every day.

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