is splenda ok to use??

Read this article then make up your own mind. I have stopped using it myself.

http://www.thedietsolutionprogram.com/content/2010/05/how-artificial-sweeteners-are-making-you-fat/

I use splenda with fiber. To be honest, there is an article to convince you to not eat almost everything. The American Diabetes Association recommends Splenda as an alternative to sugar. I have used Splenda since it was introduced and had no issues.

I'm not exactly sure why but Xylitol is the best. And it really taste like sugar too! A few weeks ago I bought Stevia and it taste horrible to me! Xylitol is expensive but worth the price you pay!!

And, xylitol is good for your teeth! My mother in law is a health nut

My ex-boyfriend used to nag me constantly about using Splenda, claiming it was going to kill me/make me fat. So, being an academic, I went and did my homework to make him stop nagging me. (Because saying "stop nagging me" wasn't working. No surprise we're exes is it?)

Anyway, a few studies say there are problems with Splenda, but most conclude that Splenda if fine for you. No scientific study I found showed a real increase in sweets craving in Splenda users. The psychologists who say this are just speculating about its possible effects, not working from actual data.

A study of the effects of Splenda in lab rats showed that large doses of the sweetener given to rats over a 12 week period had "numerous adverse effects, including (1) reduction in beneficial fecal microflora, (2) increased fecal pH, and (3) enhanced expression levels of P-gp, CYP3A4, and CYP2D1, which are known to limit the bioavailability of orally administered drugs." They concluded that it had "significant adverse effects."

The rats were given daily doses of 100, 300, 500, and 1000 milligrams. A tablespoon of Splenda is 0.5 grams so the amounts they gave the rats were comparable to what a human might be expected to use. On the other hand, humans are a lot bigger than rats, so those amounts might count as an overdose for a rat, but not for a human. (Any scientists on here? Care to chime in on the methodology problem?)

A follow up study by another group concluded that the first study was wrong and "The Expert Panel found that the study was deficient in several critical areas and that its results cannot be interpreted as evidence that either Splenda, or sucralose, produced adverse effects in male rats, including effects on gastrointestinal microflora, body weight, CYP450 and P-gp activity, and nutrient and drug absorption. The study conclusions are not consistent with published literature and not supported by the data presented."

Another study on the effects of Splenda on metabolism concluded that "the consumption of Splenda® results in responses similar to water without effecting nutrient processing when consumed before a meal."

Finally, a meta-study (meaning a review and synthesis of all the available research) concluded that "The collective evidence supports the conclusion that the ingredient, sucralose, is safe for use in food and that the sucralose-mixture product, Granulated SPLENDA^® No Calorie Sweetener, is also safe for its intended use."

Good enough for me. I'll go on using it in my tea, thank you.




The first study appeared here if you want to check it out. (You may need access to a university library system.) Journal of Toxicology & Environmental Health: Part A; Nov2008, Vol. 71 Issue 21, p1415-1429, 15p, 3 Charts, 6 Graphs.

The rebuttal study is here: Regulatory Toxicology & Pharmacology: RTP; Oct2009, Vol. 55 Issue 1, p6-12, 7p.

The metabolism study is here: FASEB Journal; Apr2007, Vol. 21 Issue 6, pA1060-A1061, 2p

Meta review here: Regulatory Toxicology & Pharmacology: RTP; Oct2009, Vol. 55 Issue 1, p1-5, 5p

I used to use a TON of it.. Like, replacing the sugar in Koolaid for it and drinking two pitchers a day, dumping it in my oatmeal and cereal, coating my sweet potatoes, etc. I would buy the bulk bags regularly..

Then one of my nursing lectures about artificial sweeteners scared me out of using mass quantities of Splenda. I've since almost completely switched to Stevia, but if I am out and there is none available, I still use a couple packets of Splenda.

Once in awhile won't do much harm, but I'd hate to know what's brewing from my years of Splenda-abuse.