Recent Study Reveals Shocking News About the Harmful Effects Splenda and Sucralose Can Have on Humans
Lyle Loughry,   September, 2008

Duke University scientists have released a new report that has evoked expressions of shock and outrage from various national consumer education groups, like Citizens for Health. 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 about side effects from using Splenda and this study, published recently in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A.

According to James Turner, chairman of the national consumer education group Citizens for Health, the report confirms that the chemicals in the little yellow package should carry a big red warning label. The study was conducted using male rats over a period of twelve weeks. This is standard FDA practice and this study is consistent with that practice.

Previous studies have shown that Splenda causes biochemical distortions. Best known for its marketing logo, "made from sugar so it tastes like sugar,” Splenda has taken the sweetener industry by storm, becoming the number one selling artificial sweetener in the United States, but consuming foods that contain artificially or naturally sweetened substances can cause serious distortions in your biochemistry. For example, if you drink diet soda in an attempt to lose weight, they won't help you. Instead, diet soft drinks can actually double your obesity risks!

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. 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."

Turner said, "The results of these studies make clear the potential for disturbing side effects from the ingestion of Splenda, and this is at levels of intake erroneously approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It is like putting a pesticide in your body. 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's organization is calling on the FDA to immediately accept their earlier 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 to avoid using Splenda.

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 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.

   

   

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