12 Questions You Need to Have Answered Before You Eat Splenda
From Dr. Janet Starr Hull's Health Newsletter, December 2003
<http://www.sweetpoison.com/>
The following interview was conducted with Dr. Janet Starr Hull on the safety of sucralose
found in Splenda.

Q: What exactly is Splenda?
A: In a simple sentence, you would just as soon have a pesticide in your food as sucralose
because sucralose (Splenda) is a chlorocarbon. The chlorocarbons have long been known for causing
organ, genetic, and reproductive damage. It should be no surprise, therefore, that the testing of
sucralose reveals that it can cause up to 40 percent shrinkage of the thymus: a gland that is the
very foundation of our immune system. Sucralose also causes swelling of the liver and kidneys, and
CALCIFICATION of the kidney. Note: if you experience kidney pain, cramping, or an irritated bladder
after using sucralose in Splenda, stop use immediately.
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Q: So sucralose is not found as a natural compound in nature, like real sugar?
A: Absolutely not. No sugar molecule is compounded with chlorine anywhere in nature.
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Q: Do you know how it is made in the laboratory?
A: I found this information from a statement from the manufacturer, actually. 'Sucralose is
made from sugar, but is derived from sucrose (sugar) through a process that selectively substitutes
three atoms of chlorine for three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sucrose molecule. No artificial
sweetener made in the laboratory is going to be neither natural to the body nor safer than
unprocessed sugar', they claim.
People need to stop searching for excuses to eat all the junk food they want without penalty.
In the long run, no one benefits from this product but the corporations.
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Q: The corporate researchers claim that the chlorine atoms are so tightly bound; they create
a molecular structure that is exceptionally stable under extreme pH and temperature conditions. Do
you agree?
A: They are testing these conditions in lab rats, and these types of corporate studies have
forced and 'selective' results, in my opinion. Aspartame research is the proof of this!
Test these chemicals on a child and see how stable it is--but that would be cruel. So, why
then do we buy it and give it to our children? I don't buy into manufacturers' claims when it comes
to human beings using ANY man-made chemical. Plus, I have learned over the past 25 years of
aspartame research to value independent research above that which is funded by corporations.
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Q: The corporations say sucralose is safe.
A: They said the same thing about aspartame, and look at the rampant disease and obesity
taking over America since aspartame was put into the food supply over 20 years ago.
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Q: Can sucralose cause cancer?
A: Any animal that eats chlorine (especially on a regular basis) is at risk of cancer. The
Merk Manuel and OSHA 40 SARA 120 Hazardous Waste Handbook states that chlorine is a carcinogen and
emergency procedures should be taken when exposed via swallowing, inhaling, or through the skin.
It all depends upon how much you use and how often, your present and past health status, and
the degree of other toxins you are putting inside your body. Good luck with this one .
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Q: Sucralose has been thoroughly tested, they claim. Actually they have stated that sucralose
is the most tested food additive in history. I quote, " . more than 100 studies on the safety of
sucralose designed to meet the highest scientific standards have been conducted and evaluated over
the course of 20 years. "
A: I don't believe that for a second. They stated verbatim the same thing about aspartame. We
are looking at the same scenario in so many ways. As with NutraSweet, no human studies, corporate
payrolled researchers, selective result reporting, government involvement and personal financial
interests and controlled media. I will say that sucralose is not as dangerous as aspartame.
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Q: Splenda is approximately 600 times sweeter than sugar. How can that be?
A: As I stated before, the product is a forced product, not a natural sugar the body uses for
fuel. People forget that sweetness is a by-product of foods--a bonus so to say. Forced sweetness,
revved-up sweetness, and artificial sweetness--all altered foods that are a trap for people to get
addicted to the sweeter tastes. People with eating disorders, children who are just learning about
food, and people with illnesses are all being 'sold a bill of rubbish' in my opinion.
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Q: The manufacturer claims sucralose doesn't react with other substances in the body and is
not broken down in the body.
A: They claimed the same thing about saccharin, even though I feel saccharin is the only
artificial sweetener with true merit. To answer your question, if the body is digesting properly,
anything you put into the body will be assimilated. If it happens to be rancid, the stomach will
throw it out immediately by vomiting or diarrhea. It is totally out of the realm of biological
science to think the body will not immediately attack a toxic chemical. Henceforth, migraines from
aspartame and diarrhea from Splenda.
Now, to add a note to this: if the body is fed an indigestible product such as plastic (like
in margarine) that it is incapable of dissolving through normal digestion, it will pass through
undigested (if it doesn't get stuck in the gall bladder, that is.) So, if sucralose is indigestible
due to its laboratory compounding, then we have yet another serious health problem to consider,
don't you think?
Technology is great, but we sure don't need to be eating it!
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Q: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and government food authority committees and the
Health Ministries in countries such as Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad &
Tobago, Argentina, and Brazil have confirmed the safety of sucralose. So have the countries of
Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Uruguay, Romania, Lebanon, Qatar, Bahrain, Pakistan, Tajikistan, China,
South Africa, and Tanzania. What do you think of all these countries confirming Splenda's safety?
A: The history of aspartame has unfortunately proven that individuals within government
agencies cannot and should not be trusted to make such empowering public decisions behind closed
doors.
Now, re-read this list of countries . Mexico, Jamaica, Tajikistan and Tanzania? These are the
countries in which Splenda is now marketed? (See the final question.) As an international
geographer, I can comfortably say that these countries are not nations with the same technology and
mass marketing strategies to be compared with the United States. These countries are more concerned
with birth control, food staples, hostile take-overs, and drought--not diet sweeteners. Compare
apples to apples.
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Q: Is sucralose safe for children?
A: The manufacturer actually made this statement for disclosure: "One should note, however,
that foods made with low-calorie sweeteners are not normally a recommended part of a child's diet,
since calories are important to a growing child's body."
Pay attention . Children should not be encouraged to grow up on fake foods. But just like
cigarettes and alcohol, do what I say and not what I do? And we wonder why the younger generation
is angry, ill, and ridden with ADD/ADHD and diabetes?? How many kids do you see taking a sip of mom
or brother's diet cola?
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Q: Who manufactures and markets sucralose?
A: McNeil Specialty Products Company (MSPC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson,
along with Tate & Lyle PLC, a world leader in sweeteners and starches, all share responsibility for
developing and manufacturing sucralose for commercial use. Sucralose is the first product from
McNeil Specialty, whose mission is to develop and market innovative food ingredients that help
consumers control, maintain and improve their health. Internationally, McNeil Specialty markets
sucralose in the United States, Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, and
the Middle East; Tate & Lyle markets sucralose in Africa, Asia, Europe and Canada. Internationally,
McNeil Specialty markets sucralose under the name SPLENDAR Brand Sweetener. SPLENDAR is a
registered trademark of McNeil Specialty Products Company.
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Dr. Mercola's Comment:
This is an excellent interview and one that I encourage you to read carefully if you think
Splenda is safe to use.
Please note that I do not advise using Splenda. Over three years ago I posted an article
describing the dangers of Splenda (sucralose).
<http://www.mercola.com/2000/dec/3/sucralose_dangers.htm>
Why not use Splenda? Well, research in animals has shown that sucralose can cause many
problems such as:
a.. Shrunken thymus glands (up to 40 percent shrinkage)
b.. Enlarged liver and kidneys
c.. Atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus
d.. Increased cecal weight
e.. Reduced growth rate
f.. Decreased red blood cell count
g.. Hyperplasia of the pelvis
h.. Extension of the pregnancy period
i.. Aborted pregnancy
j.. Decreased fetal body weights and placental weights
k.. Diarrhea
Nearly every month we receive a report from someone who has had an adverse reaction to
Splenda, and you can see many of these reports posted on our site.
<http://www.mercola.com/2000/dec/3/sucralose_dangers.htm>
I also encourage you to take a look at the links below to get a thorough understanding of the
dangers Splenda poses to your health.

Splenda's Dangers: One Man's Personal Story That You Should Know </2003/nov/8/splenda_dangers.htm>
The Potential Dangers of Sucralose </2000/dec/3/sucralose_dangers.htm>
The Dangers of Chlorine and Issues With Sucralose </2001/jun/23/chlorine.htm>
Splenda is Not a Healthy Sweetener </2003/aug/23/splenda.htm>
Sucralose (Splenda®) U.S. Product List </2000/dec/3/sucralose_products.htm>

I came across this interview. What do you think?

Who gets diarrhea from Splenda?

I disagree with just about all of this. It smacks of wacko conspiracy-theoryness to me.

Wow! That one argument really convinced me! From now on, I am going to return to yesteryear’s simpler ways of hand harvesting my own natural sugar from a real sugar tree in nature!

Ah, don't let the scaremongerers bother you. Splenda shouldn't be consumed all the time but in moderation it is harmless. I would say splenda is more healthful than real sugar, especially for people with weight problems (insulin and blood sugar disturbances).

now to disprove most of this bunk...

1) quote: "(Splenda) is a chlorocarbon"
Wow chlorocarbon... that sure sounds intimidating doesn't it? We're eating bleach omg! Guess what, the molecules of chlorine used in splenda are almost identical to the ones in table salt.

2) quote: "that the testing of
sucralose reveals that it can cause up to 40 percent shrinkage of the thymus"
... because the lab animals were only eating only sucralose and essentially starving, not because of the sucralose. The starvation caused or exacerbated almost all of those symptoms, and besides, considering the insanely high dosages they were fed those sideeffects all sound pretty darn mild to me.

3) quote: "Absolutely not. No sugar molecule is compounded with chlorine anywhere in nature."
There are a lot of things which are beneficial to humans that are not found in nature. Just because this substance is unnatural doesn't necessarily mean it is deletarious to our health.

4) quote: "People need to stop searching for excuses to eat all the junk food they want without penalty.
In the long run, no one benefits from this product but the corporations. "

So now you know what's best for me? First of all, if I want to occasionally indulge in a sugar free sucralose sweetened product, I WILL and it is my right. Hell even if i want to gorge on them, that is my right too. Who are you to say I am too stupid to decide what is good for me, and that I am only benefiting corporations? Hello, I am also enjoying myself by indulging my sweet tooth... I consider that a benefit . Now don't get me wrong, I am all for warning people and educating people so they are capable of making educated choices, but your approach is quasi-fascist.

5) quote: "They are testing these conditions in lab rats, and these types of corporate studies have
forced and 'selective' results, in my opinion. Aspartame research is the proof of this! "
All research can be biased, as all research is funded and the funders usually have an agenda. You are being irresponsible by looking only at research which is biased against aspartame and other sweetners while ignoring the corporate research. Both should be considered before conclusions are drawn.
That said, splenda IS stable at high heats (meaning it doesnt break down in the body into harmful substances like aspartame does)... proof of this is the fact that splenda can be used for cooking and retains its sweetness perfectly (unless you burn the food but thats a different story ). Other sweetners do not do this, and often develop a funky taste or lose their sweetness. Ovens are much warmer than your body, wouldnt you agree? So if splenda can remain in tact after cooking... why would your body heat cause it to break down? Think much?

6) quote: "They said the same thing about aspartame, and look at the rampant disease and obesity
taking over America since aspartame was put into the food supply over 20 years ago. "
Correlation does not prove causation. The obesity epidemic is caused mainly by our food supply being bloated by an overabundance of highly refined sugars which leads to excess calorie consumption. The fact government subsidizes the grain industry has caused an over abundance of corn production. Corn derrived products are now extremely cheap, and our friend HFCS can be found in everything from fast food hamburgers (the rub/glaze) to cough drops. What this means is we have a huge supply of low quality food, for low prices. People, especially the poor (who fear being deprived to the point of over eating and also can't aford better) wind up making these foods the staple of their diets. The result is obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

All this has relatively little to do with aspartame, a sweetner which arguably few have had adverse reactions to.

7) quote: "Any animal that eats chlorine (especially on a regular basis) is at risk of cancer."
Good thing splenda isn't chlorine then. .

8) quote: "diarrhea from Splenda. "
...
I've never experienced this. Ever. The only problem with splenda I have found is that when eaten in excess (such as several tablespoons a day during holiday times in treats) I tend to get the surges of insulin I used to have with real sugar. However this could easily be attrubted to the dextrose and maltodextrin fillers they use to bulk the stuff up and not the splenda itself .

9) quote: "if the body is fed an indigestible product such as plastic (like
in margarine) that it is incapable of dissolving through normal digestion, it will pass through
undigested (if it doesn't get stuck in the gall bladder, that is.) So, if sucralose is indigestible
due to its laboratory compounding, then we have yet another serious health problem to consider,
don't you think? "
This is exactly what happens... the sucralose passes through undigested. I don't see why you think this is a health problem. Is fiber dangerous to your health then?

Enough of this silliness...

This was posted on another website and quite frankly it seems that almost anything out there seems to have something negative tied to it as of late.

Its not going to stop me from using Splenda...but then again, I rarely ever use more than 3 teaspoons of the stuff a day anyway (in my coffee).

QUOTE:
Q: The corporations say sucralose is safe.
A: They said the same thing about aspartame, and look at the rampant disease and obesity
taking over America since aspartame was put into the food supply over 20 years ago.


Well, this statement stopped me reading the rest.
Anyone who thinks that aspartame is responsible for the "rampant" increase in obesity over the last 20 years is an idiot!

This "interview" was a hoot! I especially loved the part about things getting stuck in your gall bladder. I could never believe anything from someone with such a lack of knowledge about anatomy.
The sky is falling, the sky is falling!

Aspartame causes rampant obesity? It couldn't be the super-sized burger and fries and hot apple pie that come WITH the diet soda? <nah> How silly of me to have suspected a platter of grease and carbs when the REAL culprit was the diet soda?

so where does the plastic get stuck when, like me, You don't have a gall bladder? smiles

If you go to the website you will notice that the good Dr. has something to sell, (books, consultations etc.) She is making her living convincing people that they are being posioned by aspartame. I am sure that she and probably others have had reactions to aspartame, there is a warning right on the box of equal. If she is allergic to peanuts should everyone stop eating them? Are they "poison" too? The part about "chlorinated pesticides" in sucralose just kills me.

The aspartame thing....there is some ding-dong woman, can't remember the name, who is a protagonist behind aspartame bashing. There was a rampant e-mail chain letter thing going around a few years ago.....anyone remember? (My MIL kept e-mailing it to me....the one who is vastly overweight and eats HC/LF, never a SF cola. ) Anyway, she calls it "aspartame disease" and blames it for EVERYTHING. Cancer, weight gain, phases of the moon, schedule of the tides, dirty laundry, mice in the house, you name it. Had a website dedicated to it and everything.

Of course something to sell too.

Sounds like the same thing here. Sheesh.

Sharon

The huge red flag that immediately jumped out at me is the beligerent tone of the whole thing!! Very unprofessional and sounds like some kind of kook!!

I use stevia, all natural no fillers and I don't care what someone will come up with

This article makes a lot of good points and also is a bit zealous about things.

I do believe artificial food can be dangerous and corporations DO NOT care about our health - just their prospective dollars. How do we know the difference? I dunno. For now, I use stevia in my coffee and splenda for just about every other sweetening need.

The only problem is, this Doctor's opinion is not really backed up by any fact - any studies to refer to etc and that is what I need to make an educated opinion.

I would not give splenda to my children (don't have any to give or not to give to though) nor nutra sweet. The only thing my kids would get is sugar and stevia and a balanced diet without much fun junk food