Splenda

Splenda is commonly known as sucralose. It is 600 times sweeter than table sugar; although this can vary from 300 to 1,000 times sweeter, depending on the food application. Splenda can now be found in over 3,500 products and has surpassed the sales of Equal and Sweet'N Low. Splenda is advertised as a product “made from sugar”, a process that involves five steps that chemically change the structure of the sugar molecule by substituting the three hydroxyl groups on the sugar molecule for three chlorine atoms, making it a chlorocarbon. It has long been known that chlorocarbons cause damage to organs and the reproductive system, which, in turn, causes genetic defects.

Manufacturing Spenda involves a five-step process that chemically changes the structure of the sugar molecule by substituting the three hydroxyl groups on the sugar molecule for three chlorine atoms, making it a chlorocarbon. It has long been known that chlorocarbons cause damage to organs and the reproductive system which, in turn, causes genetic defects.

Sucralose was discovered in 1976 by researchers working under the guidance of a large British sugar company called Tate and Lyle Ltd. By 1980, Tate and Lyle had made arrangements with Johnson and Johnson, the world's largest health care company, to develop sucralose. From there, Johnson and Johnson formed McNeil Speciality Products Company in order to commercialize the sweetener. In 1991, Canada had the dubious honour of becoming the first nation to approve the use of sucralose. By 1998, the FDA had granted approval for sucralose to be used in a variety of food products. Diet RC cola was the first US product to use sucralose. To date, most European countries have not yet approved sucralose for use.

The FDA has said that sucralose "is produced at an approximate purity of 98%." But one has to wonder what is contained in that other 2%. The following list gives the answer: heavy metals (which could include lead or mercury), arsenic, triphenylphosphine oxide, methanol, and chlorinated mono- and di- saccharides.

According to Consumers Research Magazine, concern was raised about sucralose being a chlorinated molecule since some serve as the basis for such pesticides as DDT, which accumulate in body fat. However, the manufacturer was quick to assure the public that sucralose passes through the body unabsorbed. However, contrary to this claim, sucralose is absorbed and metabolized into the body – as much as 40%, according to Japanese researchers. In particular, the absorbed sucralose has been found to concentrate in the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract.

Although Splenda is still technically still being studied, it has already proven to impair the thymus gland and the immune system in experimental animals. And, even though pre-approval research showed that Splenda caused the thymus gland to shrink up to 40% while enlarging the liver and kidneys and calcifying the kidney, it was still approved for human consumption.

The manufacturer’s response to this was,
“Well, the rats wouldn’t eat the food with sucralose in it, so the thymus lost weight from starvation.” 1

(Just stop for a minute and think about the absurdity of that statement.)

In addition to the problems listed above, researchers have found other problems in their experimental animals (rats, mice, and rabbits). At the very least, it causes diarrhea; but some of the more serious ailments include the following:

Some of the problems with Splenda may be the result of the product breaking down in the digestive system – despite claims to the contrary by the manufacturer. In order to provide the sweet taste, it has to break down. Therefore, if it already breaks down in the saliva, then there is little doubt that the molecule must collapse even further in the digestive tract.

References

This page was updated in December 2005.