Splenda is Evil

jason2116 · February 7, 2007

I have been a big fan and promoter of Splenda since its release. I think it is the best tasting (I actually prefer it to sugar), and until I heard different, I felt it was the safest of the artificial sweeteners. Well, I have heard different.

I know a lot about chemistry and nutrition. When I read the ingredients in Splenda, I knew something was wrong (but didn't research it for years....because I didn't want to know anything bad about his stuff I love). The first two ingredients are maltodextrin and dextrose. Well...those are both sugars. Guess where those sugars come from by the way...corn Syrup. I believe corn syrup is the second most dangerous food we eat (the first being trans fats). Those two ingredients make up 98% of Splenda. Sucralose, the active ingredient in Splenda, makes up 2%. What does this mean? Splenda is NOT zero calorie. One pack of Splenda is 4 calories (a teaspoon of sugar is 10). Better than sugar in calories (60% better), but not a free zero calorie food.< /p>

Who cares about 4 calories anyway? No one if you only consumed one packet of Splenda. But I used to make Kool-Aid with Splenda; that is a cup of Splenda (98% of which is sugar). Splenda is light and fluffy, much less dense than real sugar, but I would guess that cup of Splenda is equivalent to 40% of a cup of real sugar in calories. I would drink the two quarts in 24 hours easy (I thought it was a free food).

How can Splenda say this? Well, the rule is...if a serving is less than five calories you can say it's zero (Diet Coke isn't really zero either). Four calories is one less than 5.

How did I find all this out? I was farting all the time. When I was obese, I thought I was just a fat pig, so it was normal to fart all the time. But after I was banded, I didn't understand why I was farting all the time still. Then I looked at the huge costco bag of Splenda on the kitchen counter. I Googled "Splenda and gas". I found my answer. And much more.

Do some research on the FDA's role in this product. It's too complicated to write about here. Mind you the FDA still has not approved Acomplia, the new weight loss drug approved in many countries already (including the UK)...thank you FDA.

In summary, Splenda is not a zero calorie food. It has 40% of the calories of sugar. Also, it causes gas in many people. Finally, I question the safety of this product.

262/206/162?

shutuplena · February 7, 2007

Thanks for the info. I use 4 splenda a day. not anymore!

marys · February 7, 2007

oh my god! I have been trying to change to stevia which i pray is ok for us but i ve always intuitively known that these fake sugars cant be good = and it is quite embarrassing but i have horrible gas and can never figure out why - an experiement on myself is in order. Thanks for sharing this info - corn Syrup is horrible for our bodies. I do love it so but will be weaning myself off.

terrriho · February 7, 2007

Jason,

Do you think Splenda may be the reason so many people have trouble with gas post-op? Instructions say to drink sugar free beverages as well as popsicles.

A theory perhaps?

Terri

Jachut · February 7, 2007

I would never ever ever eat a lot of artificially sweetened products! It never took scientific evidence for me to feel that I should just use sugar in moderation, and curb my sweet tooth. Sweet foods are sweet foods and if they have proper proportion in your diet, the calories are not going to be a problem. A gallon of soft drink a day is not moderation, you cant get away with it just by switching to the artificially sweetened version.

I feel that way about fat too. I drink skim milk because I really hate the taste of full cream but other than that, I eat the full fat version of things. I might eat a carton of yogurt two times a week, so to me, I'm not going to sacrifice the taste for a smidgin less fat. I buy full cream natural yogurt and I love it.

Ditto Cookies and stuff, I just dont bother with the low fat because I shouldnt be eating many of them anyway.

MCOBandita · February 7, 2007

I cannot thank you enough for posting your warning about Splenda! I have suffered from what I thought was "lactose intolerance" or "irritable bowel syndrome" terribly for the last several years. I always found it odd that I could eat some products containing milk but when I had my coffee (with tons of Splenda) it would always make me sick.

After reading some testimonials online regarding feelings of anxiety and depression I am pretty alarmed. I had been diagnosed as being depressed and was put on several different medications but it seemed like they never worked - which I found to be quite odd. I am wondering if Splenda was the cause of those feelings?

Regardless, I have already thrown my Splenda out - I am convinced that was the culprit of my intestinal problems - at the very minimum!

susannah · February 8, 2007

Hi Jason, thanks for the info. What do you think about EQUAL? I use that in moderation. Susannah

jason2116 · February 8, 2007

I also am wondering if I really have lactose intolerance. We'll see.

I don't know if surgery itself causes gas or if the use of Splenda causes it.

Here are my thoughts on sweeteners:

Equal (aspartame) has tons of anecdotal evidence against it. Much of it brain related, headaches. There really has been a grass roots movement against its safety. I never really saw that with saccharin. Though we all know saccharin causes cancer (only how likely it is, is debated). The thing with Equal and weight loss is it has an insulin response to it. So, while it has few calories, it makes your body shoot insulin, and while insulin is working in your body, your body does not burn fat. All the diet gurus are not fans of Equal. It was Atkins least favorite sweetener.

Here is what I'm doing. I'm trying to not use sweeteners in my tea and become less dependent on the taste of sweet. I already gave up coffee. In my home I'm going to buy some Stevia. Stevia is a natural plant sweetener. It can't be sold in the U.S. As a sweetener. Blocked by the FDA. Can you guess why? The FDA is controlled by big corporations, none of which wants a natural almost zero calorie sweetener that might actually have health benefits. You can't patent Stevia as it is plant. If you are bored read online about why the FDA doesn't allow Stevia, its amazing. I never used Stevia before, because I preferred the taste of Splenda.

Sidenote: You might have been taught that Splenda does not have an insulin response. Not true. Pure sucralose does not have an insulin response, and that is what they used in testing. However, the product they but on the market had two types of sugar added to it. So obviously, it has an insulin response.

wavydaby · February 8, 2007

When the size of my ass ceases to be the leading factor for the cause of my death, I will stop using Splenda or Sweet n low.

Stevia can cause serious gas/diarraha issues too.

Moderation people.

Jachut · February 8, 2007

I used to drink sweetened coffee when I was a teenager, but honestly, giving up sugar in tea and coffee literally takes 2 weeks. It is not a difficult thing to do at all.

Having a sweet tooth, its harder to give up sweet foods in general, but in moderation they're OK unless your a hard baked no carbs fan, lol, I choose not to do that to myself, I could well be wrong, but I figure you probably dont really live longer, it only feels that way!

jason2116 · February 8, 2007

wavydog...i completely agree with you.

I'm at a point in my weight now where I'm starting to think about total health and longevity.

What got me pissed about this was the deception about Splenda. Both the hidden calories and the gas issue. I was nervous to spend the night with someone I was dating because of the gas issue.

Jachut...I think you are right about how fast you can give up sweetener in tea/coffee. Its been several days now. While I want the sweet, I'm enjoying the taste without it. At first I felt like there was no point in drinking it with out sweetness...like popcorn with no butter.

mypov · February 8, 2007

Thanks for The info

FYI According to the FDA, any food that has 5 or less calories per serving can report as a 0 calorie food. So always watch for that.

maryrose · February 8, 2007

Well, I read once that artificial sweeteners "ferment" in your colon....whatever the heck that means, I don't want it!!....lol...to me this would = GAS... No thank you.

I pulled out the bag of sugar today. 1 tsp. 14 calories. I would rather take 1/2 tsp. = 7 colories and try to deal with that rather than the other.

Also, real Tupelo honey is supposed to by better for diabetics than the other honeys, a little lower in sugar content and actually recommended for some diabetics. I love it!

Artificial sweeteners are nasty.

enterprise01 · February 8, 2007

The thing with Equal and weight loss is it has an insulin response to it. So, while it has few calories, it makes your body shoot insulin, and while insulin is working in your body, your body does not burn fat. All the diet gurus are not fans of Equal. It was Atkins least favorite sweetener.

I'm convinced that drinking diet Snapple and Crystal Light, which contain aspartame, is hindering my weight loss. Since being banded, I'm drinking 2-3 Snapples a day, instead of the 2-3 regular Cokes I used to drink. Considering how well I'm doing with my food, I really should be losing weight faster. The only problem is that I absolutely hate drinking Water or any unsweetened beverages, so I can't come up with a good alternative.

gadgetlady · February 8, 2007

I've never had a problem with Splenda and gas. I drink Splenda-sweetened beverages all day long. I've never had a problem with Equal or any other artificial sweetner. I have a friend who can't use aspartame (Equal) because it affects her brain.