Story at-a-glance

• An in-depth scientific review of sucralose (Splenda) reveals an extensive list of safety concerns, including toxicity, DNA damage, and heightened carcinogenic potential when used in cooking
• When heated, it releases chloropropanols, which belong to a class of toxins known as dioxins. Dioxin—a component of Agent Orange—is among the most dangerous chemicals known to man
• Sucralose can destroy as much as 50 percent of the microbiome in your gut. What’s worse, it appears to target beneficial microorganisms to a greater extent than pathogenic and other more detrimental bacteria
• Both animal and human studies have shown that Splenda alters glucose, insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels, thereby promoting weight gain, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes
• The adverse effects of sucralose are oftentimes misdiagnosed or overlooked entirely as the side effects are so varied and mimic common ailments

Sucralose, marketed under the brand name Splenda, is a best-selling artificial sweetener around the world. (In the European Union, sucralose is also known under the additive code E955.)

It has been nearly eight years since I published my concerns about Splenda in my book, Sweet Deception. Since then, evidence continues to support the concerns I had back then.

Splenda is found in tens of thousands of processed food products sold in 90 different countries, many of which are specifically marketed to those seeking to either lose weight or manage their diabetes.

Mounting research, however, shows that not only does it tend to worsen both of those problems, but it’s also associated with an array of other troublesome side effects.

The web site www.truthaboutsplenda.com lists a variety of consumer complaints from Splenda consumption, many of which mimic other health conditions. Some of the most commonly reported adverse effects include:

• Gastrointestinal problems
• Seizures, dizziness, and migraines
• Blurred vision
• Allergic reactions
• Blood sugar increases and weight gain

But that’s not all. Now, an in-depth scientific review^{1, 2} of sucralose published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health³ reveals an extensive list of safety concerns, including toxicity, DNA damage, and heightened carcinogenic potential when used in cooking.

It also blows a huge hole in the argument that Splenda is a good choice for diabetics and/or those seeking to lose weight.

Sucralose—NOT Safe for Cooking After All

The featured report came to several important conclusions—all of which challenge the “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) status of sucralose. Of primary concern is that sucralose is not an inert substance.

When heated, it releases chloropropanols, which belong to a class of toxins known as dioxins. One of the selling points of Splenda is that it remains stable when heated, making it well-suited for cooking and baking, but these findings refute such claims. (Many other artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, are not recommended for cooking purposes as they’re known to break down in high temperatures.)

As reported by Sayer Ji at GreenMedInfo.com,⁴ research now shows that sucralose starts breaking down at 119 degrees Celsius; 180 degrees Celsius causes it to degrade completely.

Dioxin is a waste product of incineration, smelting, chlorine bleaching, and pesticide manufacturing, and its well-documented health effects include cancer and endocrine disruption. In fact, dioxin, which was a toxic component of the Agent Orange used to defoliate jungles during the Vietnam War, is easily one of the most dangerous chemicals known to man.

Another study⁵ published in October also expressed concern over the chlorination reactions that occur when sucralose is cooked in stainless steel cookware, generating highly toxic compounds, including dioxins⁶ and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs).

Recent animal research also suggests a link between Splenda consumption and an increased risk of leukemia.⁷ Based on such research, the time is more than ripe for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reconsider the GRAS status of sucralose…

Sucralose Also Destroys Your Gut Health

The featured review also concluded that sucralose destroys gut bacteria. (In fact, animal research⁸ published in 2008 found it could kill as much as 50 percent of your microbiome).

This is very important, as anytime you destroy healthy intestinal bacteria, you open yourself up to unfriendly micro-organisms that can cause health problems. Your immune system, which is imperative for general health, is dependent on healthy gut flora, so the idea that this artificial sweetener may destroy up to half of all your healthy gut bacteria is disconcerting to say the least.

Worse yet, sucralose appears to target beneficial microorganisms to a greater extent than pathogenic and other more detrimental bacteria. And remarkably, according to one study, these adverse effects on gut microbiota remained even after a three-month long recovery period…

Early studies, upon which its approval was based, claimed that sucralose would simply pass unchanged through the human gastrointestinal tract, but more recent investigations show that it is indeed metabolized in your gut. And, as reported in the featured review, “the identity and safety profile of these putative sucralose metabolites are not known at this time.”

Diabetics Beware…

to read more, go to:    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/18/sucralose-side-effects.aspx?e_cid=20131218Z1_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20131218Z1&et_cid=DM37487&et_rid=372003445