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2/21/14 12:45 PM
By Dr. Mercola The artificial sweetener sucralose, better known by its brand name Splenda, has been on the US market for fifteen years. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Splenda in 1998 based on more than 110 safety studies, only two of which were actually conducted on humans (these two studies consisted of a combined total of 36 people, of which only 23 people actually ingested sucralose!). Since then we've seen many red flags that this artificial sweetener is anything but safe, not the least of which are the many personal anecdotes of adverse reactions to Splenda, which are posted on my site. Research has also been conducted showing that Splenda is not the safe sugar alternative it was promoted to be (see below for a few examples), and now even the consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is sounding an alarm against this popular artificial sweetener.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/06/26/cspi-downgrades-splenda.aspx
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In 1988, CSPI even released an article praising trans fats and saying "there is little good evidence that trans fats cause any more harm than other fats" and "much of the anxiety over trans fats stems from their reputation as 'unnatural.'"3 It wasn't until the 1990s that CSPI reversed their position on synthetic trans fats, citing it as the greater public health danger, but the damage had already been done. Even to this day, many still mistakenly believe that margarine is a healthier choice than butter but getting back to Splenda, it's a step in the right direction that CSPI has sounded an alarm over its use.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/06/26/cspi-downgrades-splenda.aspx
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Decreased red blood cells -- sign of anemia -- at levels above 1,500 mg/kg/day Increased male infertility by interfering with sperm production and vitality, as well as brain lesions at higher doses Enlarged and calcified kidneys Spontaneous abortions in nearly half the rabbit population given sucralose, compared to zero aborted pregnancies in the control group A 23 percent death rate in rabbits, compared to a 6 percent death rate in the control group Worse still, the longest of the two human trials conducted on Splenda lasted only four days and looked at sucralose in relation to tooth decay, not human tolerance! So if you've been ingesting Splenda for years, you're actually acting as a human guinea pig, as no one knows what happens when humans consume this substance for long periods. Even the health food giant Whole Foods counts sucralose on its list of unacceptable ingredients for food5
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/06/26/cspi-downgrades-splenda.aspx
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To determine if you're having a reaction to artificial sweeteners, take the following steps: Eliminate all artificial sweeteners from your diet for two weeks. After two weeks of being artificial sweetener-free, reintroduce your artificial sweetener of choice in a significant quantity (about three servings daily). Avoid other artificial sweeteners during this period. Do this for one to three days and notice how you feel, especially as compared to when you were consuming no artificial sweeteners. If you don't notice a difference in how you feel after re-introducing your primary artificial sweetener for a few days, it's a safe bet you're able to tolerate it acutely, meaning your body doesn't have an immediate, adverse
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response. However, this doesn't mean your health won't be damaged in the long run. If you've been consuming more than one type of artificial sweetener, you can repeat steps 2 through 4 with the next one on your list. If you do experience side effects from Splenda, aspartame or any other food additive, please report it to the FDA (if you live in the US) without delay. It's easy to make a report just go to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator page, find the phone number for your state, and make a call reporting your reaction.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/06/26/cspi-downgrades-splenda.aspx
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