Splenda ? Harmful?

[black7]

?Chairman of Citizens for Health Declares FDA Should Review Approval of Splenda
New Study of Splenda and Sucralose Reveals Shocking New Information About Potential Harmful Effect on Humans?

Duke Study Highlights
This 12 week study, conducted in rats fed Splenda-containing ?rat chow?, revealed a 50% reduction in ?good? bacteria, an increase in intestinal pH,? and enhanced expression of enzymes that affect drug metabolism. According to the ?Citizens for Health? this study also suggests that Splenda ?contributes to increases in body weight.?

Why should we be concerned about ?good bacteria?? These beneficial bacteria including those that are commonly referred to as probiotics have been associated with anticancer benefits, cholesterol reduction, and strengthened gut immunity. Having not read the study other than the abstract, it?s difficult for me to figure out how they came to the conclusion Splenda leads to weight gain. I have reported previously that sugar substitutes may short circuit the taste conditioning response leading to increased consumption and weight gain.

It should come as no surprise that an artificial sweetener may have harmful, or potentially harmful effects. Splenda my be the sequel to the transfat story?. and we all know how that turned out.

I will also add this. Splenda is a favorite of many low-carb fans because it cuts calories in processed foods. But the calorie savings can be deceiving.. If you make a muffin with Splenda instead of sugar you can reduce the calories by about 20% . You can also save an equivalent amount of calories by alternatively reducing the fat in a recipe. So yes, you can realize some calorie savings in processed foods by cutting carbs or cutting fat. However, you can?t change the fact that processed foods are very calorie dense. My advice is to stick with real food and limit processed food consumption.

 

[black7]

Splenda usually contains 95% dextrose and maltodextrin which the body readily metabolizes, combined with a small amount of indigestible sucralose. Sucralose is derived from table sugar (sucrose) through a patented, multi-step process that selectively substitutes three chlorine atoms for three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sugar molecule. The tightly bound chlorine atoms create a molecular structure that is remarkably stable.[9] Splenda is recognized as safe to ingest as a diabetic sugar substitute.[10] Research suggests that the amount of sucralose that can be consumed on a daily basis over a person?s lifetime without any adverse effects is 15 mg/kg/day,[11] or about 1 g for a 70 kilogram (150 lb) person. This is equivalent to about 75 packets of Splenda or the sweetness of 612 g or 2500 kcal of sugar.

SO my question is... is it not a good idea to incorperate splenda in my diet?

 

[black7]

Abstract of the above study


Splenda is comprised of the high-potency artificial sweetener sucralose (1.1%) and the fillers maltodextrin and glucose. Splenda was administered by oral gavage at 100, 300, 500, or 1000 mg/kg to male Sprague-Dawley rats for 12-wk, during which fecal samples were collected weekly for bacterial analysis and measurement of fecal pH. After 12-wk, half of the animals from each treatment group were sacrificed to determine the intestinal expression of the membrane efflux transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and the cytochrome P-450 (CYP) metabolism system by Western blot. The remaining animals were allowed to recover for an additional 12-wk, and further assessments of fecal microflora, fecal pH, and expression of P-gp and CYP were determined. At the end of the 12-wk treatment period, the numbers of total anaerobes, bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, Bacteroides, clostridia, and total aerobic bacteria were significantly decreased; however, there was no significant treatment effect on enterobacteria. Splenda also increased fecal pH and enhanced the expression of P-gp by 2.43-fold, CYP3A4 by 2.51-fold, and CYP2D1 by 3.49-fold. Following the 12-wk recovery period, only the total anaerobes and bifidobacteria remained significantly depressed, whereas pH values, P-gp, and CYP3A4 and CYP2D1 remained elevated. These changes occurred at Splenda dosages that contained sucralose at 1.1-11 mg/kg (the US FDA Acceptable Daily Intake for sucralose is 5 mg/kg). Evidence indicates that a 12-wk administration of Splenda exerted numerous adverse effects, including (1) reduction in beneficial fecal microflora, (2) increased fecal pH, and (3) enhanced expression levels of P-gp, CYP3A4, and CYP2D1, which are known to limit the bioavailability of orally administered drugs.

 

[SurferBill]

Love it thanks.

 

[liftsiron]

1000 mg/kg is that like hundreds of times more than what any person would ever use? Also many studies done with sprague-dawley rats never proved to have cross over effect with man. Personally I use aspertame two natural amino acids combined forming a molecule 200 times per gram sweeter than sugar.