Guess Who's Joined in the Splenda Fight?

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http://www.mercola.com/2006/jan/5/guess_whos_joined_in_the_splenda_fight.htm

 

 

Guess Who's Joined in the Splenda Fight?

 

 

American sugar cane and beet farmers have developed a new Web site

devoted to spreading the " Truth About Splenda. "

 

The site will post comments from Americans who feel misled by Splenda

advertisements and will provide a forum for people to share their

experiences with the chlorinated artificial sweetener.

 

The Web site, http://www.truthaboutsplenda.com , was launched in

2005 in response to Splenda's marketing campaign that incorrectly

touted Splenda as natural.

 

Thousands Have Already Posted Comments

 

Since its launch, thousands of people have submitted comments to the

site. Some have spoken of Splenda's marketing campaign as being

misleading and immoral, while others commented on health consequences

of eating the artificial sweetener, how it reacts in baked goods and

how it tastes.

 

The Web site's goal is to help better educate Americans about Splenda,

so that the public becomes aware that it is, in fact, a chlorinated

artificial sweetener. The site welcomes all comments and hopes to

become a useful educational resource for all.

 

U.S. Newswire December 15, 2005

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

Though I am not a fan of sugar (whether from beets, sugar cane or

otherwise), if I had to choose between sugar or Splenda (or any other

artificial sweetener, for that matter), sugar would win, hands down.

 

That's why I must applaud the American sugar cane and beet farmers who

have aligned their views with my own -- at least when it comes to

getting the word out about the potential dangers and misleading

advertising of Splenda.

 

Of course, the sugar farmers surely have their own agenda for

spreading this message, but I have none -- other than protecting you

and your family from this artificial sweetener that bears more

chemical similarity to DDT than it does to sugar.

 

Splenda's manufacturers have gone to great lengths to suggest that

Splenda is natural and safe by using the slogan, " made from sugar so

it tastes like sugar. " But after the sugar has been treated with

chemicals like trityl chloride, acetic anhydride, and thionyl chloride

in the presence of dimethylformamide, 4-methylmorpholine, and methyl

isobutyl ketone, it is anything but a sugar molecule.

 

By the end of the chemical processing Splenda goes through, it

resembles nothing found in nature. This product is not natural, nor is

it a real sugar. It isn't even close.

 

And, if you haven't yet heard, the long-term safety of Splenda has

never been established. In fact:

 

* There have only been six human trials to date

* The longest trial lasted three months

* At LEAST 15 percent of Splenda is not excreted from your body in

a timely manner

 

In the meantime, since there is a complete absence of any useful

long-term human studies, I've been researching effects of Splenda

based upon information collected from various individual case studies.

The following symptoms have been noticed within a 24-hour period

following consumption of Splenda products:

 

* Skin -- Redness, itching, swelling, blistering, weeping,

crusting, rash, eruptions, or hives (itchy bumps or welts). This is

the most common allergic symptom that people have.

* Lungs -- Wheezing, tightness, cough, or shortness of breath.

* Head -- Swelling of the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, or throat;

headaches and migraines (severe headaches).

* Nose -- Stuffy nose, runny nose (clear, thin discharge), sneezing.

* Eyes -- Red (bloodshot), itchy, swollen, or watery.

* Stomach -- Bloating, gas, pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or

bloody diarrhea.

* Heart -- Palpitations or fluttering.

* Joints -- Joint pains or aches.

* Neurological -- Anxiety, dizziness, spaced-out sensation,

depression.

 

In a nutshell, Splenda is simply not as perfectly safe as the

manufacturers would have you believe.

 

If you are still using Splenda, I urge you to take a look through the

Web site above, and then check out the pages of testimonials from our

own readers who feel they have been harmed by Splenda -- then decide

if using this largely experimental product is really worth the risk.

 

Related Articles:

 

The Secret Dangers of Splenda (Sucralose), an Artificial Sweetener

 

Splenda Marketing Accused of False Advertising, Misleading Public

 

Beware of More Deceptive Splenda Propaganda