Sucralose: Silent Killer

Sometimes I find inspiration, and sometimes it finds me.  I was recently contacted to endorse a product that flavours and sweetens water.  Product names such as natural lemon and natural peach seem legit and at first everything was just, well, peachy! Then I stumbled upon that nasty little “sweetened with sucralose” line that makes me cringe! There is nothing natural about sucralose, otherwise known as Splenda. Use your brain on this one:

Artificial sweetener = Substance messed with using chemicals = Not fit for human consumption!

The creation of sucralose involves substituting 3 hydroxyl groups (hydrogen + oxygen) on the sugar molecule with 3 chlorine atoms. Have you ever felt the need to drink chlorine? Alternatively, sucralose can be made from ingredients that don’t even include sugar! Sucralose was intentionally and improperly named with the suffix -ose, a move that serves to fool you into believing it is natural (such as fructose, sucrose, and glucose).  The reason sucralose contains no calories is because the molecule has been changed so much that the body doesn’t even recognize it as food!  Manufacturers claim that this alien molecule passes through the body unchanged.   Animal researchers have found that it does not, in fact, just pass through the body.  And, some of it breaks down into a molecule known as 1,6-dichlorofructose (just think chlorine + fruit sugar). There have only been a handful of human studies on sucralose, and no long-term studies at all. Better yet, there have been no long-term independant studies.  This means that most studies have been controlled by the manufacturers, who desperately do not want to show that sucralose is harmful to the body! Before sucralose was even approved for human consumption, animal studies indicated potential toxicity! It’s aspartame all over again.

Adverse effects reported in pre-approval research include:  Shrunken thymus glands (by up to 40%!)(E056), enlarged liver and kidneys (E057 and E161), atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus (E051, E056, E0151), increased cecal weight (E151), reduced growth rate (E057), decreased red blood cell count (E055), extension of the pregnancy period and aborted pregnancy (E134), decreased fetal body weights and placental weights (E032), and diarrhea.

I believe most of these adverse effects are due to the body expelling this toxic substance. (Note: liver and kidney enlargement and atrophy of cells in the lymphatic organs,the spleen and thymus)  Diarrhea is obvious…the body is saying “GET OUT!” The body knows when it is in a good enough state to produce a body, and since it is trying so hard to rid itself of this toxic substance, it will have less energy to grow a baby!  If you’re having trouble conceiving, I suggest you get yourself to a holistic practitioner straight away, and get your body healthy before heading to a fertility expert.

There are many alternatives to drinking poisonous diet drinks that will keep your waistline slim.  Water is the most hydrating and slimming thing I know! But what if you don’t like drinking water, you ask?  Well, do you like being alive? Then I’m sorry to say you’re going to have to suck it up and drink up!

But seriously, try these tricks to jazz up your water:

  • A squeeze of lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit.
  • Cut up some cucumber and marinate it in a big jug of water.  So yummy!
  • Got a blender?  You can obtain natural peach, kiwi, mixed berry, etc. just by throwing some fruit into the blender with your water.
  • On the run?  Throw any of the above into a water bottle and you’re good to go!

Personally, I am not willing to be a guinea pig and wait 10 or 15 years to see what this toxic substance does to my body! I’ve already felt the effects of aspartame, so I’m on a chemical-free diet these days.  Are you?

Sources:

Food and Drug Administration “Final Rule” for Sucralose, 21 CFR Part 172, Docket No. 87F-0086.

Hull JS. Splenda – Is it Safe or Not? The Pickle Press, New York: 2004.

Lord, GH, Newberne PM. Renal Mineralization – A Ubiquitous Lesion in Chronis Rat Studies. Food Chem Toxicology 1990 June; 28:449-455.

Labare MP, Alexander M. Microbial Cometabolism of Sucralose, a Chlorinated Disaccharide, in Environmental Samples. Applied Microbial Biotechnology. 1994 Oct;42:173-178.

Hunter BT. Sucralose. Consumers’ Research Magazine, Oct 1990,Vol. 73, Issue 10, p.8-10.

Maudlin RK. FDA Approves Sucralose for Expanded Use. Modern Medicine, Oct 1999, Vol. 67, Issue 10, p57.

Sucralose – A New Artificial Sweetener. Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics, 07/03/98, Vol. 40, Issue 1030, p.67.

Q&A: Is Newly FDA Approved Sweetener Sucralose Good For You? Executive Health’s Good Health Report, Nov. 1998, Vol. 35, Issue 2, p.6.

Gain B. FDA Approves J&J Sweetener. Chemical Week, 04/15/98, Vol. 160, Issue 14, p.27. 

8 thoughts on “Sucralose: Silent Killer

  1. wardfunk says:

    Isn’t it interesting the labels you see on food these days that are all about “all natural.” I remember a health conscious and awake boss I had years back who felt very strongly about “all natural” since how does one actually define all natural?! Thanks for the education!

  2. harebell says:

    Hi there
    An interesting argument but you present little in the way of sources for your information. If I was to try and check up on what you claim how would I do that?

    I like the suggestions you give at the bottom as along with the fruit juice I also add a pinch of salt (this contains chlorine too) and a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup.

    Also the “natural is best” argument is not a smart way to go as there are a load of natural ingredients that are very harmful too. At the risk of being flippant e-coli bacteria are perfectly natural but I wouldn’t want to eat them along with my food.
    Also please don’t be too down on chlorine the body needs it and sodium to facilitate cell working. Also Cl has rendered water safe to drink for a lot of the worlds population.

    Response:

    Thanks for the comment Harebell,

    I am in no way suggesting that people stop eating all natural forms of salt! NaCl is abundant in our bodies and we couldn’t survive without it. We must avoid forms that have been altered, which our bodies do not recognize! As for eating e-coli…trees and rocks are natural too but I wouldn’t eat them! Every organism has its place in our universe, we just don’t have to eat everything we come across, and that includes airplane food!

    As for the sources, I will source them. And you don’t have to take my word for it either,I encourage you to do your own research…you’ll be shocked.

    Amy.

  3. momeld says:

    That stuff scared me from day one. Luckily i have only had it a couple of times. I don’t really drink any sweetened drinks but if I have the urge I used Stevia which is extracted from a leaf (or so it says).

  4. Cheryl says:

    Over 2 1/2 years ago, I started getting numbing in my feet which has ascended upword in my lower legs, and hands and forearms. I have been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy (small-fiber nerve damage) through “skin-punch biopsy confirmed. It is not known what has caused this. I have been tested for everything, with the skin-biopsy being the last test! I am 46, not diabetic, non-smoker, otherwise healthy person before this. I also started drinking diet pop with Splenda and baking with splenda, etc. several years ago. It finally hit me the other day, and I started to do research and found that Splenda is made with chlorine, etc.!!! I also noticed my yogurt had sucralose or aspartame in it too. No more fake sugars for me. This is my 2nd day, and only hope that my neuropathy pain will diminish and my nerves will heal. There are 20 million Americans with neuropathy, many with unknown causes, and it is on the rise! Wonder if there is a connection? Only stevia, honey, and brown rice syrup, or pure maple syrup for me from now on!

    Amy’s Response:

    I am so happy that you realized there may be a connection! I don’t know what the numbers are on sucralose, but I do know that between 78 and 85% of all complaints to the FDA are about aspartame! (Or at least they were until they stopped catagorizing grievances as NutraSweet related…apparently they catagorize them under things like “death”!) Sucralose is relatively new, so we’ll see. Congrats on the new, healthier you!

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