Splenda: Is it really safe?

So you want to lose weight, or reduce your sugar intake, so you shop for "Sugar Free" products in the market place.  What do you most often see on the front label of these products?  You'll most likely see something to the effect of "Sweetened with Splenda".  So is this really safe for you and can you expect to lose weight by reducing your sugar intake and replacing it with artificial sweeteners?  When it comes to Splenda, recent studies suggest that both these questions say no, Splenda may be potentially harmful and can actually increase your chances of gaining weight.  In one study conducted in the Journal of Toxicology & Environmental Health (2008),  Splenda was found to reduce the amount of good bacteria in the intestines by 50%, increase pH levels in the intestines, increase body weight, and affect P-glycoprotein (p-gp) levels which could cause the body to reject certain health-related drugs.  According to James Turner, chairmain of the national consumer group Citizens of Health, "...the artificial sweetener Splenda and its key component sucralose pose a threat to the people who consume the product. Hundreds of consumers have complained to us about side effects from using Splenda and this study, published this past week in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A, confirms that the chemicals in the little yellow package should carry a big red warning label". In another other study in the American Psychological Association (2008), eating sweet noncaloric substances
may degrade the predictive relationship in the caloric content of foods, leading to positive energy balance through increased food intake and/or diminished energy expenditure.  This is just another fancy way to say that artificial sweeteners can trick the body to make you feel as if you've eaten less than you really did, therefore leaving you eat more calories than you thought.

Petitions have been submitted to the FDA to restrict the advertising and possible production of Splenda, since the FDA has never tested its effects on humans thoroughly enough to declare it safe for consumption.  In 2006, this petition was submitted (click here to view).  So I challenge you to do some additional research and then ask yourself, is this truly safe?  So what is a person to do if they can't use Splenda to sweeten their foods?  Well there are some very good SAFE things out there such as pure table sugar (NOT CORN SUGAR aka High-Fructose Corn Syrup), Stevia, agave nectar, and natural honey to name a few.  These are not all of the many ways to naturally sweeten your food, but simply a few examples. As a CFT/CPT, I highly recommend my clients to try reducing their normal sugar intake and completely eliminate any unnatural artificial sweeteners from their diets if they want to improve their health and lose fat.

References

Starr, J. H.  (2008, Sep).  New Splenda, Sucralose Study Reveals Shocking Potential Harmful Effects.  Globe Newswire.  Referenced from http://www.splendaexposed.com/articles/2009/01/new_splenda_suc.html

Abou-Donia, M.B., El-Masry, E.M., Abdel-Rahman, A.A., McLendon, R.E., Schiffman, S.S. (2008).  Splenda Alters Gut Microflora and Increases Intestinal P-Glycoprotein and Cytochrome P-450 in Male Rats.  Journal of Toxicology & Environmental Health, 71(21),  1415-1429. doi: 10.1080/1528739080232863

Swithers, S.E., & Davidson, T.L.  (2008).  A Role for Sweet Taste:  Calorie Predictive Relations in Energy Regulation by Rats.  American Psychological Association, 122(1), 161-173.  doi:  10.1037/0735-7044.122.1.161