Splenda misinformation
Do you know what your children are eating?
So asks the ubiquitous anti-Splenda advertisements.
These ads go on to say:
Splenda’s advertising claims that it is “Made from Sugar, so it Tastes Like Sugar.” What it doesn’t tell you is that Splenda is not natural, it’s a chlorinated artificial sweetener.
Since rational people don’t want to send their kids off to school with a lunch box full of swimming pool disinfectant, these ads have gotten a lot of attention.
What is the real truth behind the Splenda and chlorine? Let’s look at the evidence.
But before we do, I want to lay out my position. First, MD and I don’t own any stock in the companies that manufacture or sell Splenda. We don’t sell it. We have no financial involvement with Splenda in any way. Second, we do use it. We don’t use a ton of it because we would rather do without sweets of any kind as much as possible. But, when we do want to sweeten something, we use Splenda as our artificial sweetener of choice. Unlike aspartame Splenda is heat stable so we can cook with it, and unlike aspartame it doesn’t break down into toxic substances. In fact, very little of it is absorbed. And we have never had patients who had problems with Splenda as we have had with aspartame. We first found out about Splenda in Canada back in the mid 1980s when we attended a medical conference in Toronto. Splenda was in use at that time in Canada and has subsequently been approved for use here in the U.S., and since then tens of millions of people have used it without major problems showing up. We have never seen anything in the medical literature showing that Splenda is in any way harmful. So, we don’t have a problem with Splenda, and until we find something that changes our minds, we’ll continue to use it as our artificial sweetener of choice.
Now on to the Splenda attack ads.
These ads are the brainchild of Rick Masters, a former Democratic operative who has gone into the public relations business. He was profiled last March in the Atlantic Monthly in an article entitled “J-School for Jerks,” which was a piece about how Mr. Masters conducts a course for people who want to be the next Bill O’Reilly. Mr. Masters works for Qorvis Communications, a large, Washington, DC based public relations firm.
Qorvis Communications and Mr. Masters were hired by non other than the sugar lobby to mount an attack against Splenda. Why the sugar lobby would want to attack the folks who make Splenda, I can’t imagine.
Mr. Masters and “a group of concerned consumers, led by sugar cane and sugar beet farmers across America” (read: Sugar Association, the sugar lobby) put up a website purporting to tell the horrible truth about Splenda. But does this website tell the truth or is it simply sugar lobby propaganda? Let’s take a look.
We can forget about all the posturing and all the doctors and others who are on the site claiming that Splenda is a menace because that’s all lip service. Let’s cut to the chase, to the real nitty gritty.
The main attack against Splenda is that it is a chlorinated artificial sweetener. Is that true? Well, yes and no. It is chlorinated, which, as we’ll see shortly, doesn’t mean squat. And it is really a sugar molecule, so it really isn’t an artificial sweetener as is, for example, saccharine. It’s artificial in the same way a bowl of ice cream with artificial flavors added is artificial. The bulk of the ice cream is made with cream, milk, and sugar, so does the little bit of artificial vanilla extract make the whole shebang artificial? I don’t think so. But in Splenda’s case, the additive isn’t even really artificial.
But what about the chlorine? That sounds like the real problem. It can’t be good to consume chlorine.
First of all, every time you eat salt, half of what you are eating is chlorine. Common table salt is sodium chloride, half sodium and half chlorine (since the chlorine is in its ionic form it’s called chloride). Chloride is a natural substance. In fact chlorine is one of the elements in the periodic table. No one would consider salt artificial, so how can chloride – a natural element – be artificial?
So, Splenda isn’t really an artificial sweetener. If anything it would be more accurately called a chemically altered sweetener.
Splenda is made by replacing three hydroxyl groups (and oxygen-hydrogen combination) on a sucrose (common table sugar) molecule with three chloride ions. By doing so, the sweetening power of the sugar is increased by a factor of about 600. So, in actuality, when you consume Splenda, you consume real sugar, but because of the huge increase in sweetening power only about 1/600th of what you normally would . Instead of a teaspoon it would be a tiny grain.
But what about the extra chlorine? Doesn’t that cause any kind of problem.
Well, you do eat salt don’t you. A teaspoon of salt contains many thousands of times more chlorine than you would get from the teaspoon of sugar equivalent of Splenda.
If you want even more evidence that the tiny amount of chloride in the Splenda is harmless consider that like with blood sugar you have about a teaspoon of chloride circulating in your blood at any given time, which is more than 20,000 times the amount you would get from a dose of Splenda. How do we figure this?
A normal value for chloride as a component of an electrolyte panel (common lab measurement of blood that doctors often look at) is about 100 mEq/L. One mEq of chloride equals about 35 mg. 35 mg times 100 equals 3500 mg. One teaspoon is about 4000 mg, so 100 mEq of chloride is a little less than one teaspoon.
So, knowing what we now know, it’s easy to see who is telling the truth about Splenda. With the above in mind, let’s look at a particularly egregious example of truth stretching on the sugar lobby-underwritten, anti-Splenda website:
Fiction: The chlorine found in Splenda is similar to that found in other foods we eat.
Fact: The manufacturer of Splenda claims that chlorine is naturally present in such foods as lettuce, mushrooms and table salt, but they never directly state that eating Splenda is the same as eating these foods. Remember, Splenda is not a natural substance, it is an artificial chemical sweetener manufactured by adding three chlorine atoms to a sugar molecule.
Would you trust your health to the sugar lobby?
You mean the same type of people that tell me if I eat bowls of “Total” I will lose weight and lower my cholesterol?
Heck no!!
I’m a little nervous posting this comment because if I’m not careful I’ll be in violation of my numero uno New Year’s resolution — to express myself in a positive manner. (Of course, the “whenever possible” part of the resolution is implied. Most of my resolutions have loopholes. In fact, I sometimes think the only requirement that I have for a resolution or any positive statement that inexplicably slips through my cranky check-valve is that I leave all my thousands of qualifiers unstated.)
So I’ll start by violating resolution number two — don’t be a toady. (Except when necessary. Of course.) Your post was both highly informative and an easy read for a layman such as yours truly. As we like to say around Santa Barbara, it was positively Eadesian. And not that there can be any doubt, but just to make sure that I’m in clear violation of #2, and because I just can’t resist, a truly Splendid job Mike.
Back to numero uno. What about the taste? I wouldn’t begin to think I could successfully argue any science with you (numero dos), but I think any discussion of a food that is a substitute for a taste-treat like sugar has to hit on whether it tastes good. Splenda can have a back-end taste that says, like a note left on your windshield, “sorry, I’ve tapped your rear bumper…” It may be the best substitute, but it still doesn’t win the taste challenge when compared to sugar and I think that should be said. Like you, I believe in trying to avoid sweets as much as possible, but my school of reduction is not one of substitution. Eat less sugar, do without as much as possible, but when you are feeling seriously denied and in danger of committing a felonious dietary act, enjoy fully a moderate amount of the unadulterated product. Truth in materials is what works; it’s Zen In the Art of Long Term Diet. I’m reminded of what a young friend once said to me when discussing his future in the construction business, “Jim, I’m in it for the long haul”. I’m with you Mike on the total avoidance of high fructose corn syrup and other similar poisons, but I’m afraid a little sugar, now and then, is part of my Long Haul Diet.
Sugar cane/beet processing to get white table sugar isn’t exactly “natural” either. After being mashed up, boiled, and stripped of all fiber, the sugar solution is clarified by the addition of phosphoric acid and calcium hydroxide, which combine to precipitate calcium phosphate. Do the sugar lobbyists mention that?
I’ve never seen them dwell on it at length.
I’m in James’s camp on this one. I read through the blog, and thought that I really can’t see the point in all this debate on Splenda when the stuff just tastes so horrible. Obviously it’s not a problem for a lot of people, but it tastes very unpleasant to me, even over strong flavours like espresso.
The very same. Cheers.
I like the taste — much better than Nutrasweet. I primarily use it in jam for toast and occasionally in syrup for toaster waffles. And for a real treat, in ice cream. Baked some muffins using it — they were yum-yum delicious.
Everybody’s taste buds are different…
If anything, sugar is more addictive — eating sugar makes you want to eat more sugar. I don’t get that from Splenda — it satisfies my sweet tooth, without fueling an urge to gorge on it.
Thanks for the clear-headed information.
I totally agree with you Dr. Eades, I actually like the taste and finished products of Splenda then those made of real sugar.
I have been cooking dessert?s with Splenda for about 2 years now for my family during holiday’s and NOT A SINGLE PERSON has even noticed a difference in the taste or texture.
I even use Splenda in making Nut Brittles! 1/2 Splenda, 1/2 Brown Sugar, Flax, Pumpkin Seeds, Dried Fruit, and whatever else I have on hand.
It is sweeter then all-sugar nut brittles but I use so little syrup compared to the amount of dry goods that it equals out and crushes into a snack like loose granola.
My opinion on Splenda is the same as Tobacco:
If it is going to kill me then either BAN it out right or leave me alone with my “poison”!
Too many people I know LIKE being sheep and believe everything they are told and spew that misinformation back at me all the time…
I hear that Splenda will cause cancer, depression, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, neurological damage, INCREASE insulin resistance and cause diabetes because your still produce insulin to counter the “Sweet” because your brain thinks that you are eating real sugar…
You name it and Splenda causes it… Next it will be plane crashes and school shootings…
I don’t get it. Do we Americans have SO much time on our hands and so few problems that we have to create controversy over Splenda??
Sigh…
Is there a sweetener(xylitol,splenda,et al)that is relatively harmless???
If we use an artificial sweetener, we use Splenda. We sometimes use xylitol or erythritol, but not in large amounts.
Take a look at MD’s blog; she has several posts on the virtues and failings of a number of sweeteners.
MRE
Dear Dr. Eades
I have read a few articles and posts about people who get “severe” depression after starting to use Splenda. When they discontinue its use the depression goes away. These people indicate that they had never suffered from depression before and that Splenda was the “only” thing they had done differently with their diet.
About two years ago I started coming down with severe depression and memory loss. But there was no real reason, no problem in my life.
I eventually had to seek medical aid, get on Prozac for a few months and finally take 5HTP every day to keep it under control.
I just realized that two years ago was the exact time I stopped eating sugar and began using Splenda and Nutrasweet as my sweeteners of choice.
I drink diet sodas with Nutrasweet and use Splenda in my coffee. Could this be the cause of my problems? I think I will eliminate all these sweeteners for a month and see what happens.
Any comments would be welcome.
HI Jack–
I have witness first hand a number of problems that patients (and even a fellow physician I worked with) have had after consuming aspartame (Nutrasweet). I have never seen a problem with Splenda, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t cause problems in some people. If you are one of those people, and it sounds like you are, I would avoid it like the plague.
Best–
MRE
I know a lot of people complain about the taste of Splenda, including a number of my friends. Yet when I bake using the 1/2 Splenda, 1/2 sugar mix… well, I have yet to find anyone that can tell the difference, including the naysayers. The same actually seems to go for certain products that use Splenda alone. It really is a winner among options for my family– both of my parents are diabetic and absolutely love it, though they disliked the taste of the various artificial sweeteners.
Hi turelie–
Thanks for the Splenda tip. I suppose that half the sugar is better than all the sugar, but I would prefer no sugar at all.
Cheers–
MRE
It might have chlorine atoms in it, but that’s fine.
There’s a difference between sending a kid to school with a bottle of pure water, and sending a kid to school with two bottles: one of Hydrogen, the other Oxygen.
When multiple atoms combine to create another substance, the properties of the substance changes dramatically. And since Splenda doesn’t release the chlorine atoms, I don’t see a problem.
Hi Bob–
Agreed!
Best–
MRE
I have also read a few articles and posts about people who get severe depression after starting to use Splenda. During the process of working for my Ph.D. I became so depressed that I had to take 300 mg of Zoloft a day. I eventually weaned myself off the SSRIs but became extremely overweight in the process.
When I finally found the Atkins diet, I began using Splenda as a sweetener, per Dr. Atkins’ advice. No, it’s not sugar, but it’s a tolerable substitute. I have it every day in shakes, sodas and as a sweetener in coffee. It’s a lifesaver for me when cravings hit. And in my case, anyway, it doesn’t cause depression. It may very well cause depression in some people, but it doesn’t cause depression in every person.
In closing, thanks for your great explanation of the molecular characteristics of Splenda! Once you realize that half of table salt (NaCl) is chloride, it kinds of takes the scariness out of the Splenda.
Hi Marilyn–
Thanks for the comment. I think it’s probably best to avoid any kind of artificial sweeteners, but if you’re going to use one, I think Splenda is the best choice.
Cheers–
MRE
Each time I’ve eaten Splenda, I’ve developed stomach cramps so severe that I feared I would need to visit the ER. I really wish that there was a better sweetener out there.
Hi Janet–
I guess you’re one of the unfortunate ones who have a reaction to Splenda. Most people seem to be able to tolerate it pretty well.
If you haven’t tried it, try stevia. The drops are better – in my opinio – than the powder. Less bitter, at least. And you can try erythritol, which is a sugar alcohol that doesn’t absorb as much as some of the others do. Google natural sweeteners and see what you come up with.
Cheers–
MRE
I get real sick, when I eat anything with Splenda…I use stevia. I do love cooking with the Splenda brown sugar…use it to brown my meats..works great!(Hubby loves it) I have read somewhere also that Splenda thickens the Thymus gland? GREAT ARTICLE!
Hi Siddy–
I’ve never heard that Splenda has any effect on the thymus whatsoever.
Cheers–
MRE
Hello, everyone!
I first experienced symptoms from Splenda when eating low carb ice cream products sweetened with Splenda. I would have severe stomach cramps and diarrhea for two days afterwards, but I orginally credited this to the low carb milk product, not the Splenda.
When I started watching my carb intake, I also starting using an increased amount of Splenda from diet drinks and from frozen low carb treats during my diet. I became more and more depressed and lethargic and my abdomen swelled, which has never happened to me previously. When I discontinued all artificial sweetners and began drinking water, ALL OF THE SYMPTOMS DISAPPEARED!!! If I have to have a sweetner, I use stevia or a small amount of organic cane sugar. I am a healthy person who takes no prescription drugs, so this is an easy call.
I agree with Kevin Trudeau on this point: we should try to eliminate artificial sweetners and non-organic foods from our diets as much as possible. Thanks for all of the good information about Splenda!!!
I am curious what you all think of Stevia. Unlike most of you, I adore sugar, but realize how bad it is for me in large quantities. I make chemical cocktails in my coffee using stevia and splenda, and it comes out very sweet.
I think Stevia is fine. Some people are bothered by its bitterness, but it poses no health risk that I know of. It’s certainly better than sugar.
MRE
Hi,
Lately I keep hearing from various people that splenda never really leaves your body? It sounds very foolish to me because as I believe it Splenda isn’t absorbed by the body and therefore should pass through wholely. Am I wrong? Does this pose a serious threat to my health?
Hi Nick–
You’re right. Splenda isn’t absorbed so you don’t have to worry about it never leaving your body. Unless you are one of those people who have an idiosyncratic reaction to Splenda, I don’t think it’s a risk to your health. If you are one of those people, you would have figured it out by now.
Cheers–
MRE
I’ll stick with my Stevia and Xylitol.
Stevia works for me – Sweet Leaf brand has a clear liquid that is filtered so it has no aftertaste. There is also flavored stevia offered by them such as dark chocolate and orange. Need to remember that it is 300 times sweeter than sugar so only a few drops are needed.
I’ve found Xyletol to have about a 1:1 ratio. I haven’t used it in baking or anything like that yet but for coffee and tea – it is bang-on. Give it a try.
I have. It works great.
I am one of the people who had a very bad reaction to Splenda. I started using it frequently last fall as part of my weight loss program. I began to experience irritability, depression, and a general feeling of coming apart at the seams. I attributed it to PMS, and resolved to ask my doctor at my annual exam.
Within the past two weeks, things got much, much worse, and I was getting extremely depressed – having thoughts that no one liked me, that I was alone, that I wanted to run off, leaving my DH and 3 kids behind (not suicide, just run off and be alone).
I was just about to call my doctor when I remembered seeing info online a couple of years ago linking Splenda to depression in some people. I decided to cut out Splenda and see if it helped.
Now it is a mere 2 days later, and I feel like I am back to normal! I’m no longer irritable, anxious, depressed, or feeling like I’m spinning out of control. I will NEVER eat Splenda again, and am going to try to stay away from all artificial sweeteners because I fear having this happen again.
It is frightening to think that I could have kept on eating this and taking antidepressants to try to counteract the side effects. I’m glad I figured it out before I went that route!
Hi Vicki–
I’m glad you figured it out, too. I’ve haven’t seen many bizarre reactions to Splenda in my patients, but, as your case makes evident, they do occur. Thanks for the report.
Cheers–
MRE
I wonder if some of the mood reactions are actually caused by the regime change indicated by the switch to Splenda. Dramatically reducing sugar may well have mood altering results.
Xylitol similar sweeteners are acknowledged to cause bloating/gas or bowel cramps in many people: Note the “may have a laxative effect if taken in quantity” label on some of these products. We should check that the Splenda products we think are causing abdominal pain are not sweetener cocktails.
I have been using splenda for years with no adverse reactions . It tastes great to me and my family . I like the splenda opposed to sugar . Sugar has put weight on me and my wife ,as we started using splenda we noticed that the pounds didnt kreep up on us as fast so well take our chances
Splenda in the packet, makes my kidneys hurt. I know, sounds weird. But, I went on and off Splenda several times to test this. What will happen when I am using it, is whatever side I am lying on when I wake up, my back in the kidney area on that side will be aching. To the point that if I am trying to sleep in on a weekend, it will wake me. It will feel better after voiding. But, when I am not using Splenda, it doesn’t do it at all.
So, I don’t use it anymore.
I can’t use aspartame. It tears my stomach up (cramps/diarrhea) . I found out it was in REGULAR gum along with the sugar that way. I chewed a couple of pieces of my DH’s gum and had symptoms. Since we aren’t into wood alcohol or formaldehyde, he doesn’t chew gum anymore either. It hasn’t been in hubba bubba yet.