|
Diabetics InformationJust How Dangerous Are Splenda and Artificial Sweeteners - Which Side is Spinning?
by:
Richard Keir
Copyright 2005 Richard Keir
There seems to be fairly poor trailing by any formal standards once a product is sanctioned as a food additive. Despite purportedly
trailing adverse reactions, the reality has been several at the FDA. Sweetening is a case in point. Apparent collusion, distorted research reports, lack of funding for independent research, questionable practices in trailing adverse reactions and coverage them. It's a pretty ugly sounding story. It's been aforesaid that Sweetening is a contract on humanity. Here's one source you mightiness find puts you off Sweetening for good: http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/suffer.faq - "Reported Sweetening Toxicity Effects".
Are the estimates (in the report above) of the real number of cyanogenetic reactions accurate? I'm no medical scientist
but what smitten me was the large number of serious cyanogenetic reactions according by pilots. My conclusion -- I won't use the stuff. And there are suggestions that the outgrowth - Neotame - may be even as worse.
Everyone pretty more knows the kinds of problems that have been according with cyclamates and Saccharin. Weirdly - possibly bad tracking? - the actual dangers still seem unclear after galore years of use. However, as I see it, they seem to be well less cyanogenetic than several more recent artificial sweeteners.
Splenda is the latest and greatest. Reportedly factory-made
from sugar by subbing 3 cl atoms for 3 hydroxyl group groups, several claim that the end product is not what it should be. Apparently if it were ready-made from sugar then once
you dissolve it in water (hydrolyze), it ought to produce chlorinated aldohexose
which is a acknowledged toxin. Instead it produces chlorinated monosaccharides.
Splenda, or sucralose, is a chlorocarbon. Chlorocarbons have an illustrious history, being acknowledged for causation organ, generative and genetic damage. Whether sucralose (Splenda) is as safe as the manufacturer claims (which is pretty more what manufacturers always claim) remains to be seen. Here is another reference worth taking a look at: http://www.mercola.com/2000/dec/3/sucralose_dangers.htm - "Secret Dangers of Splenda".
Andrew Weil, MD has several pertinent - and more moderate comments on Sweetening and Splenda here: http://www.drweil.com/u/QA/QA106654/ - "Aspartame: Can a Little Bit Hurt". He suggests exploitation the "precautionary" principle - which fundamentally says if there are questions simply about the security of a product, don't use it.
At this point, I think it's my head that's spinning. I'm uncertain whether Splenda is safe, reasonably safe, slightly risky or seriously risky. Once
I looked at the manufacturer's site and a couple another sites that were all enthused simply about Splenda, I didn't see any answers to the points the critics are making. Mostly it's all lightness, sweetness and the miracle of modern science.
Like you I've seen several miracles of modern science turn into nightmares once
the testing wasn't adequate, once
the results were fudged, once
coverups went on. So questions exist simply about all the artificial sweeteners. Splenda may be less dangerous than Sweetening (which I sure wouldn't recommend to anyone). Long-term and independent studies are lacking. And here's the real kicker:
***** From Consumers' Research Magazine "There is no clear-cut evidence that sugar substitutes are useful in weight reduction. On the contrary, there is several evidence that these substances may stimulate appetite."
Now that simply tears it. Risk your health exploitation one of these chemicals and then end up feeding more because it stimulates your appetite. Terrific.
So what alternatives are there? Amazingly there are quite a few. One absorbing alternative is a South American plant called Stevia. Apparently once considered a potential threat to the sugar industry, it seems to have been deep-sixed early in the twentieth century. It has been used as a sweetener for centuries by South American natives. In the U.S., it seems (somehow) to have been unbroken
from being accessible as an "additive" and the FDA has aforesaid not enough studies have been done. Yet it's wide
used by diabetics and in countries such as Japan and Brazil. Stevia is accessible at health stores as a supplement (though without any indication that it could be used as a sweetener). It's a fascinating story which you can see here: http://www.stevia.net/ - The Stevia Story
More information on alternative sweeteners is in our article: http://www.carb.werkz.org/healthier-sweeteners.php - "Healthier Alternatives to Artificial Sweeteners."
Our health is challenged on all sides these days. New chemicals, new additives, genetically engineered foods, extremely
processed foods, empty calories, stress and pollution all pose threats to our bodies. I've move to the conclusion that the fewer extremely
processed, with chemicals
enhanced, dubiously
assessed, mill created products we ingest, the better off we wish probably be.
Our bodies evolved as a part of the natural earth and although we are ever-changing the earth radically (which is only natural, it is what folk do after all), our bodies do not evolve and adapt at the rate technology changes. And for scientific, political and economic reasons, the quality and conscientiousness of evaluations done on recently created products don't match up to our industrial creativity.
Finally, reconciliation the need to lose weight (or maintain an optimum weight) against potential risks creates difficult choices. It's up to you to do the better select you can for your specific situation -- simply remember, that old saw still holds - Let the purchaser beware.
Just simply about the author:
http://www.Carb.Werkz.orgis an informational site providing recipes, articles, news and diet resources. Since galore recipes are designed to use Splenda, please take a look at http://www.Carb.Werkz.org/healthier-sweeteners.phpand http://www.Carb.Werkz.org/how-to-use-splenda.phpfor additional information.
Circulated by Article Emporium
| |
