Splenda users...
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free skin care · Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:32 am

Splenda is getting sued for their "Made from sugar so it tastes like sugar" as campaign and that their sweetener is NOT a natural product.

They actually make it by distilling it in chlorine. The sucralose, which is Splenda's key ingredient, is made through this distillation process.

I was watching the Today Show this morning and the food expert mentioned that unless you need a sugar substitute, you should just use sugar when you can.

I had NO idea and have used Splenda. While they are stressing it is still safe...I don't think I'm going to use it anymore because I'm really trying to cut down on processed foods and the whole chlorine thing is unsettling to me, regardless of safety.

The following story is from last fall, they haven't updated or anything yet, the only reason I'm posting this is I had no idea (and I'm sure others don't either) and I wanted people to be informed. As I said, they revisited this issue on the Today Show this morning and I was surprised about how they make Splenda and just how processed it really is.
Most are assuming Splenda will be forced to change it's marketing campaign as it is misleading consumers into thinking Splenda is a natural substitute for sugar when it is in fact not.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15533454/

free skin care · Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:43 am

It was good of you to post this. Shock

Now you have put me off a bit & I always use splenda & love it. I may just shunt this info to the back of my brain for now & be an Ostrich.

free skin care · Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:58 am

I never thought Splenda was anything like natural. It's sweet -- but doesn't taste like sugar to me. However, if you have been using Splenda, which is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, you'll have a hard time thinking sugar is sweet now. Be patient. Your taste buds will have to adjust.

An actual low-calorie natural sweetner is Xylitol -- made from birch bark. Again, not nearly as sweet as splenda or nutrasweet or aspartame or any of the manmade substances and brands.

free skin care · Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:41 pm

I'm trying not to use Splenda for that reason.I think there should be more testing before things hit the stores.

free skin care · Fri Mar 23, 2007 3:40 pm

I have used splenda in my tea and while it didn't taste sweet like sugar it was nice. However, that whole thing with the chlorine makes me nervous and I think I am going to cut it out entirely...I don't use enough that going back to sugar will have too much of a caloric increase. Thanks ParisTroika!

free skin care · Sat Mar 24, 2007 12:29 am

I have also read in various "controversy" magazines that you can use sugar-substitutes as ant-killer... I am not sure that artificial sweeteners are that toxic..

free skin care · Sat Mar 24, 2007 5:14 pm

The amount of chlorine I consume via Splenda, which I understand passes through the body without releasing the chlorine anyway, is probably minute in comparison to what my body absorbs every time I take a bath or shower.

free skin care · Sat Mar 24, 2007 5:40 pm

annie313 wrote:

I'm trying not to use Splenda for that reason.I think there should be more testing before things hit the stores.

Yes! nod

Sat Mar 24, 2007 8:23 pm

alibabka wrote:

The amount of chlorine I consume via Splenda, which I understand passes through the body without releasing the chlorine anyway, is probably minute in comparison to what my body absorbs every time I take a bath or shower.

I agree. Swimming pools? Spa?

free skin care · Sat Mar 24, 2007 9:01 pm

Sidda wrote:

An actual low-calorie natural sweetner is Xylitol -- made from birch bark. Again, not nearly as sweet as splenda or nutrasweet or aspartame or any of the manmade substances and brands.

I have to stay away from sweetners like sorbitol and xylitol as they cause extreme gastic distress. I'd like to know more about Splenda before dumping it in a panic.

free skin care · Sat Mar 24, 2007 11:31 pm

I'm a little curious why people use sweeteners in the first place (unless you need to for health reasons). My parents use splenda because they've now become diabetic (due to natural aging and genes) and I know that splenda is the one most doctors recommend. I on the other hand use regular sugar, splenda to me isn't as sweet as sugar and I'd have to use loads and I find my drinks don't taste as good as when I use regular sugar.

Are sweeteners supposed to be better for your body compared to regular sugar? I buy organic sugar as well and it takes me a really long time to get through it since I'm not a big at-home tea/coffee person.

free skin care · Sat Mar 24, 2007 11:52 pm

I don't really use sugar...if I have to sweeten something I usually use honey. If I do use sugar, it is the natural, unrefined dark sugar. Never white sugar.

I go for natural in terms of sweetening stuff and even butter over margarine.

I've used Splenda in the past at cafes though. But not after reading more about the actual production process.

free skin care · Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:10 pm

anyone use stevia?

splenda and other artificial sweeteners? not for me. seems they're all nothing but bad for you. why do it?

free skin care · Sun Mar 25, 2007 9:02 pm

OMG, another thing I like is bad for me. I may have to ignore this one-I use it to sweeten my hot tea everyday. Jakee asked-does anyone use stevia and what do you think? Question

Sun Mar 25, 2007 9:17 pm

I do not use any fake sugars or similar products, especially anything "low fat".
Anything that is altered always has WAY too many fillers as substitutes in it...try reading the label, it's a little scary.
Aspartame does cause cancer in laboratory tests...plus it has a strange after taste...at least to me.
Unless you have to cut it out of your diet for health reasons, using fake sugar is probably just plain bad for you.
I think it is much healthier to try and eat foods that your grandparents would have eaten, and not so many processed products.

Thanks for posting the info on Splenda, as I have lived with roommates before who obsessively avoid sugar/butter, consume a lot of Splenda, drink mountains of diet Pepsi and low fat products, and balk at me for using butter on my own food...there's a limit I think.
It doesn't mean that you're unhealthy, I'm a very athletic person and I would much prefer to live like that with my real sugar than count every calorie.

free skin care · Sun Mar 25, 2007 10:00 pm

Thanks for the info, ParisTroika!

For those wondering about Stevia - It's a great natural sweetener but it doesn't taste like "sugar". Maybe you could compare it to fruit juice... it's sweet and it tastes good in some things but gross in others. I use it to sweeten water or lemon-water but not coffee nor in baking.

If you use Xylitol, keep it away from dogs! It's fatally poisonous to them!

free skin care · Sun Mar 25, 2007 10:18 pm

Ness wrote:

drink mountains of diet Pepsi

Ask them to check the label on their next can of diet Pepsi. High Fructose Corn syrup is high on the ingredient list and is one of the worst things you can ingest when it comes to processed crap in foods. It messes up metabolism and your ability to burn fat.

Show them this article:
High-Fructose Corn Syrup May Act More Like Fat Than Sugar in the Body

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A8003-2003Mar10?language=printer

I don't buy anything with HFCS in it anymore.

free skin care · Mon Mar 26, 2007 1:04 am

Those of you who are interested in animal related issues may like to know that Splenda was animal tested at Huntingdon Life Sciences. You can see the below link for details. Warning, do not click if details about animal testing procedures will disturb you.

http://www.vegansworldnetwork.org/vw-news2006-0121b.html

free skin care · Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:27 am

Thanks for posting this!

Back in December I decided to stop using artificial sweeteners. I immediately dropped about 10 lbs in a couple of weeks! Go figure, I gave up "diet" pop and I lost weight! I had no idea that would happen. I just decided that I wanted to do things for myself that was better for me, and I didn't want to have so many chemicals. Also, I used to get occasional migraines and I have not had a single migraine since I stopped using artificial sweeteners!

I have decided to just have the real thing, in moderation. If I do want a sugar substitute, I use stevia. Which is an all natural, very sweet herb. You can buy it at Health Food stores. I try to use that in moderation too.

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