By: Laurie Edwards for Reflux1From fairytale commercials filled with fluffy cakes and golden pies to the little yellow packets that come when we order coffee or tea, the artificial sweetener Splenda seems to be just about everywhere these days. But fearing its potential gastrointestinal side effects, a consumer group is asking the Food and Drug Administration to pull Splenda off the market until more research can be done.
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Yellow, Pink or Blue? Artificial Sweeteners 101
Splenda (sucralose) substitutes chlorine for hydrogen-oxygen groups and can withstand high temperatures. It is 600 times sweeter than sugar.
Equal (aspartame) is made by joining two amino acids to a methyl ester group. It loses some of its sweetness when it is heated so is not recommended for baking. It is 180 times sweeter than sugar.
Sweet’N Low (saccharine) is made through an artificial process and is 300 times sweeter than sugar.
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Americans are using sugar alternatives like Splenda in increasing numbers. According to the Calorie Control Council, an estimated 180 million people over the age of 18 consume low-calorie/sugar-free food and drinks each year. This is almost double the number of people who consumed them a decade ago.For diabetics, the sweeteners are especially significant since the human body does not respond to them as carbohydrates, the way it does with real sugar.
On a cellular level, Splenda (sucralose) is created by taking a sugar molecule and replacing three hydrogen-oxygen groups in the molecule with chlorine atoms. Since it can withstand especially high temperatures that other artificial sweeteners cannot, Splenda is recommended for baking needs.
Splenda lists no side effects, but according to the consumer group Citizens for Health, hundreds of doctors and consumers have complained of severe stomach pains and other gastrointestinal problems.
“The simple fact about sucralose is that there is no evidence that it causes any side effects whatsoever. This is why a safety statement or warning labels has never been required,” said Tate & Lyle, Splenda’s manufacturer.
“The inaccuracies being put out there are a great disservice to the millions of people who safely use Splenda every day. We will vigorously defend the brand through all the appropriate channels,” said Splenda spokesperson Michael Beckerich.
Splenda’s slogan that it “is made from sugar so it tastes like sugar” was the subject of a false advertising suit brought forth by the trade group the Sugar Association against McNeil Nutritionals, Splenda’s marketing company. The Sugar Association launched thetruthaboutslpenda.com, which McNeil Nutritionals used as an example of false advertising in their own countersuit against the Sugar Association.
“This is a chlorine-treated carbohydrate,” said James Turner, an attorney and chair of the board for Citizens for Health. In addition to his concerns over the safety of Splenda and its gastrointestinal side effects, Turner also takes issue with the popular slogan.
So which of the many popular artificial sweeteners is the best bet? There is no simple answer, but the FDA maintains that they routinely monitor the safety of such products and that within its food-reporting system, there is no trend signaling problems with Splenda.
A new study released by the National Cancer Institute found that aspartame, the sweetener used in Equal, does not increase the risk of cancer, contrary to earlier research.
While major brand name sweeteners appear to be safe and effective, especially for people with health problems, there is another alternative: Stevia, an herb that naturally sweetens food.
