I've never eaten many foods/drinks with artificial sweeteners. I picked up some hard candy in Walmart that is made with Splenda. It's made by Baskin Robbins-chocolate chip mint flavored, 10 calories per piece. I've been having at most two pieces a day.
Is Splenda bad for you? I know it's been around a while, but I've never had any foods made with it. It's made from sugar, right?
There is some controversy about splenda and I'm sure you'll find websites out there that will denounce it. Is it bad for you? I don't know and no one probably knows. Are other artificial sweeteners bad for you? Some people can't tolerate them, some people get insulin reactions to them, some people blame medical problems on them.
They've been sued numerous times for claiming that Splenda is made from sugar. Yes, part of it comes from sugar, but then that part is chemically alterred so much that it is a pretty far cry from anything resembling sugar once it's done.
Nelie is absolutely right--it's bad...for some people. Some people are much more sensitive to artificial sweeteners than others. Some people are allergic to Splenda. Some people claim it causes cancer (since it contains chlorine, which is a known carcinogen, but Splenda says they've done enough studies to show that it's not absorbed by the body and just passes through, so it's harmless).
I don't think we'll honestly know for a few decades whether or not it is completely safe, and even then, just like anything else, I'm sure there will be many people who CAN consume it safely and some who cannot (just like with NutraSweet and Equal).
I don't avoid it, really, but I also don't specifically seek it out, nor do I add it to my own recipes, but plenty of people do and don't have any negative consequences. If you like it and have no reactions to it or fear of it, then rock on!
It is made from sugar; here's how: the sugar molocules are lengthed (strung-out) so that it is made undigestiable.
This means--- DON'T eat too much! Because it is undigestiable it goes right through your body. And unless you like to spend your evenings on the commode....... consume sparsely!
Thanks! I don't use it for anything else, and never drink diet soda. I don't eat many foods made with chemicals. I'll only eat the hard candy a few times a week until the bag is gone. I don't think I'll buy it again, though.
I love this debate. Mostly because, is sugar GOOD for you?
I think it's all a matter of degree. I think if you keep in mind that splenda is an artificial sweetner and that it's not as good as licking a organic, local strawberry than you'll be fine.
I agree that we won't know if there is problems with artificial sweetners for years, short term studies won't show the long term effects. I am biased because when I have those sweenters I get migraines and then my throat swells up and I can't breath properly.
Honestly . . . I think that old phrase . . . all things in moderation . . . should govern what you eat. A little bit of sugar won't kill you and, I'm pretty sure, a little bit of Splenda won't either. Now, if you turn either one into a major part of your food plan, the end result may not be what you'd like.
As a diabetic, I prefer the Splenda route simply because it does not have a significant impact on my blood glucose levels . . . but, a little real sugar is not terribly harmful even for a diabetic -- operative word there is LITTLE.
When I saw this thread the first thing I thought was "NOOOOOOOOO!"
Since I'm in Guayaquil I've stocked up on Splenda ($75 worth). I've never had any ill effects from it and it cooks great. I only have like 1 packet a day though.
Splenda is BAD for ME. If I eat anything w/Splenda no matter how small the amount, it goes right through me and takes everything else I've eaten that day with it, if you know what i mean . I avoid that stuff like the plague.
Splenda is BAD for ME. If I eat anything w/Splenda no matter how small the amount, it goes right through me and takes everything else I've eaten that day with it, if you know what i mean . I avoid that stuff like the plague.
I totally know what you mean!!! haha! But I do tend to take it when I need a bit of help being "regular." Now that was waaaayyyy too much information!!!
It is made from sugar; here's how: the sugar molocules are lengthed (strung-out) so that it is made undigestiable.
This means--- DON'T eat too much! Because it is undigestiable it goes right through your body. And unless you like to spend your evenings on the commode....... consume sparsely!
Actually, what happens is that they add chlorine to the molecules with the idea that since the body cannot digest chlorine, it will go right through...
But actually chlorine is toxic and is retained in a certain measure by the body, the same way it is retained when it comes from the pesticides on fruit, or from tap water. Chlorine is one of those chemicals that mimics estrogen in the body so it can be particularly dangerous for women to overdo it because estrogen dominance is connected to several types of cancer. That is why Splenda is still controversial.
Most artificla sweeteners aren't safe. Some people show reactions right away, some don't but that doen't mean that they are good for your body.
I think since there are a lot of chimcals in our environment already and it's virtually impossibly to avoid them IMO it's not a good idea to add more to our bodies. But of course it's a personal choice.
I think the main problem is that to have a healthy lifestyle we also need to re-train our tastebuds a bit so we can taste foods without adding lots of sugar, butter or salt. I don't think creating replacements for sugar, butter or salt is the answer. Look at margarine, they came up with it so people woulnd't miss butter but it contains trans fats. It's the same with sweeteners IMO.
is Splenda bad for you?
. I avoid that stuff like the plague.
Now that was waaaayyyy too much information!!!
