From the Sweet Poison Newsletter

“It appears Splenda is fighting for the lead in the alternative sweetener race. It will be interesting to see if Neotame pushes Splenda out of contention as aspartame’s dangers are becoming more renown, and saccharin is back in the competition. Neotame has changed hands from its original patent holder, Monsanto Chemical Company, to The NutraSweet Co. to J. W. Childs Partnership to Pharmacia, and now to Pfizer if Pharmacia’s buy out is successful”.

“Sucralose (trichlorogalactosucrose) was approved by the FDA in 1988 as a tabletop sweetener and for use in a number of desserts, confections, and nonalcoholic beverages. Sucralose is produced by chlorinating sucrose (sugar); three chlorine atoms are substituted for three hydroxyl groups. According to Consumers Research Magazine, some concern was initially raised about sucralose being a chlorinated molecule, as chlorinated molecules also serve as the basis for pesticides such as D.D.T., accumulate in body fat, and are considered to be carcinogens. However, the manufacturer Johnson & Johnson has emphasized that sucralose passes through the body unabsorbed“.

“Research animals fed sucralose exhibited the following symptoms: shrunken thymus glands (up to 40% shrinkage), enlarged liver and kidneys, atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus, reduced growth rate, decreased red blood cell count, hyperplasia of the pelvis, extension of the pregnancy period, aborted pregnancy, decreased fetal body weights and placental weights, and chronic diarrhea”.

“In the midst of the continued controversy over aspartame, many pharmaceutical and health food manufacturers – Pro Lab, Twin Lab and Ross Products, makers of Pedialyte – have switched to sucralose”.

“In this ever-continuing web of confusion over which chemical sweeteners are safe to use, it might be best to return to natural sweeteners and let the lab rats fight it out for you!”