Splenda Side Effects

There are so many good things about Splenda—it has zero calories, tastes as close to real sugar as you can get, and you only have to use a tad to get a pseudo sugar rush, but do the health risks of Splenda outweigh these tempting benefits?

Some medical professionals and nutritional experts say “yes.” Although Splenda comes in a cute little pastel envelope featuring uplifting adages about the substance sweetening up your day, could it be possible that Splenda, like so many of its artificially sweet ancestors, is really poison in a tiny little package?

Here’s the bitter truth: although the company claims that the artificial sweetener is made from real sugar, it is actually nothing like sugar, and your body knows the difference.

Splenda is actually sucralose, a chlorine-infused substance discovered during the process of developing a new insecticide. If that alone isn’t enough to make you reconsider sprinkling Splenda into your morning bowl of cereal, consider some of the side effects associated with this sugar imposter:

Splenda Side Effects

• Itching
• Hives
• Swelling
• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Runny nose
• Diarrhea
• Gas
• Bloating
• Depression
• Mood swings
• Anxiety
• Heart palpitations

Animal studies have also shown that Splenda can prevent the absorption of other chemicals including medications. Although no human studies have been conducted to verify this, it stands to reason that certain amounts of the artificial sweetener could interfere with the effectiveness of any prescription medication you might be taking.

Splenda Uses

Splenda has quickly become one of the most popular artificial sweeteners in the United States because it tastes very close to sugar and contains zero calories. It does not yet have the stigma associated with aspartame and since its long-term effects have yet to be studied on humans, most people assume that it is harmless; many even believe it to be healthier than sugar. In its most common form—the little yellow packet you see everywhere from gas stations to restaurants, to hotels—it is generally used to sweeten coffee, tea, cereal, oatmeal, and anything else that would normally warrant a sprinkle of sugar.

But this is not the only way Splenda is consumed. Its manufacturer has expanded its scope to take full advantage of the prepackaged diet food industry and is now in close to 5,000 products on grocery shelves and at your local super center. The company has recently introduced a new baking variety as well which it claims can be used as a substitute for virtually any recipe that calls for sugar.

The real tragedy is that since it markets itself as a “diet” product, Splenda appeals to the very people who need to be most protective of their health. For instance, the product is very attractive to individuals who are overweight, have diabetes, and are at risk for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Since only animal studies have been conducted as of yet, the dangers of this artificial sweetener is not widely known. Even without hard and fast evidence, however, common sense dictates that putting anything that calls itself artificial in your body is not the most “splendid” idea.