Splenda Not So Splendid
Artificial sweeteners have become popular alternatives to sugar but a recent study at Duke University Medical Center’s Department of Pharmacology has produced some new information that is not so sweet.
Researchers at Duke studied the effects of Splenda, a processed artificial sweetener made from sucralose, on rats over a 12 week period. After the three months, they found that Splenda consumption produced some adverse effects, including reduced fecal microflora (good intestinal bacteria), increased fecal pH which is associated with digestive problems and/or cancer, and elevated levels of P-gp proteins and CYP enzymes which are known to limit the absorption of nutrients and orally administered drugs.
Many natural health stores do not carry any products containing sucralose because there is not enough information on the effects of the sweetener on human health.
