http://mercola.com/2004/mar/31/splenda_reaction.htm
Splenda Compared to a "Biochemical Warfare Agent"--See One
Woman's Shocking Photos
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
If you are using Splenda (the brand name for sucralose) because you think
it is a safe alternative to sugar or other artificial sweeteners, then you
may be in for a surprise. Splenda is not healthy and it can cause many
problems in the body.
Over three years ago I posted an article describing the dangers of Splenda,
and, fortunately, it appears that more and more people are finally
realizing the hazards that this "healthy" sweetener poses. There is still a
long way to go toward educating the public about the health complications
this sweetener is capable of causing, however.
Splenda is far from healthy and I do not recommend using it in any form.
Why not use Splenda? Well, research in animals has shown that sucralose can
cause many problems such as:
Shrunken thymus glands (up to 40 percent shrinkage)
Enlarged liver and kidneys
Atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus
Increased cecal weight
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
Diarrhea
But perhaps the most revealing and powerful way to learn the dangerous
truth about Splenda is to read someone's personal experience with it.
Nearly every month we receive a report from someone who has had an adverse
reaction to Splenda, and after you read through the story below you can
read the many others posted on our site.
The following story provides a revealing testimony to the dramatic effects
Splenda can have on an otherwise healthy person.
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Contributed by Lori Hunt, RPh
Pickens, SC
Dear Dr. Mercola,
I want to thank you for your Web site and especially for your documentation
on the dangers of Splenda. I also want to pass on this testimonial in the
hope it may help others.
Last evening after dinner I began to feel flush. My husband commented how
red my face was getting and, sure enough, one glance in the mirror
confirmed a bright red, tight, shiny visage staring back at me. In the next
few hours my eyes began to swell. I went to bed hoping I could "sleep it
off." How wrong I was.
This morning I got up and my face was still red, bright and swollen with
puffy eyes. I am a pharmacist and I have seen many anaphylactoid (allergic)
reactions before. I began to feel concerned that I too was having one. I
have had only one other reaction like this before in my life--to Bactrim.
I went out for my usual morning run but by the first quarter mile I could
barely breathe so I walked slowly back to the house. My right shoulder was
burning so I went to the mirror and was horrified to find a HUGE 6 inch by
3 inch welt at the base of my neck (see photo).
I also felt very panicky and shaky and immediately had two bouts of
diarrhea in rapid succession. After 15 minutes and a cool shower on tissue
that looked scalded, I was having difficulty breathing. I was seen in the
local emergency room where the physician immediately gave me a
dexamethasone injection in the hip and a prescription for Epi-pen and oral
prednisone over four days.
At the time I didn't know why I looked like I had ingested a sulfa drug. My
husband and I tried to figure out what was different in my life over the
last 12 hours. Laundry soap? Nope. Cake? Animal dander? No and no. A dear
friend came to visit me in my misery and mentioned that I had started to
flush at church, several hours before dinner.
I remembered that I had had a cup of coffee and had tried the new creamer
sitting by the pot. I remembered the Splenda label on it, which prompted my
husband and I to search the Web and we found your site.
The description by Marcia in the testimonial area caused me to burst into
tears. Yes, Marcia, there are others like you. I am throwing that stuff out
when I get to church! This reaction that I have had looks like a drug
reaction! I am appalled an "artificial sweetener" did this to me.
Twelve hours after treatment my eyes are no longer swollen and my face is
no longer red, but my neck welt is the same size, same redness and as
tender as a sunburn. There are a few blisters in the welt. Even after
treatment it still looks this bad! Perhaps the manufacturer of Splenda can
sell it as a biochemical warfare agent after it is removed from the market
as a food additive.
Thanks for getting the word out!
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Related Articles:
Splenda is Not a "Healthy" Sweetener
Splenda's Dangers: One Man's Personal Story That You Should Know
12 Questions You Need to Have Answered Before You Eat Splenda
The Dangers of Chlorine and Issues With Sucralose
Sucralose (SplendaŽ) U.S. Product List
Why Nutrasweet was so Successful and Will Likely Never be Replaced by Splenda