End of love affair with Splenda
When I submitted today’s column, I hadn’t really made up my mind about whether to ditch Splenda or not (if you’re new here, read the related entry). But a few hours after the deadline, Speedy and I had a discussion. It appears that he had been receiving warnings from friends too about Splenda. So even before the column was printed and today’s papers hit the newsstands, we already decided. No more Splenda.
What about the blood sugar scare I had when I was in the hospital last month? Well, we’re simply going to cut down on our sugar consumption. Meaning? If we’re used to a big slice of apple pie, we’ll eat only half as much. One level teaspoon of sugar for our coffee instead of one heaping teaspoonful. Etcetera, etcetera.
Below is the full text of the column.
War over artificial sweeteners
If you’re thinking of jumping into the Splenda bandwagon, or if you already have, you might as well know what has been said and written about the product that pushed Equal, the artificial sweetener pioneer, to the sidelines.
I’m currently a Splenda user, not out of choice but upon doctor’s orders. But my hackles still rise at the thought that I am ingesting a chemical-laden artificial sweetener with my coffee and cakes day in and day out so I felt obliged to educate myself. Whether or not I will ditch Splenda at the end of the process of educating myself remains to be seen. For now, the information I have gathered is scaring me shitless.
When Splenda hit the local market, friends were raving about it and the common tagline was that, unlike other artificial sweeteners, Splenda is made from sugar. We were on vacation in Roxas City a couple of months ago when I first tried Splenda in my coffee. Was it really made from sugar? I was skeptic because the bitter aftertaste was there.
A few weeks after our vacation, my husband and I found ourselves making a big decision. We were in the supermarket and were about to get a 2.5 kilogram pack of sugar from the shelf when we saw this huge bag of Splenda with a photo of a luscious cake printed on the front. That was the first time we realized that Splenda could be used in lieu of sugar for baking cakes, cookies, muffins and all sorts of sweet desserts. See, more than the sugar we put in our coffee, it was the home baked cakes, pies, cookies and muffins that made up the bulk of our sugar intake. We decided we’d try Splenda for baking.
I was happily learning to bake with Splenda and there were no complaints from my children. I was getting used to the aftertaste and I told myself it was only a matter of time before it became negligible. But. BUT. Splenda did something to the taste and texture of cakes and muffins. The sweetness was “bitin”. That was when I started scouring the Internet for information.
The first Web sites I visited were public fora of professional chefs. The consensus was that sugar reacts to the rest of the baking ingredients, particularly butter and flour, in a way that Splenda cannot replicate. A few more searches and Web sites, and I was deep into the advertising and legal wars that went deep into the tagline that Splenda is “made from sugar”.
Unlike its predecessors, Splenda is sucralose, not aspartame. Sucralose is stable under heat and that is why Splenda can be used for baking. But is sucralose a by-product of sugar? What does it mean when the makers of Splenda say it is “made from sugar”? Friends who use Splenda have the impression that Splenda is some kind of skim sugar. You know, real sugar minus the calories. A lot of people would probably be left with the same impression (such a splendid advertising tagline, that “made from sugar” bit) had the makers of Equal not brought a lawsuit against the makers of Splenda. The lawsuit forced Splenda makers to clearly define what “made with sugar” means.
In an article entitled “Makers of Artificial Sweeteners Go to Court” published on April 6, 2007 in The New York Times, MacNeil (a division of Johnson & Johnson), the maker of Splenda, explained that that process of making sucralose starts with cane sugar. Three chlorine atoms are added and sucrose is formed. After processing, the sucrose disappears and there is only the chemical compound called sucralose.
The curious part is that MacNeil has patented many other ways of creating sucralose and only one of those processes begins with sugar. Some of these patented processes start with non-sugars. The public only has the word of MacNeil that the sucralose known as Splenda is made using that process which starts with sugar.
The thing is, there is the implication that the public is to blame if the “made from sugar” tagline proved misleading. According to MacNeil, “made from sugar” is not the same as “made with sugar” and that is why neither sugar nor sucrose is listed among the ingredients of Splenda.
The legal battles unearthed the fact that the intention to mislead has been there from the start. The New York Times article cites records of presentations of MacNeil’s advertising agency about “the decision to position Splenda as not artificial” and that Splenda should be thought of as “sugar without the calories,” putting “significant distance from “artificial sweeteners.”
There is nothing natural about Splenda. It is as artificial as Equal, NutraSweet and all the other sugar substitutes out there. The “made with sugar” tagline has proved misleading to many people but that’s really the intention. When did truth and advertising ever go together? Most times, it is the wrong impression that makes a product such a hit.
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We feast everyday!
diabetes runs in our family so i’m also conscious of my sugar intake. i remember dining at sugar not, ate a slice of sugar-free chocolate cake and downed it with two glasses of sugar-free iced tea. hindi pa ko nakakauwi ng bahay umiikot na ang tyan ko. it turns out too much of any artificial sweetener causes LBM daw? that’s when i realized that artificial sugar reacts differently with our body than sugar does. and i didn’t want my body to take in something it’s not familiar with. now i drink coffee without sugar or any sweetener, i got used to it na. try it, you really get the flavor of the coffee. as for the cakes and pastries, you’re right, just half a slice or a couple of bites, enough to satisfy your craving.
I actually hate Splenda! It tastes absolutely awful to me when I tried using it in my tea/coffee! I don’t really like using any type of artificial sweetner as they all just have that strange taste. I’m not big on using a lot of sugar anyhow so I just stick with what is natural. Honey is really the best option for me!
huwag ka na lang maglagay ng asukal sa kape. may mga blend naman ng coffee na masarap kahit walang asukal. or use sugar free creamer na may flavor (adobo flavor? hehehe). french vanilla ata ang binibili ni jet, kaya lang may splenda rin yon.
or better yet, drink tea.
o kaya, maglakad kayo ni speedy after dinner. siguro mga tatlumpong ikot sa loob ng bahay, papawisan ka na noon.
Great and healthy move!
Emy, right. No deprivation but still keeping within the healthy limits. Besides, when was deprivation ever healthy?
Nikita, the way a lot of people have been raving over Splenda, I thought I was the only one who hated its taste. Pwe talaga, ha.
Jay, paglipat namin, may exercise plan na ako. Swimming in the morning, walking (or walking the dog) in the afternoon. Or, walking to the market in the morning.
Greymom, sometimes, you need to really get scared first…..
what works for me: natural is still the best. everything in moderation…and maintain a good “balance”. don’t deprive yourself, it’ll only make the craving worse- but do make it a point to exercise. even kids here are recommended to have at least 1/2 hour active play in the morning and 1/2 hour in the afternoon. this summer vacation- i’m going to teach kailea how to jump rope, hula hoop, chinese and maybe chinese king kong. do you guys still know what i’m talking about
? she loves swimming, hiking and biking too. so we’ll definitely get busy 
I can jump rope and do the hula hoop, but what’s Chinese king kong? I know Chinese garter…
I’m the other Nikita who visits Connie’s blogs, and I’ve been taking Splenda for quite some time now. Am not yet diabetic, but diabetes runs in the family, so I’ve consciously reduced sugar intake (and sweets in general). Truth is, I’ve never really noticed the after-taste.
Thanks for sharing this, Connie. Can’t say I’ll be with you in ending the love affair, but I will definitely be more conscious in studying the options. Naku, mahabang aralan talaga ito.
Chinese kingkong? Yun ata yung singkit na hari nang Kong dynasty. Naku, baka may mag react. Sorry.
Sa Spenda ang sarap, sa Spenda ang ligaya sa bawat lasap…
walk to the market? medyo malayong walk yata yun ah
tapos may uphill downhill parts pa? or may malapit na ibang market dun sa inyo?
BlogusVox, Blenda kaya ‘yun. Francis and Susan Arnaiz. Ay, tama na nga, magkakabukuhan na naman ng edad hahaha
Cocoy, susubukan hehehe At least from the subdivision to Circumferential Road. And the uphill-downhill terrain will really do me good.
We stop using Splenda and artificial sweeteners long time ago. Natural sweetener is the way to go – moderation lang. We use to add two teaspoons of sugar to coffee. We reduced that to one and now we are down to less than half of teaspoon per cup. Sometimes we use honey, or not at all. Eventually you get used to it.
For desserts, my wife always reduced the sugar portion in half of what the recipe called for. Same with any food – just a little bit of salt. And, more on natural herbs and spices.
When it comes to health, it’s all about diet, exercise, and lifestyle. And, no stress from wife or husband …hehehe
“Besides, when was deprivation ever healthy?” You’re right.
Smaller portions that you take time to savor and enjoy is the way to go, not deprivation.
And I agree with everyone up there, exercise helps keep blood sugar levels under control, but it has to be something you enjoy and can stick to. Hope you have pleasant surroundings for walking in your new home.
when i became diabetic i was told by my doctor to stay away from the three “white triplets” – white sugar, white bread, white rice. sa lahat, ito ang pinaka-bad kapag diabetic ka kasi sobra ang carbs nila.
I’ve switched to brown rice, when I can. Ate fruits and vegetables more often – wala masyadong potatoes, kamote’s (mataas sa carbs ang root crops). Wheat is good. In moderation lang naman talaga lahat. Alam mo bang nag-lose na ako ng 15 lbs in two months because of that? Bongga diba? I can give you some websites I’ve been to, email ko sa iyo…
When it comes to food,”white ain’t right”. This is what our white American doctor told us. Eat what our forefathers ate before us – brown rice, brown sugar, vegetables, fruits, fish/seafood and some (not too often) meats. They are healthier compared to the white processed American foods.
hmm… from a guilty Splenda user: I’ll be back for the next entry
re “A Few too Many”, Joan Acocella, The New Yorker, long review of hangover
research 2008.05.26 — same levels of formaldehyde and formic acid in FEMA
trailers and other sources (aspartame, dark wines and liquors, tobacco
smoke): Murray 2008.06.05
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archive.htm
Thursday, June 5, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1541
formaldehyde and formic acid in FEMA trailers and other sources (aspartame,
dark wines and liquors, tobacco smoke): Murray 2008.01.30
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.htm
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1508
The FEMA trailers give about the same amount of formaldehyde and formic acid
daily as from a quart of dark wine or liquor, or two quarts (6 12-oz cans)
of aspartame diet soda, from their over 1 tenth gram methanol impurity (one
part in 10,000), which the body quickly makes into formaldehyde and then
formic acid — enough to be the major cause of “morning after” alcohol
hangovers.
Methanol and formaldehyde and formic acid also result from many fruits and
vegetables, tobacco and wood smoke, heater and vehicle exhaust, household
chemicals and cleaners, cosmetics, and new cars, drapes, carpets, furniture,
particleboard, mobile homes, buildings, leather… so all these sources add
up and interact with many other toxic chemicals.
methanol impurity in alcohol drinks [ and aspartame ] is turned into
neurotoxic formic acid, prevented by folic acid, re Fetal Alcohol Syndrome,
BM Kapur, DC Lehotay, PL Carlen at U. Toronto, Alc Clin Exp Res 2007 Dec.
plain text: detailed biochemistry, CL Nie et al. 2007.07.18: Murray
2008.02.24
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.htm
Sunday, February 24, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1524
“Of course, everyone chooses, as a natural priority, to enjoy peace, joy,
and love by helping to find, quickly share, and positively act upon evidence
about healthy and safe food, drink, and environment.”
Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@comcast.net
505-501-2298 1943 Otowi Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
http://RMForAll.blogspot.com new primary archive
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages
group with 125 members, 1,541 posts in a public archive
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartame/messages
group with 1,109 members, 22,714 posts in public archive
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/05/26/080526fa_fact_acocella?currentPage=all
Annals Of Drinking
A Few Too Many
Is there any hope for the hung over?
by Joan Acocella May 26, 2008 themail@newyorker.com
“Wayne Jones, of the Swedish National Laboratory of Forensic Medicine”
[ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1469
highly toxic formaldehyde, the cause of alcohol hangovers, is
made by the body from 100 mg doses of methanol from
dark wines and liquors, dimethyl dicarbonate, and aspartame:
Murray 2007.08.31 ]
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1286
methanol products (formaldehyde and formic acid) are main cause
of alcohol hangover symptoms [same as from similar amounts of
methanol, the 11% part of aspartame]: YS Woo et al, 2005 Dec:
Murray 2006.01.20
Addict Biol. 2005 Dec;10(4): 351-5.
Concentration changes of methanol in blood samples during
an experimentally induced alcohol hangover state.
Woo YS, Yoon SJ, Lee HK, Lee CU, Chae JH, Lee CT, Kim DJ.
Chuncheon National Hospital, Department of Psychiatry,
The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
[ for more, use initial URL..... ]
JMonreal, re “no stress from wife or husband”
What about work?
JS, yes, the neighborhood is so, so conducive to afternoon and early morning walks. The dogs will get their exercise too.
Ate Sienna, sa Pasko, payat na ‘ko. Hehehehe And the best part is I’m doing this for health reasons rather than vanity.
Ooops! I have been using Splenda for years now. It allowed me to lose 30 pounds which haven’t come back because of it — I hated reading your article but knowledge is power.
Re “I hated reading your article but knowledge is power.”
LOL Miguk. Better than “ignorance is bliss”, right?
There’s this sugar I saw, made from coconut something na good for those who has to go low-sugar diet. Mabalikan nga yun sa kiosk nun so I can see the brand name,its from Cotabato.
We use brown sugar,muscovado here at home.
As usual I enjoy the points you make and me being a diabetic buying into the whole “don’t use sugar” thing, I did go see my physician and asked about natural sugar consumption. With everything else moderation is the key, although items such as soda are just flat bad for you. Fat come to find out is a bigger enemy to diabetes than natural sugar.
Thanks Connie
Julie, I’d love to find out about the coconut-based sugar.
Mike, being a non-fan of soda, I don’t miss it. It always gave me indigestion anyway.
To be honest, it amazes me that some people substitute soda for water especially during meals.
You are right Connie, stress from work is always a problem. In the case of husband or wife, you will always have a good reason to ask for their patience and understanding.
I guess there are times where I would rather be ignorant!
Re: the coconut based sugar, i was in bangkok two weeks ago and during one of our tours to the floating market, we made a sidetrip to a factory that was producing sugar out of coconuts, there were a lot of tourists, and truth to tell the sugar tasted really good, although i am not sure if it is good for everyday consumption.
why not use coconut sugar instead. It is said to have a low glycemic index of 35.There are philippine brands of coconut sugar out there. One is SPYTHE COCONUT SUGAR among others.
JMonreal, that’s why I quit working hehehe
LOL again Miguk. Although sometimes knowledge can be a cause of stress.
Pirkash, re “i am not sure if it is good for everyday consumption”. Is it higher in carbohydrate or caloric content or something similar?
Pirkash, what ingredient(s) do they add to turn it into sugar? Any chemicals? And how do they process it?
sorry i was not paying attention to the guide, we were busy snapping photos with my travel mates and i was too excited to get to the floating market, but the sugar was really sweet, but it was not in powder form, rather, it was in forms of sizes as big as the small puto we have here in manila.