Keep it Sweet (Alert)
Health Sciences Institute e-Alert
February 25, 2003
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Dear Reader,
Everybody needs a little sweetness in their life. That was
clear when I saw the amount of e-mails from HSI members in
response to a recent e-Alert ("Don't Fill 'er Up" 2/13/03),
in which HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., addressed some of
the concerns with the sugar substitute called sucralose.
Judging from the questions you sent, it's clear that the
search is on for a safe alternative to sugar - particularly
for the special requirements of diabetics. An e-mail from a
member named Stephen, for instance, posed a question that
other members asked as well: "In re your article on
sucralose sweetener, is it safe for diabetics to use? I am a
Type 2 Diabetic."
The short answer to Stephen's question: I wouldn't recommend
it. And as we look at some of the details, the reasons why
will become obvious. Fortunately, however, there are good
alternatives available.
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Let loose the sucralose
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A member named James has found a sweetener he likes, but has
a reservation: "I'd like to see a report on the sugar
substitute "Splenda." I like the taste and it works cup for
cup as sugar does. However, someone told me the processing
of Splenda leaves something undesirable."
Splenda is a brand name for sucralose, and the "something
undesirable" is chlorine. Supposedly, the chlorine
transforms the sugar molecule of sucralose so that it can't
be metabolized by the body. That's the idea anyway. As Dr.
Spreen noted in the e-Alert two weeks ago, "There have since
been reports of up to 30 percent being absorbed and symptoms
being caused."
Also, according to the Sucralose Toxicity Information
Center, research in the 90's demonstrated that years of
sucralose use may lead to immune system and neurological
disorders. Only further testing will determine how serious
this concern is, but in the meantime, sucralose users are
essentially venturing into the unknown.
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Sleepless in Splenda
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A single case can't quite measure up to the results of a
controlled clinical trial, but the personal experience of an
HSI member named Larry gives an indication that sucralose
might not be quite as safe as some reports would have us
believe.
Larry writes that about a year after he started using
sucralose he began having sleep problems, which gradually
worsened to the point where he rarely slept at all. His
doctor prescribed different sleeping aids, but only one was
effective. Larry says, "The real problem was that my brain
was never shutting down. All the drug was doing was knocking
me out. I got no true sleep for nearly a year."
Finally, he discovered what he thought might be the source
of his problems: "I mixed up some fresh limeade each day
with Splenda, and realized I was having attacks to my
nervous system. I started reading all I could on the two
sweeteners I used for the most part, and I found many horror
stories about both aspartame and sucralose. I went to an
alternative medicine doc who found my body testing positive
for both aspartame and sucralose poisoning. These products
had depleted the serotonin levels in my brain to such an
extent that both the sleep receptors and my metabolism had
been completely messed up."
Two years after removing sucralose and aspartame from his
diet, Larry is now sleeping normally again, and has lost
most of the weight he gained during his ordeal. He closes
his e-mail with this statement: "I would warn anyone to stay
away from both of these unnatural artificial sweeteners."
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Pearly whites
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The frightening health problems associated with aspartame
are well documented. This popular sugar substitute (the
brand name is Nutra-sweet, used in most diet sodas) has been
shown to either mimic or worsen diseases such as
Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, arthritis,
lupus, fibromyalgia, depression - and the list goes on. I'll
cover the aspartame question at more length in a future e-
Alert. But right now, we'll take a look at two sweeteners
that apparently don't come with a host of drawbacks.
An HSI member named Ron writes with this question: "What
about xylitol? My understanding is that it is a simple sugar
that does not cause a spike in blood sugar level, has at
least 40% fewer calories than sugar, and has dental benefits."
Now we're getting somewhere! Try as I might, I can't find
any negative reports about xylitol. This sweetener,
developed in Finland, has been around since the late 70's,
and research really does support the remarkable claim that
xylitol may prevent tooth decay. Furthermore, the source is
natural - rendered from xylan, the structural fiber of birch
wood.
Ron's information about xylitol not causing a spike in blood
sugar level is confirmed by at least one study where the
glucose and insulin responses of 80 healthy, non-obese men
were measured after ingesting xylitol. Results showed that
both glucose and insulin were less affected by xylitol
intake than by glucose intake, and researchers concluded
that xylitol is suitable for diabetics.
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Two in the plus column
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To bring this sweet e-Alert back full circle, I'll return to
Stephen's original question about sucralose: "Is it safe for
diabetics?" As I've already said, with all the other
concerns raised here, I wouldn't recommend it. Xylitol would
seem to be a far better choice, especially because it
happens to be available in bulk form (just like sugar), and
can even be used in recipes, with any measurement for sugar
equaling the same measurement for xylitol.
But Stephen has yet another alternative for sugar. One of
the featured articles in the January 2003 Members Alert
("Six Diabetes-Fighting Secrets Straight from the Amazon"),
noted that the natural sweetener called stevia is 300 times
sweeter than cane sugar, and yet an animal study showed that
it suppressed glucose response while increasing insulin
levels. I should mention, however, that some people find
stevia bitter.
Among the variety of sugar substitutes, there are those that
provide clear benefits, while others appear to have
drawbacks, and still others that may have serious long-term
side effects that we simply don't know about yet. Read the
labels on your beverages and foods carefully to be certain
you're making the right choices for you.
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To Your Good Health,
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Health Sciences Institute
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Sources:
"What is Sucralose and is it Safe?" Lynn Grieger,
ivillage.com
"The Sucralose Toxicity Information Center" Holistic Healing
Web Page, holistic.med.com
"Metabolic Response to Lactitol and Xylitol in Healthy Men"
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1997, 65(4): 947-950
"Safety of Xylitol" Dr. Joseph Mercola, mercola.com
"What is Xylitol?" xylitol.net
"Aspartame (Nutrasweet) Avoidance" digitalnaturopath.com
"Calcium, Vitamin D, Milk Consumption, and Hip Fractures: A
Prospective Study Among Postmenopausal Women" American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2003, 77: 504-511
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