As you know I still believe in whole, unprocessed foods, a term open to interpretation. The best definition comes from ultrarunner Dean Karnanzes, who uses this question as a test: would our ancestors recognize the food? If the answer is no, then it's probably a man-made food. Ancestors would not recognize artificial sweeteners.
I started incorporating Splenda into my diet a few months ago. My rational was that most sports supplements contain small amounts of Splenda to mask the chalky and unpalatable flavor. Those supplements are designed to be mixed with water or juice, so they must taste good in order for athletes to consume them. I figured Splenda was the safest of the artificial sweeteners. I wasn't sure about aspartame, and saccharine (Sweet N' Low, the pink stuff) wasn't found in many products anyway.
I gradually started using more and more Splenda until I was using several dozen packets per day! I was even using granulated Splenda when I ran out of packets. Moreover, I was drinking V8 Fusion Light, with a small amount of Splenda, and calorie-free salad dressing. The reason I was using so much was because I was drinking up to 10 smoothies per day (see my previous post about the liquid diet, which I still adhere to).
Splenda had the advantage of being cheap. Stevia, Purvia, and Truvia are all a little more expensive. I could get 400 packets of Splenda for about $13, far more than I could get with the other natural sweeteners (which tasted better). Splenda was also available in most restaurants, Starbucks, gas stations, and 7 Elevens, so I could always grab some there when I put ice into my smoothies.
Yes, here I was, a personal trainer with one of the most regimented and structured diets, eating large amounts of an artificial sweetener. I would put my packets into a sandwich bag every day to make sure I would have enough Splenda to last until the evening. The experiment came to end last week. I was at work, role-playing a consultation between a fitness consultant and a prospect looking to lose weight. My co-worker weighed me, and to my splendid surprise, found that I had gained 17 pounds! I couldn't believe it. I couldn't see the extra weight anywhere. My clothes weren't tight. I didn't feel fatter. I didn't look different. My diet hadn't changed. All I could suspect was the introduction of this chemical into my system caused me to retain all the water I was drinking.
Could this benign sweetener cause such a drastic change in my body? According to my perfunctory research, possibly. Here's what I found:
According to findings published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, a 12-week feeding study conducted at Duke University, control animals experienced an increase in body weight of 93 per cent over the 12 week study The effect of Splenda on body weight is likely due to the combined elevation of both intestinal P-gp and CYP. Splenda also affected the expression of certain enzymes known to interfere with the absorption of nutrients and pharmaceuticals. At the end of the initial 12 weeks, significant reductions in the levels of so-called beneficial bacteria were observed
Eight years of data collected by Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio showed that diet soda is linked with obesity. They report a 41% increase risk of obesity with every can of diet soda consumed.
Observational evidence shows that there are side effects of Splenda, including skin rashes/flushing, panic-like agitation, dizziness and numbness, diarrhea, muscle aches, headaches, intestinal cramping, bladder issues, and stomach pain.
While I didn't notice any of those side effects, I definitely noticed the weight gain, which could've been a result of excess water retention. Some scientists speculate that Splenda can interfere with proper metabolism of nutrients and lipolysis (liberation of fat for fuel). So I am anecdotal evidence that Splenda can interfere with fat metabolism and can cause weight. Other side effects include an increased craving for carbohydrates and sugar. I definitely noticed this! I have never craved sugar like I have in the last few months.
I have not cut out all Splenda. No drinks, no supplements, no packets, no granulated sugar. I want to see if Splenda is really causing this weight gain. It could be the liquid diet I'm on, or drinking too much fruit in the afternoon and evening. We'll see. But others have reported unexpected weight gain with Splenda.
Should everyone absolutely avoid Splenda? No. Small amounts in sports supplements or drinks are fine. One or two diet sodas probably won't kill you. A moderate amount of Splenda is less likely to kill you than excess sugar, which is associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and type-II diabetes. So I'd rather you eat a little Splenda than a lot of sugar. Just don't add Splenda to your diet. You shouldn't avoid a performance enhancer just because it has a little Splenda.
My experiment with Splenda has ended. I wish I hadn't conducted it in the first place. Now I'm back to using just Stevia, and occasionally some Truvia. Keep it real.
Kevin
PS- I should've listened to my Aunt Lori before conducting this experiment. I should have listened to her warnings!
No comments:
Post a Comment