Splenda (sucralose) may increase irritable bowel, cardiovascular disease, obesity and cancer

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Tuesday, November 04, 2008 9:40 am Email this article
Splenda (sucralose) reduces good bacteria in the gut as well as causes weight gain in rats both during use and after Splenda is stopped according to a study from Duke University.

"Suppression of bacteria, alterations in microbial composition, and reduction in [short chain fatty acids] in the gut might have clinical significance for humans n the management of [ that is, it may increase the risk of ] imany medical conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and cancer, in which gut flora play an important role," according to the Duke researchers.

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“Furthermore, recent studies using probiotics (e.g., lactobacilli and bifidobacteria) that modify bacterial balance for theraupeutic purposes further emphasize that even fairly small changes in gut flora may impact health and disease (Fukushima et al., 1998; Teitelbaum & Walker, 2002; Fooks & Gibson, 2002; Gill & Guarner, 2004),” the researchers noted.

“The increase in pH is also noteworthy because changes in intestinal pH are known to modify the absorption of nutrients and drugs from the [gastrointestinal tract] (Dudeja et al., 2001; Asghar & Chandran, 2006).”

REFERENCE

Abou-Donia MB, El-Masry EM, Abdel-Rahman AA, Mclendon R, Schiffman S. Splenda alters gut microflora and increases intestinal p-glycoprotein and cytochrome p-450 in male rats. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2008, 71(21):1415-29.

AUTHOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION

Mohamed B. Abou-Donia
Department of Pharmacology
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
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