Bye bye splenda

[asianbabe]

So I have recently been getting some pretty bad headaches, and am really wondering if this may be the cause. I've eliminated a lot of foods in my diet for the time being, dairy, nuts, red meat, just to try and find out what is wrong... right now I'm pretty much only eating oatmeal, chicken, fruit and whey..

I used to be able to use with very few problems - aspartame, sucralose/splenda, xylitol, but perhaps it has been my increased usage of late which could be causing these. They have now found their way into my protein, my oatmeal, pre-workout drinks, my coffee, tea and candy. Anyway, to the best of my ability I will be trying to limit the amount I take in each day as much as I can, using unflavoured whey, and fruit as my "sweeteners."

Dug through some studies and the evidence in relation to a causal link is not really compelling... however, anecdotal feedback, as discussed in this study seems to echo my sentiments...

Sucralose was the first noncalorie sweetener made from sugar (or natural sucrose).

Discovered by Tate & Lyle, a British sugar company, investigating ways to use sucrose as a chemical intermediate, sucralose has a key molecular difference that makes it similar in structure, yet different in metabolism and function. Chemically, 3 chlorine atoms in the form of chloride ions replace 3 hydroxyl groups in native sucrose.

Sucralose has a sweetness intensity roughly 600 times that of sucrose and is nonnutritive and noncaloric.[2] The majority of sucralose is unabsorbed in the gastrointestinal tract with the remainder excreted renally. Toxicology data on mice have demonstrated little overall harm, with perhaps the most significant finding being shrunken thymus glands (by as much as 40%) with large ingestions of sucralose.[3] Toxicology overview studies concerning sucralose's carcinogenic potential, teratogenicity, neurotoxicology, or genetic toxicology have showed no detrimental effects as a result of sucralose administration.[2] One animal study reviewed demonstrated cecal enlargement in rats (but not in mice, dogs, or nonhuman primates) when fed with 3% to 8% sucralose in their diet. Conversely, humans fed up to 500 to 1000 mg/day of sucralose in their diet did not reveal similar findings of cecal enlargement. On average, humans consume 1.1 mg/kg/day of sucralose.[4]

Despite a few studies demonstrating the relative safety of sucralose in animals and humans, anecdotal reports abound about sucralose's adverse effects. For example, websites devoted to revealing the harmful effects of sucralose explain that it may contribute in triggering migraine headaches, manifest unusual rashes, and even have transient ischemic attack (TIA)-like symptoms/drop attacks. Unusual crampy abdominal pain including bloating, gas, and nausea has even been reported to have subsided after discontinuation of sucralose. These websites are easily found by looking up sucralose on internet search engines. However, scientific evidence-based research is still lacking concerning this topic.

The growing popularity of artificial sweeteners and their abundance convey a societal implication of their relative safety. Despite research indicating little or no long-term negative sequelae to sucralose use, enough anecdotal reports exist that bring this popular product into question. Finally, population-based studies have showed that approximately 23% of households contained at least 1 member suffering from migraine. Identifying potential triggers for migraine headaches, in this case sucralose, may help alleviate some of the cost burden (through expensive medical therapy or missed work opportunity) as well as provide relief to migraineurs.[5] Physicians treating patients with headache or migraine should inquire about dietary use of sucralose. As the actual incidence of sucralose triggering migraines is unknown, data reported by physicians will be helpful in determining prevalence. Certainly more research will be necessary before making any final conclusions.

Headache. 2006;46(8):1303-1304. ©2006 Blackwell Publishing

[steve0178]

Originally Posted by asianbabe

So I have recently been getting some pretty bad headaches, and am really wondering if this may be the cause. I've eliminated a lot of foods in my diet for the time being, dairy, nuts, red meat, just to try and find out what is wrong... right now I'm pretty much only eating oatmeal, chicken, fruit and whey..

I used to be able to use with very few problems - aspartame, sucralose/splenda, xylitol, but perhaps it has been my increased usage of late which could be causing these. They have now found their way into my protein, my oatmeal, pre-workout drinks, my coffee, tea and candy. Anyway, to the best of my ability I will be trying to limit the amount I take in each day as much as I can, using unflavoured whey, and fruit as my "sweeteners."

Dug through some studies and the evidence in relation to a causal link is not really compelling... however, anecdotal feedback, as discussed in this study seems to echo my sentiments...

Have you tried Stevia yet? ive heard nothing bad about it yet.

[ozzman]

This should probably be moved to the Health section anyway...but....Liv...let's go back a bit...shall we?

When you say you have been getting pretty bad headaches....please..describe them, their frequency, intensity and duration....

I'm not saying it isn't Splenda..but have my doubts..so let's go over it, ok?

[asianbabe]

Well I can't say for certain that it was the sweeteners... headaches.. umm it lasted for about 4-5 days.. if I was still it would be fine, but any slight movement of my head and I would feel it. I'd wake up and it would be there, I'd consider it mild-moderate, since it lasted most of the days, painkillers seemed to help a bit.

[ozzman]

any nausea, light sensitivity and when on your cycle (yeah that cycle) would you say it was?

[asianbabe]

Hmm.. actually not really, actually haven't had my "cycle" for over 2 months now... headaches have since gone now, I also stopped overtraining and have tried to not sit in front of my puny laptop for hours upon hours.

[carlos.jango71]

Well friend, I have read that the chlorine in it can cause fatigue, but I use it in moderation. everyone I know is developing diabetes, its scary, so as part of trying to avoid sugar and eat a healthy diet, I think splenda has a place. I tried to drink unsweetened ice tea, I just couldn't learn to like its bitter taste-but with splenda, I can still drink sweet tea with lemon, my one addiction!good luck, just don't over-do! ps-its either fluorine or chlorine thats in it, thats supposed to cause fatigue. I cant remember which.

[asianbabe]

Just a few other things I found browsing pubmed.

Popular sweetner sucralose as a migraine trigger.
Patel RM, Sarma R, Grimsley E.

Department of Internal Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA, USA.

Sucralose (trichlorogalactosucrose, or better known as Splenda) is an artificial sweetener from native sucrose that was approved by the FDA on April 1, 1998 (April Fool's Day). This observation of a potential causal relationship between sucralose and migraines may be important for physicians to remember this can be a possible trigger during dietary history taking. Identifying further triggers for migraine headaches, in this case sucralose, may help alleviate some of the cost burden (through expensive medical therapy or missed work opportunity) as well as provide relief to migraineurs.

PMID: 16942478 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Migraine triggered by sucralose--a case report.
Bigal ME, Krymchantowski AV.

Department of Neurology, The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.

Sucralose is the active compound of the most commonly sold sweetener in the United States. Different than aspartame, sucralose is not considered to be a migraine trigger. Herein we report a patient with attacks of migraine consistently triggered by sucralose. She also suffers from menstrually related migraine that had been well-controlled for several months since she switched her contraceptive from fixed estrogen to triphasic contraceptive pills. Some attacks triggered by sucralose were preceded by aura, and she had never experienced migraine with aura before. Withdrawal of the compound was associated with complete resolution of the attacks. Single-blind exposure (vs. sugar) triggered the attacks, after an attack-free period.

PMID: 16618274 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[asianbabe]

More:

Migraine Triggered by Sucralose—A Case Report

* Alan R. Hirsch, MD

*
Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation Avenue, Suite 990 W Chicago, IL 60611

Drs. Bigal and Krymchantowski should be commended for their case report of a 30-year-old woman with Sucralose-induced migraine.1 A similar case was reported of a 42-year-old nurse who suffered from "Pure Menstrual Migraine."2

During the part of her menstrual cycle when she did not get headaches, 15 minutes after using Splenda (maltodextrin and sucralose) artificial sweetener she developed her typical full-blown menstrual headache, lasting all day. This recurred 5 different times throughout the month, each after consumption of Splenda sprinkled into foods or beverages. After discontinuation of this sweetener, her noncatamenial headaches resolved.

Potential mechanisms of Splenda induction of headaches include allergic, olfactory-evoked cephalgia, gustatory-evoked cephalgia, and perceived sweet sensation induction of a cephalo-pancreatic reflex with secondary transient fluctuation of blood sugar, inducing a hypoglycemic cephalgia.

The parallel between the 2 case reports is striking. While it is advertised that Splenda is safe for use by everyone,3 these 2 case reports suggest that those who suffer from headaches should consider this statement "with a grain of salt."
Alan R. Hirsch, MD