Splenda Isn’t So Splendid: The Toxic Rumsfeld-Monsanto Link

As we get closer to the holidays, many people look for ways to cut back on sugar and other indulgences so that when the New Year rolls around, they won’t have to work so hard to lose those extra pounds. While it is a good idea to avoid sugar altogether, using the artificial sweeteners Splenda or Aspartame might be even worse. There are numerous reasons you should avoid the stuff in little yellow packages (or pink, or blue). Here is why.

Donald Rumsfeld, the very same politician who supports GMOs, is perhaps the singular man who got Splenda onto the market after the FDA initially refused it. If you have gotten sick from consuming this toxic substance, you can thank him, along with its makers. Splenda was created by the British company Tate & Lyle along with the pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson.

Perhaps you remember when the Coca-Cola company launched its ad campaign to fight obesity back in the early 80s? This was all part of a ploy to begin the use of aspartame, whose patent was once owned by none other than Monsanto! Ironically, there are numerous studies that show this stuff causes obesity. It doesn’t prevent obesity.

Before they started selling you Splenda, it was called NutraSweet. In 1985, Monsanto purchased G.D. Searle, the chemical company that held the patent to aspartame, the active ingredient in NutraSweet, as well as Splenda and many other artificial sweeteners. Is Splenda safe? It depends who you ask.

Let’s look at a little timeline, shall we?

• 1901: Monsanto Chemical Works is formed.

• 1976: When Ford loses the 1976 election, Rumsfeld returns to private business life, and is named president and CEO of the pharmaceutical corporation G. D. Searle & Company, during which time he leads the legalization of Aspartame.

• 1977: Monsanto stops producing PCBs.

• 1997: Monsanto businesses are spun off as Solutia Inc.

• 1999: John Hunter is named chairman and CEO.

• 2000: Monsanto’s Pharmaceutical Services Division is created. Monsanto also merges with the drug-maker Pharmacia & UpJohn Inc., which took control of the Searle pharmaceutical operations, and the current Monsanto Co. was incorporated as a subsidiary in October 2000.

• 2002: PCB trial results in sharp drop in stock price.

Check out this video for more information.

Dr. James Bowen, a physician and biochemist, says that he developed ALS from aspartame ingestion. He has just recovered form stomach cancer also attributed to aspartame. Bowen has been researching the product since it was given free reign on the market, and it almost cost him his life. He attests that it is a horrible chemical poison that is really just chlorinated sugar.

What’s even more suspect is that Donald Rumsfeld was on the Board of Directors at Monsanto’s Searle pharmaceuticals even before he helped get aspartame through the FDA, and he has been supporting the biotech company’s plans to take over the world seed supply as well.

The sugar substitute was approved for use in foods as a sweetener in 1998. Before approving sucralose, the FDA claimed to have reviewed 110 human and animal studies, but it turns out that only 2 out of those studies were actually on humans.

Splenda is just the trademarked brand name of sucralose, and this is still one of the best selling artificial sweeteners on grocery store shelves today.

Potential Negative Effects of Splenda

Here are just a few of the negative health impacts Splenda can have on people:

• Splenda and sucralose consumption alter the healthy micro-flora of the gut, making it more difficult for your immune system to work as it should while fueling gastro-intestinal diseases. In animal studies Splenda reduced the healthy gut flora by 50%! It also affected P-glycoprotein (P-gp) levels.

• Splenda alters the efficacy of many drugs. While it would be better to treat your disease with natural remedies, if you are taking meds for cancer or heart disease, Splenda could be interfering with that.

• Splenda may even alter genes. This sounds familiar when coming from a company who splices and dices the genome like some kind of freak show. The molecules are manipulated and this may also cause molecules in our bodies to be altered as well.

• Splenda causes obesity. This toxic substance alters blood sugar levels and can lead to increased chances of getting diabetes as well as obesity. It tricks your body into eating more, and with more calories, you know what happens – unwanted weight gain.

• Splenda shrinks the thymus gland by up to 40%. You need your thymus; it helps to regulate the heart and is responsible for many endocrine functions, including balancing metabolic rate. Why would you want to eat something that shrinks your thymus to the size of rat scat? Yuck.

James Turner, the chairman of the national consumer education group Citizens for Health, has expressed shock and outrage over new reports from scientists outlining the dangers of this substance.

So, while many studies point to its safety, many others (which as less discussed) have found that these artificial sweeteners are actually harmful. It’s up to you to decide whether to ingest this questionable substance or not.

Additional Sources:

Forbes