Splenda Sickness

What are the benefits of taking a Glucosamine and chondroitin liquid?
Maintains healthy joint function, cartilage, and flexibility.

What are the effects of sucralose?
Joint stiffness and joint pain.

Source

Monday, July 25, 2005

Johnson & Johnson in the news, July 25, 2005

WASHINGTON, July 25 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint against Johnson & Johnson for misleading marketing practices in advertisements for the chlorinated artificial sweetener Splenda. "This complaint is on the basis that Splenda is being compared directly to sugar and misleading and confusing consumers into thinking it's as natural as sugar because it's 'made from sugar and tastes like sugar,'" according to the upheld complaint.

The Authority's Advertising Standards Complaints Board, made up of representatives from New Zealand's advertising and marketing agencies, reviewed 15 second and 30 second versions of an ad for the artificial sweetener along with focus group input. The Board determined that the ad deceived consumers into thinking Splenda is all natural like sugar, when it is actually a chemical compound. "The (Splenda) advertisement...gave rise to a likelihood of a consumer being confused and mislead as a result of the comparison in the advertisement," the Board decided. According to the ASA, when the Board upholds a complaint, they ask the company not to run the ad again.

In reality, the product Splenda does not contain and is not sugar. The artificial sweetener ingredient (sucralose) in Splenda is manufactured chemically. The sweetness of Splenda is due to the chlorocarbon chemical (sucralose) that contains three atoms of chlorine in every one of its molecules. In fact, the name sucralose is misleading because it is not a sugar but a chlorinated chemical.

In the United States, Johnson & Johnson is currently involved in more than ten federal and consumer class action lawsuits alleging misleading marketing for the chlorinated artificial sweetener Splenda.

"This is an important ruling for consumers. As more and more sweeteners are used to formulate foods in the U.S., consumers need to be vigilant in reading the ingredients part of the Food Label to verify if the product is made with all natural real sugar or some man-made, chemical sweetener. To help consumers, advertising of these food products must be accurate and not misleading," says Andy Briscoe, President of the Sugar Association.

The New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority was formed in 1973 and is a self-regulating body comprised of marketing and advertising agencies in New Zealand.

Monday, April 04, 2005

Johnson & Johnson replies to a consumer

A woman named T---- wrote to Johnson & Johnson Pacific about the experiences she and her husband had had with Splenda. Here are their stories and Johnson & Johnson's reply to them.

My husband N--- and I started to use Splenda approximately 7 months ago. We started to use Splenda as we were going on a diet to lose some weight and to better our health. We cut all sugars out of our diet. I am totally against artificial sweeteners, but I used your product because it claims that it is made from sugar.

We started to experience side effects within one month of having the product. We both believed it was sugar withdrawals. After a few months we were getting worse so we thought we would reintroduce sugar back into our diet. We got worse side effects so we stayed far away from sugar. It's funny now that we stopped using Splenda, sugar is not affecting us. We stopped taking the product on the 2nd of August. The symptoms we experienced are as follows:

T-----'s symptoms:
Dizziness
Lightheaded
Weak sensation in my muscles
Shortness of breath
Felt tired all the time
Eyes couldn't focus
Visual problems (cloudy)
Shaking (tremors)
Irritable, which was strange, I am not a contentious person.
Anxiousness
Heart palpitations -- serious
My short-term memory was lacking
Spotting around my ovulation time
Missed period
During period's - heavy cramping and bleeding, it felt like my contractions during labour.
Bloating
Abdominal pain
Gas
Constipated
Mental confusion (mild)
Mild hot flashes
Lower leg pain
Hip pain
Waking during the night feeling as if my heart had stopped. (saying my prayers)
Lots of vivid dreams, which is very uncommon for me.

The last week of having Splenda, I experienced seizure-like symptoms. My head felt as if a ping-pong ball was bouncing around inside my head. My mind was racing. I felt as if I could not control my thoughts. A foggy sense of doom was hanging around. I started having spiking pains in my temples that lasted only seconds as well as constant killer headaches.

I truly thought I was going insane, or worse - death. I also gained 4 kilos over the last month of using Splenda. After being off the product for 1 week today, almost all the symptoms have gone. I still get shaking (tremors) when I first wake up. I am also getting a feeling of being choked lightly. I can't seem to get enough air. I have also lost 2 kilos without dieting. I guess this would be due to not being constipated.

N---'s symptoms:
Dizziness - extreme, affected my work.
Lightheaded
Weak sensation in my muscles
Shortness of breath
Felt tired all the time
Eyes couldn't focus
Visual problems (cloudy)
Shaking (tremors)
My short-term memory was lacking
Mental confusion (mild),
Mild hot flashes
Lower leg and feet pain
Waking during the night feeling as if my heart had stopped.
Lots of vivid dreams
Ringing in my ears,
Cold feet
Anxiety attacks
My blood pressure was also recorded as high at the hospital, the day of one anxiety attack. Next day at my doctor's it was normal. I was prescribed Paxil. I did not take them. (I didn't believe I needed them. I am a Christian by faith, and I believed God would heal me.)
Anxiousness
Choking feeling
Bladder was bothering me - I had to go all the time and there was a lot of pressure on it.
Seizure-like symptoms. My head felt as if a ping-pong ball was bouncing around inside my head. My mind was racing. I felt as if I could not control my thoughts.
The last week of having Splenda, my feet began to hurt to the point where I was having a hard time standing at work. They tingled when I stepped out of bed in the morning.
The foggy sense of doom was hanging around.
I had spiking pains in my temples that lasted a while.

My pastor also recommended I seek counseling at my church. I have now canceled my appointment as I have my mind back. My pastor agrees.

Today, almost all the symptoms have gone. I still get shaking (tremors) when I first wake up. I am also getting a feeling of being bloated and have a lot of gas and am constipated. My legs feel week, and my feet still had a bit of pain. I feel like I have wakened up. My life over the last few months seem to be a daze. I can work again without any problems.

T----- received the following reply from Johnson & Johnson Pacific:

Johnson & Johnson Pacific
AUSTRALIA-FIJI-NEW ZEALAND
JOHNSON & JOHNSON PACIFIC PTY LIMITED A.C.N. 001 121 446
1 Bay Street Broadway N.S.W. 2007, AUSTRALIA
TELEPHONE:131 565, FACSIMILE: (02) 8260 8102
ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO:
LOCKED MAIL BAG NO. 5, BROADWAY 2007

CONSUMER@JJPAU.JNJ.COM

Dear T-----

Thank you for your emails. We also appreciated having had the opportunity of speaking with you about your experiences and your use of our SPLENDA* Brand Sweetener, as well as your husband's experience and his use of the product. We understand your concern and distress in relationship to the symptoms you described to us.

We assure you that our first priority is the health and safety of users of our wide range of products. The design, specifications, materials and production methods for all of our products are rigorously tested before any product is released for sale and we always endeavour to ensure our products meet the high standards you have come to expect from Johnson & Johnson. Also, our product packaging is subject to a thorough review process to ensure compliance with all relevant laws and regulations. We remain satisfied that all aspects of our packaging, including the use of the claim "made from sugar" are appropriate and that for the reasons set out below, warnings do not need to be included on the packaging.

Sucralose, or SPLENDA* Brand Sweetener, has been found safe for use by health and regulatory agencies around the world and it is permitted for use in over 80 countries. The results of over 100 scientific studies representing over 20 years of research has shown that sucralose is safe for use by the whole family. It also might be helpful for you to know that sucralose is not classified as an allergen. Research shows that it does not elicit, and would not be expected to elicit, allergic responses. In fact, according to our records since 2001, (our other records are archived), we have not received any reports of other consumers experiencing any of the symptoms of which you have complained. Consequently, it is most likely the case that your use of our product was unrelated to the symptoms you and your husband experienced.

Of course, however, as with anything that is consumed by humans, it is possible, in extraordinary and rare circumstances, for adverse reactions to take place in individuals. Whether you or your husband have had such a reaction probably could only be determined by a suitably qualified specialist.

In your email, you refer to an American website that you have come across; you also mentioned, in your initial email, a blog website that you had visited. We are aware of these and other kinds of websites that contain information that is simply untrue and not supported by the extensive body of scientific evidence and literature regarding sucralose safety. In fact, most of the information on this kind of website consists of unconfirmed anecdotes and rumours. For accurate and scientifically supported information about SPLENDA* Brand Sweetener products, you might like to visit our website at www.sucralose.org.

We thank you for the time you took to contact us and for providing us with your comments as we are interested in all matters raised in relation to our products. However, you will appreciate that, in the circumstances, we cannot accept that the symptoms reported by you are caused by our SPLENDA* Brand Sweetener. If you or your husband are concerned about your symptoms, we suggest you consult with a suitably qualified specialist.

We assure you of our best attention at all times.

Yours sincerely

MARILYN GRANT
Consumer Service Manager
CONSUMER@JJPAU.JNJ.COM
MAG/cl 000650664B

Splenda Sickness

Friday, June 08, 2007

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Monday, July 25, 2005

Monday, April 04, 2005

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