Sucralose was discovered in 1976 by researchers at Tate & Lyle Ltd., a large British sugar refiner. In 1980, they arranged with Johnson & Johnson, the world's largest health care company, to develop sucralose. Johnson & Johnson formed McNeil Specialty Products Company in 1980 to commercialize sucralose.

In 1998 the US Food and Drug Administration approved sucralose for use in a variety of food products in the US.

Sucralose is produced by adding chlorine atoms to sugar (sucrose). Only about 78 studies of safety have been published on sucralose as of November 2004. According to the Medical Letter on Drugs & Therapeutics, "Its long-term safety is unknown." According to the Sucralose Toxicity Information Center, the "Manufacturer's '100's of studies' (some of which show hazards) were clearly inadequate and do not demonstrate safety in long-term use." According to Consumers Research Magazine "Some concern was raised about sucralose being a chlorinated molecule. Some chlorinated molecules serve as the basis for pesticides such as D.D.T., and accumulate in body fat.

Research in animals has shown that sucralose can cause many problems in rats, mice, and rabbits, such as:

* Shrunken thymus glands (up to 40% shrinkage)
* Enlarged liver and kidneys.
* Atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus
* Increased cecal weight
* Reduced growth rate
* Decreased red blood cell count
* Hyperplasia of the pelvis
* Extension of the pregnancy period
* Aborted pregnancy
* Decreased fetal body weights and placental weights
* Diarrhea

The manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson emphasized that sucralose passes through the body unabsorbed, however, Japanese Food Sanitation Council, reports as much as 40% of ingested sucralose is absorbed. These "non-caloric"sweeteners are generally maketed in foods targeted at weight loss or diabetes control. There is no evidence that it is beneficial in either circumstance. One small study of diabetic patients using the sweetener actually showed a possible lessening of control of diabetes.

Be cautious in running from sucralose to one of the other artificial sweetners such as Nutraswweet or Equal, they have their own set of problems. So what is a person to do? Avoid sweetened and artificially sweetened foods and drinks. Go with a natural, unsweetened fruit juice. Better yet try plain old water, go ahead add some lemon.

The study was conducted by American Specialty Health Plans, Inc. Which provides employers with health insurance for complementary medical care including chiropractic and acupuncture.

Authors of the study included several MDs, Chiropractic Doctors and scientists.

After reviewing the four year history of 1.7 million member patients with back pain claims in California - 2 groups with the same medical coverage but one group of one million without chiropractic coverage.

The researchers concluded that if all members of the plan had chiropractic care, total health care costs would drop 12% giving a savings of $47.5 million per year. These savings are the result of less utilization of hospital beds, drugs, surgery, x-rays and, most importantly, quicker recoveries.

All this with a 95% satisfaction rating given by the company’s chiropractic subscribers.

Basically the study went like this. One hundred and twenty overweight or mildly obese men and women between the ages of 40 to 65 were divided into three groups for the study. The first group was instructed to do no exercise. The second group walked briskly 11 miles a week, while the third group jogged 17 miles a week. They were all instructed not to diet during the eight-month study period. Those who did no exercise gained on average almost 2.5 pounds, while 73% of those who walked briskly 11 miles a week (or 30 minutes a day) maintained their weight and some even lost a few pounds. Those in the third group who did vigorous exercise by jogging about 17 miles a week lost an average of nearly eight pounds over the eight month study period.  All that without dieting. They also lost more than 10 pounds of body fat and gained three pounds of lean body mass on average.

Walking briskly 30 minutes per day may mean you would never have to diet again! For more information on starting a program you might find www.thewalkingsite.com helpful. 

He said: "I don't know, but your eyesight is perfect."

-----The late Rodney Dangerfield.  

Over-The-Counter Pain Relievers to be Wary Of:

* Aleve

* Aspirin

* Ibuprofen

Aleve (made by Bayer) is the first non-prescription NSAID to be added to the list of painkillers associated with heart attacks and strokes. In fact, Aleve is so detrimental to one's health that those who have been taking the drug for nearly three years have been advised to stop using it, while those who opt to continue taking it should take no more than two pills a day for no longer than 10 days (unless otherwise advised by a doctor).

People taking the prescription version of Aleve, Naprosyn, are also being directed to take the drug with extreme caution.

Further, a study administered to discover whether Aleve or Celebrex could prevent Alzheimer's disease showed that those taking Aleve had an estimated 50 percent higher risk of heart attacks and strokes than those taking a placebo.

USA Today December 23, 2004

Doc's Comment: All the more reason to address the cause of the problem with chiropractic care! 

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