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Splenda is a newer artificial sweetener also known as Altern. Along with thousands of other food and beverage products, Splenda contains sucralose. It was approved as a food product in many countries through the 1990s.
Being newer, it hasn’t taken the beating the aspertame has, when it comes to questions about its safety. And, being newer, that’s part of the problem - there aren’t a lot of long term studies showing just how safe it is. To get in on the controversy, check out Splenda’s site (pro-Splenda), the discoverers of sucralose (pro-Splenda), website from the Sugar Association (anti-Spenda).
Of course Spenda isn’t just sucralose - it also contains maltodextrin and dextrose. There’s only a small amount of sucralose per teaspoon of Splenda because sucralose is incredibly sweet, and needs to be "diluted". Most of the calories in Splenda come from these added ingredients.
A report last September in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain indicated that sucralose may trigger migraine attacks. What I want to know is, has this been a problem for you? Do you avoid Splenda?
And is this just about Splenda? Sucralose is in an increasing number of products - not all are "sugar free", and some even contain sucralose and aspertame.
What contains sucralose? Thousands of products including Diet RC Cola, Arm & Hammer Dental Gum for Kids, Atkins Diet shakes, Pedialyte Pops and Whitey’s Ice Cream. Everything from milk products to juices to sauces to baked goods to formed meat chunks - and the number of products is growing.
Do you avoid Splenda? Why or why not?
Popularity: 17% [?]
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Betsy Blondin 07.24.07 at 3:30 pm
Hi, James!
I’ve been using Splenda for everything for the last one to two years and haven’t noticed any difference with migraine attacks.
But I try to do everything in moderation, so I probably don’t use more than a couple of teaspoons of sweeteners a day. I use Splenda for baking and cooking, also, but again don’t really bake or eat that many sweets these days!
I, too, wonder what time will tell us for the new, seemingly healthier sweeteners… Another new one out is Stevia (I think that’s the correct spelling), which comes from a natural root, I believe.
I’ve just been eating more healthy food - more fresh fruits and veggies and less processed foods in general.
Cheers!
Betsy
Anonymous 07.27.07 at 2:33 pm
Actually the article doesn’t report on a study and says one hasn’t been done yet. It gives one story of a physician who realized that sucralose triggered his migraines. The article then goes on to say
“websites devoted to revealing the harmful effects of sucralose explain that it may contribute in triggering migraine headaches”
and
“These websites are easily found by looking up sucralose on internet search engines. However, scientific evidence-based research is still lacking concerning this topic.”
James 07.28.07 at 8:46 am
Yes, looks like I misread that one. What we have are observed cases where there seems to be a clear connection between migraine and sucralose.
Triggers will always be a difficult thing to study. Our limited understanding of migraine makes it difficult to understand the cause and effect, and why certain things are triggers for one person and not another.
Betsy, I certainly think you’re on the right track - moderation and a healthy diet will cover a multitude of sins!
Bill 03.15.08 at 8:51 pm
I had recently started using protein bars for snacks. These bars taste incredibly sweet and I noticed Sucralose on the ingredients. Then, today, after not having a migraine for 20 years, I got a severe visual migraine (jazzy lights) within 20 minutes of consuming one. I think perhaps the level in my system increased over the last week to tipping point. All other food I consumed today was completely natural (eg frozen veg, chicken breast etc)
arlene 05.04.08 at 11:19 am
Yes!!! Splenda triggers migraines in me. I used to chew sugar free gum and after about 5 minutes, I’d get this nauseous sick, kind of headache. I read an article about a top doctor in the area who treats migraines by helping patients avoid headache triggers. So I started making a mental note. My triggers are Splenda, red onions, some wines, swiss cheese(sometimes) and going without eating for more than 5 hours.
Ian 05.12.08 at 12:49 am
A guest brought a delicious homemade cherry pie made from splenda for our after dinner desert. He is diabetic and has began substituting splenda for sugar when baking deserts. Dinner was good. We had some wine with chicken and a salad. Nothing new or different. When the pie was served, within about 20 minutes my head began to ache. This was odd as I don’t usually get headaches. I lost my ability to concentrate and needed to go lay down. The top of my head and upper neck area were tender to the touch. I was in agony. I was having a migraine headache. My vision was blurry. I asked my guest to go home early. I took 2000 mg of acetomenophen and that made the pain feel somewhat better but the pain continued.
The next day my gut feeling said it was the pie, so I had another another slice. And with that I had the same progressin from headache to migraine as the night before.
I did some internet searching to find out that this sort of thing is a not uncommon side-effect. This is just wrong and I think that Spenda should warm their potential customers of the side-effects of their product using labels or the media.
Lili Chen 05.16.08 at 10:14 am
I can categorically state without hesitation that Splenda is indeed a trigger for migraine in some people. It seems to be metabolised differently or I should say slower than other food triggers; it may not show until 36 to 48 hours after ingestion. The migraine resulting from it will likewise go on for longer than usual. So yes, Splenda can bring on mirgraine. Stay away from it!
Paul C 05.21.08 at 4:42 pm
Yes - I can provide another data point, Sucralose triggers migraines with aura for me, and I have migraines otherwise very rarely (1 or 2 a year).
At first I thought it was caffeine, as the migraines stopped abruptly once I stopped taking caffeine, but further self-testing made it clear it was the Splenda I took in the coffee that triggered the migraines, not the caffeine itself - I’m now on 1-2 cups of coffee and “full fat” Pepsi per day with normal sugar and I’m fine.
James 05.22.08 at 6:11 am
Thanks for sharing these examples! It certainly sounds suspect, doesn’t it?
Leigh 06.06.08 at 11:42 am
Wow, makes me wonder. I’m (hopefully) on the down side of a seveer migraine (pain day 3, last night the occular experience). I’ve been using Splenda for about 1 year now I like their coffee flavor/sweetner. I haven’t had a migraine like this in a few years I thought since I’ve started thru menopause over 12yrs ago that I was done with them both. But… I don’t think Splenda is affecting me though but I can’t put my finger on the trigger, I’ve discovered from a friend, also a sufferer, that the barametric pressure is one. I read that having an ionizer helps and I’m believing that because I have a clean air machine and I actually sell them too. This past week we’ve had lots of weather happening in our area. I’m going to test this machine out, we’ve had it for years now and its been on & off lately…
Anyway I just wanted to put my 2 cents in for Splenda. And thanks for this site, its very helpful.
Rene 06.19.08 at 10:34 am
I’ve been using Splenda for over a year now - 2 packets with a coffee in the morning. My migraines issues worsened in the past 9-10 months when I started taking note. My migraines increased in frequency & intensity. In the last month I had a migraine that lasted almost 3 solid weeks. I tried Imitrex, Treximet, Naproxen, Maxualt & nothing worked. The final day I was so bad I almost went to the ER. I came home instead & laid down for hours. When my husband came home from work, he mentioned a conversation with a coworker who said she stopped using Splenda due to headaches. The next morning I had no Splenda & my migraine reduced to at least half, the following day w/o Splenda my migraine reduced to almost nothing. I’ve been nearly migraine free for a week. (Note: I always have a low grade headache everyday, but this has been an ongoing issue for years.)
Donna 08.21.08 at 8:37 am
Holy smokes does Splenda ever trigger migraines for me! Same with aspartame… I have 1-2 migraines/month, so obviously I haven’t found all my triggers yet, but red wine, barometric pressure and hormones are big for me - the foods/drinks i can stay away from, but the hormones are killing me hahaha
Maryann 08.21.08 at 8:55 am
I had been having an increase in the number of migraines as well as their intensity was getting worse. I didn’t even suspect it could be the splenda. After speaking with a nutritionist, she recommended an eating plan that has not only eliminated my migraines but also reduces LDL cholesterol and I have lost 10 pounds in the last month. It is drastic though but so were my last few migraines. I eat 1/2 cup beans along with a palm-sized piece of protein such as eggs, poultry, beef, pork, or seafood/fish 3 times a day. I also need to eat 7 -1/2 cup servings of vegetables per day but NO corn or potatoes. I drink about 96 oz. purified water a day ( she said that some spring water can actually cause migraines). For the time being I can’t eat anything sweet, no fruit no artificial sweeteners of any type, no beverages other than purified water, tomato juice or vegetable juice. I also cannot have any grains or grain products, no bread crackers, tortillas, etc. Like I said, it is extreme but I feel so great after just a month. Eventually you can add things back such as fruit but never artificial sweeteners.
Larry 08.21.08 at 11:39 am
I haven’t noticed a problem with Splenda, but Aspartame is a problem for me for sure. I had to stop drinking Diet Coke, chewing Trident sugarless gum or putting Equal in my coffee. They made me very tired during the day, I felt like I had to take a nap as soon as I got home from work and I had a dull headache every night which would turn into a migraine headache if I didn’t take Tylenol or Zomig when needed. The symptoms stopped when I stopped the Aspartame. I do have other triggers as well that I am discovering all too frequently.
Lydia 08.21.08 at 12:31 pm
I have used Splenda for the past 4 years and haven’t noticed any decrease/increase in either my migraine or cluster headeaches. I do avoid Sweet-n-Low though, because it makes my hands swell up after excercising. I’m 50 years old now and I’ve had headaches since I was 11 years old. I know my triggers, and mercifully I only have the clusters every 9 yrs. I’m going to stop with the Splenda for 2 weeks and see if there is a difference. I’ll let you know.
Valerie 08.21.08 at 4:29 pm
Nutrasweet triggers my migraines. That meant no diet soda for me. I was glad to see both Coke and Pepsi come out with diet colas that use Splenda instead of NutraSweet. Fortunately Splenda does not trigger a migraine for me so I can enjoy my guilty pleasure of cola. Another case of how different we migraine sufferers are!
Marti 08.21.08 at 6:55 pm
Hi -
Splenda doesn’t trigger migraines for me - thank goodness, since I’ve had gastric bypass surgery and I can’t eat sugar. (I’ve lost 150 pounds) However, my mother says Splenda does cause migraines for her; so do Aspartame and sugar. She uses Stevia as a sweetener.
Carlina 08.21.08 at 9:22 pm
I love Splenda and use it regularly in baking (cutting sugar in half) and sweetening. Aspartame is a trigger for me, Splenda is not. Caffeine, chocolate, hormonal fluctuations, weather patterns and coffee (even decaf) all give me problems. I’m glad I can still have something that tastes like sugar and doesn’t give me the calories or the blood sugar bounce. But, as we’ve probably all noticed before, each of us is different to some degree in what triggers us.
James 08.22.08 at 6:05 am
Thanks for all the great responses! Yes, Valerie, we sure are all different!
I do try to avoid aspartame. I have had Splenda, but not enough to really know if it’s a problem personally.
Melissa 08.24.08 at 6:47 pm
Splenda also triggers my migraines. Nutrasweet also makes me sick, but not with headaches. There are so many people that put it into food they offer to other people that just don’t understand that artificial sweetener is poison to so many. The same goes for products that do not put on their labels that they include artificial sweeteners. I’m noticing that more and more lately. I actually know a family who go temporarily blind if they eat anything with Nutrasweet in it. If that isn’t a warning off of artificial sweetener, then I don’t know what is!
Hollie 09.11.08 at 1:01 pm
Yep, Yep,
It’s all a trigger to me! I think my favorite sweetner is plain sugar in moderation. Splenda gets me, aspartame gets me, and MSG is a huge trigger to me. (Along with autolized yeast extract, hydrogenized oils, etc etc etc). I have been able to control my migraines with out any medication now for 8 years. It all depends on my diet, fresh and natural is the way to go (for me). Sometimes I want to be bad and have some cheetos and in moderation I can usually handle it, it’s when I get greedy that it gets me! Good luck to all of you and your pain!
Lora 11.14.08 at 5:23 pm
I used to be a big user of Splenda, but I began having very severe digestive problems. I also suffer from Migraines. I started trying eliminating different things from my diet, to see what was making me so sick. It was Splenda. If I use it one time, my symptoms come back for a week. I also stay away from Nutrasweet, because it also causes some digestive problems. I feel so much better since I quit sweetners.
My migraines have also decreased. I do feel they were poisoning my bocy.
James 11.17.08 at 1:56 pm
Thanks again for the comments - Melissa, Hollie and Lora! Don’t miss my follow-up post to this one, Splenda and Migraine revisited. I agree - sugar in moderation is a great sweetener. Also, depending on the recipe, there are things like honey, fruit juice, etc. which have more nutritional value.