Walden Farms, a quick study

I've recently discovered Walden Farms products. I wondered how on earth a company could make a 0 calorie, 0 fat, 0 sugar product and still get sweet things like jam out on the shelves. So, I bought a few of them. And. I used a few in some of my recipes.

So.

Before I go any further, let's take a look at some of the Walden Farms products. As I go through this quick study, I'll be referring to their nutrition page, where you click on one of their products and the label pops up on the right hand side of their site.

In a couple of the chicken recipes, I've already used Walden Farms' raspberry jelly. So, let's take a look at some of those ingredients.

They start off with water and move onto raspberry flavor and crumbles. I have no idea how they're managing to not get any caloric value out of those crumbles. Then they've got natural flavors and NOW we get to the first red flag. Sucralose. Splenda. The rest of the ingredients are ok with me, considering their for color and texture only. But that sucralose... That gives cause for concern.

Why?

Mostly, because of what I read about what that stuff does to you. Dr. Mercola, for instance, has written several articles about the stuff. One of them, "Is Splenda Making You Sick? Find Out Some Common Reaction Symptoms," really brings it home... There's a list of 34 different reactions Splenda delivers. Possibly to you. Possibly to me.

It would be better if Walden Farms used Stevia, but it's a hard thing to do for a company to change their recipe when they've got a product that *is* FDA approved and people like the taste of.

But, if you look on the net, you'll find that just because something's "FDA approved," doesn't mean it's safe for you to consume... For example, an article on Intergrated Supplements, we find two articles about Splenda. Part One states:

Some of the more alarming findings from the sucralose toxicity studies include:

• Reduced grow th rate in newbornand adult rats
• Decreased red blood cell count in mice
• Decreased thyroid hormone (T4) levels in male rats
• Abnormal liver cells and enlarged livers in rats
• Genotoxicity (DNA damage) to cells of the mouse gastrointestinal tract (this study was one of the few studies on sucralose performed by independent researchers, not the product’s manufacturers).
• Shrunken thymus glands in rats(indicative of compromised immune function).

The immunological, gastrointestinal, and thyroid-related effects of sucralose are especially disconcerting as they mimic many of the known toxic effects of other chlorocarbons.

Part Two gives a little more insight about what you might be experiencing:

• Skin disorders – rashes, welts, acne, and flaky, dry skin
• Gastrointestinal disorders – stomach upset, acid reflux, cramping, worsening of irritable bowel symptoms
• Respiratory disorders – wheezing, shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Joint pain
• Flu-like symptoms
• Inflammation

The scary thing about Splenda is that it's everywhere and it's in all sorts of sugar-free stuff. And the most scary thing about Splenda is that mimics so many other life-threatening diseases. Chest pain is a mimic of potential heart attacks. Gastrointestinal disorders like these listed are potential signs of colon cancer!

All in all, this is a dangerous addition to Walden Farms' products. In fact, I intend to write to Walden Farms and let them know what Splenda does to people and to let them know that I've got a post on my blog about it...

But you know what?

I had no idea that Splenda was so dangerous - just that it tasted "funny" and didn't set well on my stomach.

I think, in light of what the Splenda in Walden Farms products does, I'm going to pull the recipes I've already got with that stuff in it. Initially, I thought that I'd found a great possibility for some flavor enhancements during Phase Two of the HCG Protocol.

After this study, though, I think it's just bad news.