With all the news about Splenda of late and the FTC, I had a client ask me the other day, "so what's the deal with Splenda, it's just sugar that has been processed!". I asked him if he knew what Splenda was and he said no.

The chemical name for Splenda is:

"4,1,6-trichlorogalatosucrose" or TGS another name is:

"1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxy-beta-D-fructofuranosyl-4-chloro-4-deoxy-alpha-D-glactopyranoside" or:

"chlorosucrose"

In other words, this is not just sugar, it's chlorine, you are eating chlorine! Lots of it too, not just the trace amounts that are found in some foods...

Wow, that sounds like pretty natural sugar to me!

You know, Antifreeze is pretty sweet too, and we all know that does when you eat it.

Most people will never know what they are putting into their bodies until it's to late. Most people assume that because the FDA has approved the use of a product, it is okay, like using Seldane, Fen-Phen and Vioxx, all medications that have been taken off the market because they can kill, and all taken off the market after it was to late for some.

So, the key to all of this is to know what is going into your body and how it will react.

I've been preaching for years, that just because a doctor gives you a prescription, doesn't mean that the drug may be right for your body. Ask questions and if the doctor doesn't know the answer, or you feel that the answer doesn't make you feel any better about what you are about to take, ask your pharmacist, or go to the pharmaceutical company website and investigate the drug yourself to know the facts.

I will have to admit, that not everyone will put raw data out there so you can make your own informed decisions, but you need to ask for all the facts, not just the ones that the shareholders and stockholders want you to have so you'll buy their product.

This is your body, no one is gonna care as much as you!

D.S. Epperson is the top formulator for Home Blend Gourmet / South Pacific Health, a leader in the functional food industry in the U.S.. With 20 years of experience in Nutritional Biochemistry, she has written reference books on botanicals and manufacturing of medicines from botanicals, and published articles on health, fitness and foods. She has formulated over 240 formulas and inventions for health, the environment and agricultural uses, and continues to research and study microbial advantages in nutraceuticals and functional foods. For more information or to view the articles that she has written: http://www.sugarblend.com