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Microwaves, Cell Phones and Now Splenda: Everything Causes Cancer Nowadays… Or Does It?

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Temple chapter.

As an avid Splenda user, I was seriously concerned when I heard through the grapevine that this artificial sweetener could be potentially hazardous to my health.  Every morning I pop two packets of that calorie-free sweetness into my coffee to start my day. Clearly, I needed to get to the bottom of this Splenda scare.

            Splenda, Equal and Sweet’N Low have been adding sweetness without the extra calories to our sweets and treats for over a decade. I love sweets. America loves sweets. We all love sweets. So why is it that Splenda has a bad rep when it has to be FDA approved to be sold on super market shelves?

 Like many other rumors that are spread by word of mouth, this cancer theory is a major misconception.  According to the Mayo Clinic, this gossip all leads back to the 1970s.

Studies that were published in the 1970s showed that the artificial sweetener saccharin led to bladder cancer found in lab rats. As a result of these findings, it was required that saccharin post a warning label for customers about potential health hazards. 

 According to the National Cancer Institute, there has been research conducted on various artificial sweeteners in order to ensure the safety of the consumers.  It also explains that there have been no findings of artificial sweeteners linked to cancer in humans.

 Well America looks like we can all breathe again and sweeten our coffee – calorie free.

Jaimee Swift is a Senior majoring in Communications. One of her many dreams is to become a broadcast journalist and to meet and work with the infamous Anderson Cooper. Her hobbies include reading everything in sight, running, dancing crazily, laughing uber hard, watching movies, and consuming as much juice as possible. Jaimee is so overjoyed to be a part of such a magnificent site such as Her Campus Temple University. Ever since the days of her youth, she has strives to make a difference and bring positive change to all that she touches. She still holds on to that mindset and hopes to bring positivity and creativity to Her Campus Temple University!