# Are there scientific studies linking Splenda to IBS ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 22, 2016, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-scientific-studies-linking-splenda-to-ibs/743838 "2016-01-22T01:17:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-scientific-studies-linking-splenda-to-ibs/743838/1 "2016-01-22T01:17:59Z")
Thank you ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-scientific-studies-linking-splenda-to-ibs/743838/2 "2016-01-22T03:45:09Z")
I did a quick search in Google Scholar and didn’t come up with anything. The problem with IBS, which I’ve studied a lot since I suffer from it, is that practically anything and everything has been mentioned as a possible trigger. Hard data is scarce even so. You’ll find many people on the Internet claiming that artificial sweeteners are triggers, but you’ll also mostly find that the same people are against artificial sweeteners period. [This one](http://www.sott.net/article/274518-Splenda-linked-to-diabetes-IBS-and-cancer) is the absolute prize. It starts out: > [@](#): > > New ground-breaking research reveals that SPLENDA® may cause Diabetes and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). But it never once mentions the actual study on IBS or any actual findings or specifics of any kind. The study it does refer to, in very general terms, actually talks about IBD, inflammatory bowel disease, a totally different ailment. And that paper does not report on any actual studies; instead it asks for others to do one since no connection had been established. Thank you for asking about actual studies. Please do not go by self-annointed Internet “experts.” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-scientific-studies-linking-splenda-to-ibs/743838/3 "2016-01-22T13:38:48Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > [This one](http://www.sott.net/article/274518-Splenda-linked-to-diabetes-IBS-and-cancer) is the absolute prize. It’s written by a “Dr. Axe” who’s actually a chiropractor. He’s gone on the Dr. Oz show fulminating about five “Metabolism Death Foods” (including whole grains, peanut butter and granola). I think it’s safe to say that Splenda has been linked to B.S., but not IBS (again, with the caveat that IBS is a sufficiently poorly-defined and vague ailment that almost anything could be viewed as a trigger for somebody. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-scientific-studies-linking-splenda-to-ibs/743838/4 "2016-01-22T18:19:43Z")
Are there any reputable peer-reviewed studies regarding sucralose? (Just covering the bases that a search was done for the chemical name as well as the brand name…) As far as I’m concerned, any connection to, or mention on _Dr. Oz_ is intellectual poison. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-scientific-studies-linking-splenda-to-ibs/743838/5 "2016-01-22T19:02:44Z")
I checked both sucralose and Splenda in relation to IBS. If you mean sucralose alone, there are [thousands](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=sucralose&btnG=&as_sdt=1%2C33&as_sdtp=). ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-scientific-studies-linking-splenda-to-ibs/743838/6 "2016-01-22T22:45:01Z")
> [@](#): > > Are there scientific studies linking Splenda to IBS ? Eh, maybe. Like many topics, to study this you will have to do a comprehensive review of the literature and form your hypothesis (or just inform your own opinion). As linked above, a search for just sucralose gives you thousands of papers to wade through. Lots that say “it’s safe” and lots that indicate “well, something happens.” One that says it changes your gut microbes and pH, which I imagine could trigger adverse responses in people ( [http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15287390802328630](http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15287390802328630) > [@](#): > > Evidence indicates that a 12-wk administration of Splenda exerted numerous adverse effects, including (1) reduction in beneficial fecal microflora, (2) increased fecal pH, and (3) enhanced expression levels of P-gp, CYP3A4, and CYP2D1, which are known to limit the bioavailability of orally administered drugs One that says it’s safe ( [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2009.05.011](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2009.05.011) ) > [@](#): > > The collective evidence supports the conclusion that the ingredient, sucralose, is safe for use in food and that the sucralose-mixture product, Granulated SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, is also safe for its intended use. BUUUT, you should note that one of the authors of _that_ paper is affiliated with “McNeil Nutritionals, LLC”, which…[http://www.foodnavigator.com/Business/Tate-Lyle-renews-sucralose-partnership-with-McNeil-Nutritionals](http://www.foodnavigator.com/Business/Tate-Lyle-renews-sucralose-partnership-with-McNeil-Nutritionals) > [@](#): > > Tate & Lyle PLC has renewed its partnership with McNeil Nutritionals, LLC to develop the global market for sucralose and the Splenda brand. The authors of the first paper then published a rebuttal to the above critique (and another) defending their methodology and results ( [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2012.05.002](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2012.05.002) ). It also includes this statement: > [@](#): > > We declare that there are no conflicts of interest for this rebuttal. We noted on the first page in our original paper that “the research was supported in part by a grant from the Sugar Association, Inc., Washington, DC”. :smack: So, all this searching for proper scholarly research and what I find is sugar-people saying splenda is bad, and splenda-people saying nuh-uh. So your job, if you choose to accept it, is to dive into this (and any other real research you can find!) yourself and determine which ones have the more persuasive argument. Maybe you feel the studies indicating danger used a much higher dosage than a human would get through normal use as a food additive. Or that rats react differently. I’m not sure there’s a scientific consensus on this issue (though I haven’t done a comprehensive review of the literature, myself).