War of the Sweeteners: Could Splenda Make You Fat?

[worldnews]

When Splenda (aka sucralose) hit the U.S. market in 1999, we thought we were set for life. No calories, 600 times as sweet as refined sugar, and best of all -- no tooth decay, Mom!
Sadly, as with most good things in life, there's a catch. Duke University scientists just published research demonstrating health detriments of the guilt-free sweetness: Besides contributing to obesity, it damages "good" intestinal bacteria and inhibits the absorption of prescription drugs.

How could a sugar substitute lead to weight gain? One theory is that artificial sweeteners mess with the way your body reads sweet tastes, so when you do eat something with real sugar, it's harder to limit your intake. Another hypothesis is that artificial sweeteners don't raise the body temperature the way real sweets do, and a lowered temp leads to overeating and make it harder to burn calories.

Now, here's where things get really interesting: The bombshell-dropping study was funded by the Sugar Association, which obviously sees Splenda as a competitor.
And in 2004, the Sugar Association sued Splenda's manufacturer on charges of misleading advertising, forcing a slogan change from "Made like sugar, so it tastes like sugar" to "It's made from sugar. It tastes like sugar. But it's not sugar." Turns out, while a sugar molecule is used in the process of making Splenda, no sugar (sucrose) actually remains at the end.

It sounds to us like Splenda's manufacturers may have something to hide, but the Sugar Association naturally has an agenda.
Tell us! Will you think twice before Splenda-fying? Or is it safe to stick with Splenda