Thoughts on stevia?

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  • belimawr
    belimawr Posts: 1,155 Member
    edited September 2015
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    It depends. It has an aftertaste, but gets hidden easily, I find, by certain beverages and foods.
    moyer566 wrote: »
    i like it. i have the packets and grow it in my garden

    I was considering this. Where are you, may I ask, and is it easy maintenance?
  • BenJDarling
    BenJDarling Posts: 12 Member
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    I love Stevia, I use it in my green tea.
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
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    Tastes awful.

    Not magically better for you, or a better option than something like Sucralose.
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    edited September 2015
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    Never use it, and have no plans to, and haven't ever made use of artificial sweeteners either. Our sugar bowl typically is refilled once a year and it's mostly guests that use it. Baking: we use the real thing - sugar / honey / fruit / whatever.

    I didn't find cutting sweets was that difficult for me once I made a concious decision to do so, and after dropping 78 pounds and getting very fit I'm no longer pre-diabetic and have completely normal function.

    I used to load up my coffee with sugar (it was very bad office coffee) and recognized at some point that practice just wasn't good for me so I cut both coffee and sugar out completely and later adopted the practice of having just one good coffee in the morning. Cutting out the daily mega doses of sugary coffee had a good side effect: my desire for other sweet things dropped too.

    My concern -- for me -- would be that using stevia or artificial sweeteners on a regular basis would once again stimulate increased desire for other sweet things that do contain real sugars and would again tempt me to ignore portion control.

    I'm not missing out on anything. A really good cup of coffee to me tastes far better unadulterated now and now I can have sweet things in moderation without being tempted to binge as I once would have. No money spent on non-sugar sweeteners. Win-win.


  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    AngelaBianco82 wrote: »
    Just want some opinions if its good or bad for you

    Neither. It's just an alternative sweetener....which I love and use every single day.

    However, sometimes I will use plain old sugar, agave nectar, or Splenda. It's all about mood for me.
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    Tastes bad. It's probably no better or worse than any other artificial sweetener. I prefer granulated Spenda myself for my coffee, on grapefruit, in some recipes.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    I use Stevia in The Raw and love it. I used to take my coffee with three sugars in the morning. Now I'm down to just one Stevia packet. Yes, the taste is different than sugar, but I've gotten used to it now and it's totally fine. I'd rather save the calories from regular sugar for something else in the course of my day.

    It seems that Stevia is one of those love-it-or-hate it things. I wonder if it's like cilantro in that it affects people's taste buds differently. I absolutely love cilantro, but a lot of people claim it tastes like soap!

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html?_r=0
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    edited September 2015
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    And stevia - just like regular cane sugar - is a plant-based naturally-derived product. Sugar cane is naturally sweet, as it the stevia leaf. :)

  • starryphoenix
    starryphoenix Posts: 381 Member
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    Not all brands are equal. Stevia is great, but try to get the stuff that is actually called stevia, and not that truvia nonsense.
  • jocooper43016
    jocooper43016 Posts: 13 Member
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    I like Stevia, but I question if "natural" really makes it safe. Has it been tested enough or 20 years from now will they discover its a carcinogen.... ?
  • 2lose30
    2lose30 Posts: 3 Member
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    I have used the Sweetleaf Clear liquid stevia. Initially I thought it tasted a bit bitter but then realized I was using too much (mainly just in my morning coffee). I now just use 2 drops in my coffee and it is fine without the bitterness. my checking on many of the generics out there is that a lot of the stevia is processed. I stay with the sweetleaf clear liquid which is in a pure form without added ingredients.
  • MarziPanda95
    MarziPanda95 Posts: 1,326 Member
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    jocooper43016 wrote: »
    I like Stevia, but I question if "natural" really makes it safe. Has it been tested enough or 20 years from now will they discover its a carcinogen.... ?

    I'm fairly sure that FDA testing includes animal studies, which would have told us if it were a carcinogen. It isn't.
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
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    It good for you, natural, and doesn't have any of the issues associated with some artificial sweeteners. I really like the taste. Just don't use too much...you only need a TINY bit. One little bottle lasts for ages.
  • jocooper43016
    jocooper43016 Posts: 13 Member
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    MarziPanda95 wrote: »
    jocooper43016 wrote: »
    I like Stevia, but I question if "natural" really makes it safe. Has it been tested enough or 20 years from now will they discover its a carcinogen.... ?

    I'm fairly sure that FDA testing includes animal studies, which would have told us if it were a carcinogen. It isn't.

    Yes, but they also approved aspartame which is now what everyone is suddenly trying to avoid.
  • dinosaurparty
    dinosaurparty Posts: 185 Member
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    I wish I liked stevia, but it tastes disgusting to me. Ive tried liquid and powdered types, but it's always bitter.

    I just use Sugar Twin, haha.
  • qubetha
    qubetha Posts: 83 Member
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    liahna wrote: »
    Not all brands are equal. Stevia is great, but try to get the stuff that is actually called stevia, and not that truvia nonsense.

    I have both in my cupboard and the truvia wins everytime. Tastes way better.
  • KittensMaster
    KittensMaster Posts: 748 Member
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    I don't buy into stevia and Splenda fear mongering

    I use small amounts on occasion

  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
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    questionfear wrote: »
    I think it's probably fine, but fwiw I saw on an allergy forum that someone with a very severe ragweed allergy had an allergic reaction to stevia since they're in the same family. But from what I read it's a very, very rare situation.

    Interesting. I react to apples and I think it's because of a birch allergy. I've been wanting to try them again after a few years of allergy shots, but it's scary.

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