Against Artificial Sweeteners... Stevia?

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  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    I went to the health food store today looking for Stevia but they did not have any. The salesmen gave me something called Perfect sweet-all natural Xylitol. I want to use it for baking tomorrow but I was wondering if this was bad for me? Forgive me for sounding naive or slow, I am just new to all this and I am trying to figure out a sweetener I can use instead of sugar that won't be too bad for me. :embarassed:

    Xylitol is sugar alcohol - I don't use these because I prefer using all natural sweeteners (honey, agave, maple syrup, stevia) and I don't like the side-effects that can occur. Here are some pros and cons of sugar alcohols (from http://www.ynhh.org/about-us/sugar_alcohol.aspx?source=sugar_alcohol.html):

    "On the positive side, sugar alcohols contain less calories (1.5 - 3 calories per gram) than sugar (4 calories per gram), and they do not cause tooth decay like sugar does. Therefore, many "sugar-free" gums including Trident® and Extra® are made with sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols also add texture to foods, retain moisture better and prevent foods from browning when they are heated.

    Unfortunately, there are some negatives associated with sugar alcohols. The most common side effect is the possibility of bloating and diarrhea when sugar alcohols are eaten in excessive amounts. There is also some evidence that sugar alcohols, much like fructose (natural fruit sugar) in fruit and fruit juice can cause a "laxative effect." Weight gain has been seen when these products are overeaten. The American Diabetes Association claims that sugar alcohols are acceptable in a moderate amount but should not be eaten in excess. Some people with diabetes, especially Type I diabetics, have found that their blood sugars rise if sugar alcohols are eaten in uncontrolled amounts."
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    I highly recommend the Stevita Simply-Stevia brand - it is pure stevia with no additives and was not processed using any chemicals - only water. It also was not bleached like some brands are.

    I bought mine off amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E0T62S/ref=oss_product
    (It doesn't sound like a lot, but a little goes a LONG way with this stuff! It's much sweeter than sugar, and you barely need any in coffee, for example.)

    This is the company's website: http://stevitastevia.com/mos/Frontpage/
  • Dreamgirl97
    Dreamgirl97 Posts: 106 Member
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    I went to the health food store today looking for Stevia but they did not have any. The salesmen gave me something called Perfect sweet-all natural Xylitol. I want to use it for baking tomorrow but I was wondering if this was bad for me? Forgive me for sounding naive or slow, I am just new to all this and I am trying to figure out a sweetener I can use instead of sugar that won't be too bad for me. :embarassed:

    Xylitol is sugar alcohol - I don't use these because I prefer using all natural sweeteners (honey, agave, maple syrup, stevia) and I don't like the side-effects that can occur. Here are some pros and cons of sugar alcohols (from http://www.ynhh.org/about-us/sugar_alcohol.aspx?source=sugar_alcohol.html):

    "On the positive side, sugar alcohols contain less calories (1.5 - 3 calories per gram) than sugar (4 calories per gram), and they do not cause tooth decay like sugar does. Therefore, many "sugar-free" gums including Trident® and Extra® are made with sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols also add texture to foods, retain moisture better and prevent foods from browning when they are heated.

    Unfortunately, there are some negatives associated with sugar alcohols. The most common side effect is the possibility of bloating and diarrhea when sugar alcohols are eaten in excessive amounts. There is also some evidence that sugar alcohols, much like fructose (natural fruit sugar) in fruit and fruit juice can cause a "laxative effect." Weight gain has been seen when these products are overeaten. The American Diabetes Association claims that sugar alcohols are acceptable in a moderate amount but should not be eaten in excess. Some people with diabetes, especially Type I diabetics, have found that their blood sugars rise if sugar alcohols are eaten in uncontrolled amounts."


    THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!

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