Artificial sweeteners & Stevia

allikat399

I know there's a lot of controversy out there surrounding the use of artificial sweeteners like aspartame and splenda. I was curious about Stevia though. Is this a terrible product to be using? It's supposedly naturally occurring so I wasn't sure if it fell into the category of artificial sweetener and gets looped in to the surrounding issues. The reason I ask is because this time around I'm less concerned about sticking to old habits in low calorie ways and more focused on a commitment to healthy living.

LINIA

Wondering also about the same issue, i won't use equal, splenda, sweetNlow etc--but is Stevia any safer?

(hopefully people don't suggest agave or honey - we know about those already)

Right now i put fresh fruit in my hot tea, oranges, limes, cherries etc--but some other options would be great!!!!

Pandorian

Grow Stevia in your herb garden... I do.
BUT the commercially available stuff in stores may not be "just Stevia" any of them that are "cup for cup" or "measure for measure" replacement for sugar are "full" of filler.

Ely82010

I have used sweet n low and equal in the past, and I use Splenda in my coffee right now (I don't like Stevie), and I don't have a health or weight problem. Just don't overdo whatever you prefer to use.

Edited to add: don’t lose sleep over all the controversy about different kind of sweeteners. There is controversy about everything these days (sugar vs. no sugar; paleo vs. vegan or vegetarian, clean eating vs. eat whatever you want including fast-food; no carbs vs. low carbs or high carbs; cardio vs. no cardio; etc.).

There is enough controversy in the internet to drive people insane.

toddis

Stevia the plant is just that. You can buy it as an herb but it has a taste to it. Some people find this taste to be off-putting.

The PureVia, TruVia, etc are refined to isolate the sweet aspect of the plant. Some people may still find there to be an off taste to this product.

As far as I know all low-calorie/non-caloric sweeteners are safe in moderation (unless allergic, or adverse reaction).

Worrying about little things that dont really matter is much worse for your health than occasional intake of these things.

craftywitch_63

Stevia has a nasty, bitter aftertaste that I can't stand. I use Splenda. I know about the "dangers" but like saccharin you have to ingest massive amounts for anything to happen. That's true of anything. Ingest 60 pounds of organic oranges a day and see what happens.

I would really like to try the Monkfruit derived sweetener but for right now, it's not in the budget. :grumble:

craftywitch_63

Stevia the plant is just that. You can buy it as an herb but it has a taste to it. Some people find this taste to be off-putting.

The PureVia, TruVia, etc are refined to isolate the sweet aspect of the plant. Some people may still find there to be an off taste to this product.

As far as I know all low-calorie/non-caloric sweeteners are safe in moderation (unless allergic, or adverse reaction).

Worrying about little things that dont really matter is much worse for your health than occasional intake of these things.

Bump

AHASRADA

I use liquid Stevia extract to sweeten my tea, oatmeal, plain yogurt, anything like that where you just need a bit of sweetness. I prefer to use something derived from a plant than pure chemicals. Xylitol is also plant-based, and is easier to use in baking, etc.

However, I would not try to replace all sugar in baked goods with an artificial sweetener, even a "natural" one, because it will be full of filler junk. If it's not, it is prohibitively expensive (a 2 pound bag of xylitol is about $30).

I figure, if you're baking a treat, it's a treat. Make it as healthy as you can, reduce the sugar, sweeten with dates, honey and maple syrup etc. as much as you can, and maybe replace a bit of the sugar with a sweetener. The easiest way to avoid the large amounts of sugar in baked goods is to eat them rarely and sparingly.

If you just don't want to rack up empty calories and extra sugar in addition to the ones already hiding in lots of foods like condiments, etc., by adding teaspoons to drinks, etc., stevia is a good option.

princessofredrock

I am Insulin resistant and have PCOS. I have used stevia for over a year now! A lot of people don't like the taste, but when it is your biggest sweet avenue for coffee or pop I'll take it!

in_the_stars

Stevia the plant is just that. You can buy it as an herb but it has a taste to it. Some people find this taste to be off-putting.

The PureVia, TruVia, etc are refined to isolate the sweet aspect of the plant. Some people may still find there to be an off taste to this product.

As far as I know all low-calorie/non-caloric sweeteners are safe in moderation (unless allergic, or adverse reaction).

Worrying about little things that dont really matter is much worse for your health than occasional intake of these things.

I agree.
Truvia and PureVia are the latest sweeteners to hit the market from Coca-Cola (joint venture with Cargill) and Pepsico . They are both marketed as natural Stevia sweeteners. Truvia and PureVia are not Stevia.

jessthep1rate

Personally, I don't care for the weird, over-sweet kind of aftertaste that stevia seems to have, so I don't use it. What's important to note, though, is that stevia can actually have a pretty big effect on people who are taking blood pressure meds--my mom tried it out and was having a hard time feeling dizzy and lightheaded, etc. It turns out that stevia is said to possibly lower blood pressure, and we assume that since her BP was already being lowered by her meds, the effect of the stevia extract lowered it too much.

Not a scientific study by any means, but just a thought. If you're taking BP medication (or probably if you have naturally low BP), I would probably steer clear of it or at least ask your doctor if they think it might be a problem.

Debbjones

Stevia the plant is just that. You can buy it as an herb but it has a taste to it. Some people find this taste to be off-putting.

The PureVia, TruVia, etc are refined to isolate the sweet aspect of the plant. Some people may still find there to be an off taste to this product.

As far as I know all low-calorie/non-caloric sweeteners are safe in moderation (unless allergic, or adverse reaction).

Worrying about little things that dont really matter is much worse for your health than occasional intake of these things.

^^This! I am an avid user of Splenda. Pick your poison I say... LOL! Actually, there are so many worse food additives out there, for me (a former type 2 diabetic) sugar is one. My doctor actually told me if using Splenda keeps me form using sugar, then I should feel free to use the product.

Everyone is different I advocate doing what is right for you!

allikat399

Thanks everyone!

judychicken

Bump