Stevia

VeganGal

Hi everyone!

I noticed a few posts today relating to sugar and artificial sweeteners. I personally avoid both at all costs due to my hypoglycemia (not to mention the abundance of other health issues that result from sugar/artificial sweeteners!). I do, however, LOVE stevia. I'm sure many of you already know about stevia (such a smart bunch of folks here on mfp ), but in case you haven't here are some of the basics:

-Stevia is an herb grown all over, from Brazil to Japan to Mexico, that has been used for hundreds of years as a sweetner in other countries
-It is currently approved by the FDA in the USA as a "dietary supplement", not yet as a "sweetener" which is why it is not used as an additive in commercial products (although it is used in products like coke and gum in other countries)
-It has NO effect on blood glucose levels! (which means no triggered cravings)
-No calories
-WAY sweeter than sugar- about 1 tsp Stevia= 1 cup sugar
-All natural, non-toxic

check out http://www.stevia.com/ for more info.

and http://www.cookingwithstevia.com/ has some stevia recipes (it also discussed the controversy with the FDA's refusal to approve Stevia...very interesting)

I hope this isn't just repeating what others may have posted, but I think it is a really great thing for people to know about. It's a healthy alternative to sugar, and hopefully will be popping up in more and more products soon!

stormieweather

I bought it for my diabetic husband and he's loving it. He uses it in his coffee and oatmeal and it doesn't affect his blood sugars.

Shanta1983

where can i purchase Stevia??

VeganGal

where can i purchase Stevia??

It is at most health food stores. Since it is not considered a "food" you may not find it at your grocery store; it may be in the health food/dietary supplement section of your grocery store though. I know for a fact that Trader Joe's carries it.

VeganGal

I bought it for my diabetic husband and he's loving it. He uses it in his coffee and oatmeal and it doesn't affect his blood sugars.

Yep, that was a huge postitive for me- no blood sugar effects. I am trying to get my diabetic grandfather to switch from equal to stevia now!

jlefton1212

Thank you for this post! I've been trying to get rid of all of the chemical sweeteners in my diet, and I am officially off of diet soda. However, I have been substituting regular refined sugar in some cases, which is not good for my calories and weight management. Stevia seems like the healthiest option. My overall goal is to lower my "sweetness" tolerance and add less sweetening agents in general to my food.

jessmomof3

I've been using the liquid Stevia for a couple years now. I have been using the Truvia packets also. I really try to stay away from all sweeteners now, but for my green tea I've gotta have a little something sweet in there! I definitely avoid aspartame (it gives me migraines) and used to use Splenda but have pretty much eliminated it also (it is hidden in so many things now!).

You can find the liquid Stevia in the natural/ organic sections of Kroger, Meijer, and other stores.

chrissyh

how's the truvia taste vs. splenda??

rtmama

I was just listening to an audio podcast this AM about Stevia

Here is a link, along with a text transcript:

http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/stevia.aspx

It depends on the form you are buying, but it might not be as "natural" as you think, when they add extra chemicals and/or process it to make it taste better.

Wecandothis

I'm glad the OP started this thread.

I've been using Truvia, and here are it's ingredients:

Erythritol - a Sugar Alcohol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol

Rebiana - which is a trade name for a zero-calorie sweetener made from the Stevia leaf and water
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia

And Natural flavors.

So I'm wondering just how healthy Truvia is compared to pure Stevia, or if the stuff you purchase with the name Stevia has other chemicals too?

VeganGal

There are several different Stevia products that may have additives, chemicals, etc. For example, Truvia is cheaper than pure stevia because the additives allow the manufacturer to sell a higher volume with using less of the "good stuff". The best option is to buy a product labeled, "Pure Stevia Extract". Look at the ingredients to be sure that the ONLY ingredient is Stevia-no fillers, etc. Isn't it annoying how tricky this can be? Why wouldn't people just produce what they know is good for us? They have to throw all this crap into the mix so that we have to search through our FOOD stores to find things that we can actually EAT without polluting our bodies. grrr