Stevia - Is NOTHING safe?

That article is just specific enough to be scary, but too vague to be reliable. If they linked to the studies, or even named the studies, I'd be more inclined to trust them, but as it is, you just have to take their word for it, without knowing the species studied, the extracts stuidied, or the scale of the studies. That said, sugar isn't evil and it's probably best to just eat real sugar in moderation rather than artificial sweeteners in excess. Evolutionary biology says we crave sugar not because it's good for us, but because for most of the time humans have been around it has been hard to find, and the taste signals a calorie-rich food we can use to create better fat stores for the lean times.

Also - aspartame is really nasty stuff. My dad tried using it in his coffee when I was a kid, and he lost like five pounds, but he also lost sensation in his extremeties and didn't get it back until he'd been off the stuff for a year and a half.

I still think the best thing to do is to cut back on sugar and sugar substitutes of all kinds. A little bit of real sugar, a little bit of fake sugar, a bit of fruit -- everything in moderation, but learning to go without a lot of added sweetener overall makes moderation easier.

I think there are certain choices that are better than others. However, I also think that you can use Google to make ANYTHING true, ANYTHING bad for you, and ANYTHING good for you if you look hard enough. Problem is, anyone in the world can publish an "article" with "facts" on the internet. In a book or scientific publication, there are guidelines as far as who can contribute and what constitutes a "study". I think we all have to make the best choice for us looking at the actual FACTS (which can be difficult).

Stevia isn't artificial like Splenda, Sweet-n-Low and others. People in China (I believe that's where if I remember) have been using it for decades because it's natural. It's just extracted from plants. It's not processed or carcenogenic like Splenda.


Plus, you can't believe EVERY article you read. Every single thing on this planet probably has some pro/con article written on it. Just do whatever suits you.

Stevia isn't artificial like Splenda, Sweet-n-Low and others. People in China (I believe that's where if I remember) have been using it for decades because it's natural. It's just extracted from plants. It's not processed or carcenogenic like Splenda.


Plus, you can't believe EVERY article you read. Every single thing on this planet probably has some pro/con article written on it. Just do whatever suits you.

Thank you! Stevia is NOT artificial, been used for 1000's of years, but you do need to read the packaging of the stevia you buy. If you find it cheaply, chances are there are artificial fillers in there (one brand I bought once had a corn filler). Opt for pure stevia whenever you can.

It is much safer than splenda and all the other artificial sugars.

Stevia plant? Where do you get one/what kind of climate does it need to grow?

I just quit buying ANY artificial sweeteners for my family. None are actually good for you. I use to use Splenda until finding out how bad it was. So I changed to Equal which had the best taste by far, only to later find out it is unhealthy. Ive tried natural Stevia but the aftertaste is awful. I simply have limited my drinking of hot tea, iced tea, or anything I need to sweeten. My health is not worth the compromise. However when I treat myself to these drinks, I splurge with a bit of pure natural sugar OR my new find......RAW COCONUT CRYSTALS! It has calories just as sugar but at least a healthy option. It is made from the coconut tree sap. It does not taste of coconut. Simply sweet like sugar & with no after taste!

My mom and I found Stevia plants at the Home Depot this spring! She was very shocked to find them, and snatched one up right away. She has been using Stevia for quite a while now, and is even turning me on to it.