I've found that they all affect my blood sugar more than I'd like. I tend to use stevia if I MUST have a sweetener.

I use agave nectar...

I gave up all sugars and artificial sweeteners and upped my fats. Zero Cravings for anything sweet.

I learned 10 years ago that too much of any of them is bad.

Too much Splenda caused me to have "fibromyalgia" diagnosis - which I didnt have. I was overdosing on it, and within 2 months of cutting it out (after a year and a half of worsening symptoms) all was back to normal.

Aspartame - causes inflammation and joint pain in my knees. I was drinking 8-12 cans of Dt Code Red Mtn Dew a day - for years. And had "bad knees" for years. It got so bad I could barely walk at one point. Finally quit drinking it for other reasons and suddenly knees were better. So I experimented and absolutely was the Dt Mtn Dew. What is even weirder is that the Code Red is MUCH worse for me than the regular. Both make my knees hurt, but the red ones are debilitating. Never looked into why - I just avoid now!

Erithryitol - I went through a sugar-free gum/mint chewing phase trying to lose weight. For about 6 months. I also googled "IBS" symptoms about a dozen times during that miserable bloat/gas phase before I realized what the problem was. Quit immediately and all better.

Stevia - great for diabetics because it not only tends to not spike blood sugar, but can actually cause it to lower some. Terrible for hypoglycemics! I was so thrilled that after years of trying to switch to stevia but being unable to handle the taste, that I found Truvia and suddenly I liked the taste! Started drinking it all day in my instant iced tea. It took daily episodes of nearly blacking out and a few scary solo hikes before I made the connection and started testing my blood sugar. My "normal" is 60s to 70s. Within 15-60 minutes of drinking half bottle of tea with stevia it tanks to low 40s. My doc confirmed blood test (they called me in a panic after I drove home because they got the results after I left and it was 40). Quit stevia and all better. Now I can use but always have to pair it with a carb or protein or something that causes mild blood sugar spikes.

So what did I learn? I have serious issues with moderation I am sure in smaller quantities (i.e. not 40 packets of splenda every day) these wouldnt have so much impact. So I have at least 8 different sweeteners at home, and I try to keep them all used equally. I tend to use swerve for baking, splenda for occasional drinks, erithrytol or stevia for oatmeal etc. If one starts running out before the others, I know I am in trouble!

I am also trying to just generally cut down on the amount and retrain my "Sweet tooth". I mistakenly thought of all these are "Free foods" and used generously. Now I try to put the least amount I can and still enjoy the taste.

Good luck

Personally I try to keep artificial sweeteners to a minimum. I do like sweet leaf stevia flavored drops in my water but I don't put much in. I will have the odd Atkins bar, but I also try to limit it. Two reasons: 1 - it is artificial. I don't like that word and 2 - it can cause cravings.

Great info, thanks all - and especially the info about Whole30, never heard of this before!

As above posters have mentioned, using sweeteners comes with different risks and its pretty personal whether or not you go there or not. That said, there is some really good info about sweeteners here: http://www.djfoodie.com/Blog/2014/03/03/The-Sweet-Spot--Everything-I-know-about-Sweeteners

I usually go for Swerve. My family seems to like it and I can get my kid to eat keto cake and such without her noticing.

aylajane wrote: »

I learned 10 years ago that too much of any of them is bad.

So what did I learn? I have serious issues with moderation I am sure in smaller quantities (i.e. not 40 packets of splenda every day) these wouldnt have so much impact. So I have at least 8 different sweeteners at home, and I try to keep them all used equally. I tend to use swerve for baking, splenda for occasional drinks, erithrytol or stevia for oatmeal etc. If one starts running out before the others, I know I am in trouble!

I am also trying to just generally cut down on the amount and retrain my "Sweet tooth". I mistakenly thought of all these are "Free foods" and used generously. Now I try to put the least amount I can and still enjoy the taste.

@aylajane - My sympathies!

Sweet Tooth + Prone to Excess = Time for New Watchwords (I suggest, "If it tastes good, spit it out!")

Of course, who's to say you won't ultimately start liking your new aperitif of bitter melon juice and cod liver oil.....

These posts are interesting, I've never tried to cook or bake anything using any artificial sweeteners. It is just so easy to enjoy this WOE without doing anything other than greens, protein and my own version of Bulletproof.
If I do want a sweet version of decaf tea or coffee, I'll add liquid stevia. I am also not eating any kind of coconut or fish.
So far, don't miss pasta, rice, potatoes , bread ........can this last for years, hoping it can.

KetoGirl83 wrote: »

Before going all the way with stevia I'd have a look at the ingredients list in that stevia product. And even then, manufacturers don't have to list ingredients less than 0.5g per serving size. When dealing with chemicals and very small serving sizes, 0.5g can be a lot. So, sure, it looks like stevia leaves are harmless but is that what we are being sold?

Health Canada studied this product and came to this conclusion:

Health Canada has completed a safety assessment of all relevant information, including information provided in support of the proposed use of steviol glycosides as described in three food additive submissions, and determined that there are no health or safety concerns associated with the use of steviol glycosides in the prescribed applications.

This assessment agreed with the same conclusions reached by the European Union, The FDA of the USA, Australia, and New Zealand, and has been used in Japan since 1970. I will go with the science argument and continue to use Stevia.

Cheers