Sugar?Splenda?Stevia?

smte
smte Posts: 89 Member
edited November 11 in Food and Nutrition
I mean, really, what is "best" when it comes to sugar? I don't use it alot...usually add some Splenda to iced tea or my greek yogurt, but I am about to run out and not sure what to get. I've heard that Stevia is the best, but then at the grocery store, I picked up a container of organic sugar, and was confused. Is the big difference in Splenda and Stevia vs sugar the whole zero calorie thing?

So...sugar, splenda, stevia or organic? Or is there something else I should be buying?
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Replies

  • cgraylyon
    cgraylyon Posts: 292 Member
    Bump!
  • TheDevastator
    TheDevastator Posts: 1,626 Member
    I use sweetleaf liquid stevia, english toffee flavor. It's very good. I also use stevia powder for cooking. I made a gluten free pizza with it and the crust tasted like a cookie. It was great.
  • agentscully514
    agentscully514 Posts: 616 Member
    I really really hate the taste of stevia. I use splenda or no sweetener.
  • mooglysmom
    mooglysmom Posts: 319 Member
    I use sugar or stevia. Stevia doesn't always taste great in everything, lol! Artificial sweeteners give me migraines, so I don't use splenda. I use stevia when baking, or I sprinkle it on my greek yogurt. I really don't use either too often, lol!
  • WhittRak
    WhittRak Posts: 567 Member
    Honey.
  • embersfallen
    embersfallen Posts: 534 Member
    stevia from my understanding is the most natural non sugar if you have the choice:) I love it!
  • Dahavol
    Dahavol Posts: 46
    Just get what you think tastes the best and use it sparingly. We could go six hundred rounds on the carcinogenic properties of equal. Or if splenda= poison (loved that thread). But seriously sweeteners of any kind should be such a small part of your daily diet anyway that it matters very little if its pure sugar, sucralose, or crystal meth.

    Ok, maybe that last one would matter a bit. Go with what you like and keep the amounts sane.
  • DontThinkJustRun
    DontThinkJustRun Posts: 248 Member
    Splenda is POISON stay away at all costs! Stevia is choice number one, then agave nectar, then honey then sugar (organic and the like).

    Artificial sugars always make me hungry and they are poison for your body.

    Rant over.
  • ahealthy4u
    ahealthy4u Posts: 442 Member
    Honey is good for you and better as well if it is me I rather hace splenda or reall sugar it tastes better to me good luck.
  • rsparks38
    rsparks38 Posts: 51
    Best as in taste, or best as in health?

    In taste - real sugar (white) or sweet n' low for me
    Healthwise? - none :), or honey, or Turbinado (raw sugar)

    Stevia tastes bitter to me, and by the time they isolate the reb-a in the plant and refine it, it's still pretty processed. I have never tried agave nectar - that could work for you.
  • Mills187
    Mills187 Posts: 171
    I use this stuff called pure via its just stevia really sweet I only need like half a packet to equal like 2 regular sugar packets
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Honestly?

    I aim for plain ole sugar. I find that my body doesn't react very well to all the artificial sweeteners. So, I simply avoid them. I don't have stomach issues, headaches, etc with regular sugar - so I'll stick with that.
  • Msjcooper
    Msjcooper Posts: 23 Member
    I like Xylitol, and it sounds like a chemical but it is natural and has 40% fewer calories than sugar yet tastes exactly like sugar, no weird aftertaste like Stevia, Slenda, etc. I use it in coffee and to bake with, but I use it in small amounts.
    Here is more info.
    Pure xylitol is a white crystalline substance that looks and tastes like sugar. It is a naturally occurring 5-carbon sugar alcohol found in many fruits and vegetables and produced in small amounts by the human body. It has the same sweetness as sugar (sucrose) but with 40% fewer calories and none of the negative tooth decay or insulin release effects of sugar. Xylitol also has a low glycemic index (7) and has little effect on blood sugar levels.

    Xylitol is recommended by dentist, medical doctors, periodontists, pediatricians, and many health organizations and health professionals worldwide as a sweetener for anyone concerned with dental health, upper respiratory health, and sugar consumption, in general.
  • bwishau
    bwishau Posts: 11 Member
    Definitely stevia...
  • Msjcooper
    Msjcooper Posts: 23 Member
    Splenda is POISON stay away at all costs! Stevia is choice number one, then agave nectar, then honey then sugar (organic and the like).

    Artificial sugars always make me hungry and they are poison for your body.

    Rant over.

    AGREE... Agave Nectar is another one I use for baking and coffee.
  • Fit_Canuck
    Fit_Canuck Posts: 788 Member
    Splenda is POISON stay away at all costs! Stevia is choice number one, then agave nectar, then honey then sugar (organic and the like).

    Artificial sugars always make me hungry and they are poison for your body.

    Rant over.

    I've got see the medical studies that support this point of view. I see a lot of people saying that but it seems to be a lot of word of mouth.
  • maxmariesfo
    maxmariesfo Posts: 173 Member
    Be very careful with stevia. It can cause sudden drops in bloodsugar levels. Use it very sparingly.

    The best thing to do is ween yourself off the need for sweeteners. Natural is always better. Sucanat, honey, agave.
  • Dahavol
    Dahavol Posts: 46
    Splenda is POISON stay away at all costs! Stevia is choice number one, then agave nectar, then honey then sugar (organic and the like).

    Artificial sugars always make me hungry and they are poison for your body.

    Rant over.

    I've got see the medical studies that support this point of view. I see a lot of people saying that but it seems to be a lot of word of mouth.

    Good luck finding that. When you find it let me know if its laying next to "the definitive proof of starvation mode" or "how eating less than 6 times a day will cause your metabolism to start punching you in the kidneys".
  • McSnoozle
    McSnoozle Posts: 24 Member
    I occasionally use xylitol, too but PET OWNERS BEWARE --- even a small amount is lethal to dogs! For that reason, I rotate between others --- liquid Stevia (Now brand has a newer formula that isn't as bitter as others), raw sugar, honey. Agave acts like pure HFCS in your body --- not good!
  • Goal_Seeker_1988
    Goal_Seeker_1988 Posts: 1,619 Member
    Stevia or honey :smile:
  • HeidiRene
    HeidiRene Posts: 335 Member
    Splenda is POISON stay away at all costs! Stevia is choice number one, then agave nectar, then honey then sugar (organic and the like).

    Artificial sugars always make me hungry and they are poison for your body.

    Rant over.

    Very curious why Splenda is bad? Please share. Thanks!
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    Splenda is POISON stay away at all costs! Stevia is choice number one, then agave nectar, then honey then sugar (organic and the like).

    Artificial sugars always make me hungry and they are poison for your body.

    Rant over.

    Please don't spout nonsense if you don't have any proof?

    http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

    http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/1calorie.asp
  • Silverstar46
    Silverstar46 Posts: 187 Member
    I just use sugar. Yeah, it has some calories in it but it doesn't have any side affects associated with it unless you eat it on everything. Sugar should be such a small part of your daily intake that if you use real sugar, no harm, no foul.

    And this is coming from a person that has problems with insulin resistance. ;)
  • islandjumper
    islandjumper Posts: 369 Member
    splenda is chemically altered version of sugar
    stevia is a natural leaf that's dried and crushed

    so if you're going for a no-cal sweetener stevia is the most natural and the best of the 2

    personally, I use sugar so infrequently that I'll use raw sugar if I'm going to use it (which I haven't at all in the last 2 months) instead I use honey to sweeten things
  • candice36
    candice36 Posts: 23
    Definitely stevia.
  • maxmariesfo
    maxmariesfo Posts: 173 Member
    NBEric, do a simple search on it. There are even articles claiming Splenda is responsible for the epidemic of MS.

    http://www.womentowomen.com/healthyweight/splenda.aspx

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/447584-what-are-the-dangers-of-splenda-sucralose-and-aspartame/

    Since we are all here to lose weight, studies show that the use of artificial sweeteners may be part of the problem with 65% of all Americans being obese.

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080210183902.htm

    People ASSUME, incorrectly, that the weight gain is due to people grabbing a candy bar since their soda was only 1 calorie. Not true. Read the entire article.
  • kp1439
    kp1439 Posts: 343 Member
    i use equal but very recently i was introduced to stevia by a friend of mine .. so once i am out of the equal will get on that stevia
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    Splenda is POISON stay away at all costs! Stevia is choice number one, then agave nectar, then honey then sugar (organic and the like).

    Artificial sugars always make me hungry and they are poison for your body.

    Rant over.

    AGREE... Agave Nectar is another one I use for baking and coffee.


    Please do some research before you state "facts"

    published review of the studies involving the safety of sucralose :

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19464334

    where to find peer reviewed studies by reputable scientific sources :

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/

    the take home message : it isn't poison.
  • angraham2
    angraham2 Posts: 128
    I normally use sugar in baking, but I use truvia in tea, or on grapefruit etc. I keep a few packets in my purse. Truvia is a stevia product, tastes like sugar, measures like sugar, bakes like sugar etc. But it is more expensive than sugar.
  • FitnessWitch
    FitnessWitch Posts: 5
    Truvia. Tastes better than stevia because it's stevia made from the better part of the plant, not the stalks and seeds!
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