Brett's Blog: Stevia: How Sweet it is!
January 28, 2008 | by Brett Blumenthal | 37 Comments
by Brett Blumenthal
So we all know that sugar is not the best for our diets. It provides little to no nutritional value, excessive calories and can make our blood sugar sky rocket and quickly crash, leaving us somewhat lethargic and hungry. Long term effects of excess sugar in our diets leads to obesity.
Artificial Sweetners (Nutra-sweet, saccharin, Splenda and aspartame) can be even worse for you. Why? Because our bodies are not made to process chemicals, all of which these sweeteners are. Even Splenda. Although Splenda is perceived as “natural” and “is made from sugar,” it is actually the trade name for sucralose, a synthetic compound stumbled upon in 1976 by scientists in Britain seeking a new pesticide formulation. Although the Splenda molecule is comprised of sucrose (sugar), three of the hydroxyl groups in the molecule have been replaced by three chlorine atoms. Not something that our bodies naturally digest.
Some good news, however, is that there is a very safe, and natural option out there: Stevia. Stevia is a noncaloric herb, native to Paraguay. It has been used as a sweetener and flavor enhancer/spice for centuries. The United States has approved it as a nutritional supplement and is considered safe and healthy. You can only by it as a ‘nutritional supplement’ and not as a sweetener, but it can be used in a variety of ways to provide a sweet flavor to dishes and drinks.
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If you would like to learn more about Stevia, here are some resources:
http://www.stevia.com/
http://www.bodyecology.com/stevia.php
http://www.steviacafe.net/
http://www.stevia.net/
Paraleitheus
Following some of your links. Another informative and well stated article. You ought to do a blog or something.
Lucy
I use powdered stevia and it is good.
sarah
I use the liquid bodyecology stevia drops and love it.
oscar
where can i buy stevia?
Brett
you can buy it in grocery stores in the supplement aisle. Often, Whole Foods, Trader Joes and other health food and supplement stores sell it.
Kim
I buy Stevia powder at an online store called “Puritan’s Pride”. They almost always have a special of some kind so it’s inexpensive. I love to sweeten my tea with it!
Emile
I get mine stevia powder from Trader Joe’s. I find it is more satisfying if I use it in combination with another type of sweetner. They enhance each other.
Sheryl
Just a note to say that i don’t think stevia agrees with me and it doesn’t taste very good. Maybe I need to use less of it. I use one little packet and maybe a little of a second one for a 10 to 12 oz. mug of coffee.
I bought some more Splenda as I do like it. I like aspartame a whole lot better but I guess aspaartame is the lesser of the two evils.
Rita
I have been using Stevia liquid extract for over a year and I really like it, it has no aftertaste. I lost 20 pounds because I gave up using table sugar in my drinks. I highly recommend it!!!
Norma
I buy stevia at most grocery stores, in the section with artificial sweeteners (Equal, Splenda, etc.)
Annette
New at Kroger food stores: Truvia (powdered Stevia). It comes in convenient pkgs. It is found on the shelf right beside Splenda. Tastes much better than drops I have tried in the past!
stuart
what about the toxicity concerns on the part of both the fda and health canada? granted, 1 mg/kg of weight may be a lot, but does this rais issues for pregnant/breastfeeding women or anyone else?
Brett
The toxicity that you are mentioning has been under tons of debate, with most evidence saying that Stevia’s toxicity is non-existant. I will say that the FDA has not approved Stevia as a Food more because of food lobbyists who are afraid of Stevia’s impact on the sugar and artificial sweetener market. I’d be much more concerned with artificial sweeteners and chemicals than I would be of stevia’s toxicity.
Amelia
I have been using the liquid stevia drops since I was a kid and this means for over 30 years. All my family members and many friends gave up table sugar and artificial sweetners many years ago, and heve been using liquid stevia.
It’s largely availabe here where I live, Brazil, and we never heard of any toxicity in Stevia. I also think the food lobbyists are doing what they can for not having Stevia approved as a Food in the States. Believe me, it´s everywhere here, it´s cheap and it’s much better for us .
Paul
You can find stevia en GNC stores. I used splenda but once i tried Stevia i change for it.
Mary
I bought some seeds and grew a couple of plants in a pot this summer. The taste of the leaves was quite sweet, however I’m not sure how to use the raw plant. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Jeanette
Can Stevia be used in cooking and baking and if so how is the conversion between that and sugar made?
Dale
I am so unschooled I am 48 and this is the first time I have ever heard of Stevia. I will have to get some and try it out.
ray
used stivia for a long time abt 20 yrsnow and have had no problem finding it it is the best for the diabetics and aspartame is the worst thing the have ever invented it is just a bunch o chemicals that taste sweet ( orignally developed for a heart med but it was cheep to make and tasted sweet so the had it approved for a food supliment sucks to be poor and uninformed
take heed that splenda is at the same level as aspartame as far as being toxic
Bill
Your body can’t digest Clorine. As in your body cannot process salt (sea salt, table salt, electrolites)? Hmm…I always thought table salt was half Clorine and half Sodium. Both explosive metals. That surely can’t be good for your body…but you know what? You would die without it.
So, do you have a study that says Splenda (Sucralose) is harmful?