Sweeteners

[KittyKatt]

I’m trying to figure out what the best sweeteners are. I read about agave syrup on another post and I’m just wondering what the best option is to replace sugar. I don’t want any of the artificial stuff. What is Stevia?

[TeensyTiff]

It can be hard to know what sweetners to use, since so many of them have a bad reputation. I would definitely stay away from aspartame products and splenda. Stevia comes from a plant that is native to Texas, Arizona and New Mexico, but the best stuff is supposed to be native to Paraguay and Brazil. It doesn't have calories so it does make a good sugar substitute. That being said, I have no idea what it tastes like.

[Speeddemon]

Stevia and Agave are both good sugar substitutes that come from natural sources. That said, just remember that just because it's not sugar doesn't mean you can just gorge on it. Natural sweeteners tend to be high in calories, so you need to still eat them sparingly. You also need to make sure you're not allergic to the plants from which they are derived. Furthermore, don't expect alternatives to taste like sugar, otherwise you will be disappointed.

[KittyKatt]

Is stevia safe? I’ve been reading into this and I noticed that I have some of it in a flavored green tea that I bought, but at the same time I also read that it’s banned in some places. Does anyone know why that is?

[M-Stark334]

For the most part, Stevia is considered to be about as safe as other sweeteners. The trouble is there have no been enough long-term studies conducted on it to determine just how safe or healthy it actually is for humans. A few studies conducted on it suggested that Stevia could increase the risk of cancer, which is alarming for sure, but at the same time, as I already stated, not enough studies have been done to confirm that this for certain. So, I guess as the most cases with a lot of substances out there, if you choose to take Stevia, you do so at your own risk, you just need to determine if the risk is worth taking.

[PennyThoughts]

For the most part, Stevia is considered to be about as safe as other sweeteners. The trouble is there have no been enough long-term studies conducted on it to determine just how safe or healthy it actually is for humans. A few studies conducted on it suggested that Stevia could increase the risk of cancer, which is alarming for sure, but at the same time, as I already stated, not enough studies have been done to confirm that this for certain. So, I guess as the most cases with a lot of substances out there, if you choose to take Stevia, you do so at your own risk, you just need to determine if the risk is worth taking.

Considering how bad sugar and artificial sweeteners are, I don't think there's much of a risk with stevia

[TinaDancer]

Considering how bad sugar and artificial sweeteners are, I don't think there's much of a risk with stevia

Good point. I have read some nasty stuff about fake sweeteners