Stevia

has anyone used stevia and what is it like? I know its a sweetner but I hear its better than aspertame

Tue. Mar 27, 3:08pm

If that's the stuff that comes in a little green packet, the chemical aftertaste is worse than all the others. Funny how the most natural product on the market tastes the most synthetic.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 3:14 PM

not sure a friend sent Me a bottle of it, but havent tried it yet so was wanting some feedback

Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 3:24 PM

It's the healthiest sweetner with 0 calories. It's made from a south american herb. I make big bottles of lemonade with it. It's a little expensive, though.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 3:32 PM

I didn't notice any chemical aftertaste..I use it in my tea. Just a little as it's many more times sweeter than sugar!

Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 4:18 PM

It's 100% natural extract of the stevia leaf, and is "sweeter" than sugar. I also think it has a funny aftertaste, but I don't mind it. You only need a little. No harm in trying it...

Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 5:07 PM

i experienced the artificial aftertaste with stevia that others mentioned. i tried the cheapest brand at whole foods, though. my coworker swears by the "sweetleaf" brand.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 6:02 PM

I'm the 3:14 poster...Sweetleaf was the brand I tried. Just so you know.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 6:53 PM

ok Im the OP thanx for all the comments I have it allready so might as well try it. we all have different taste buds. thanks for your thoughts

Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 7:50 PM

Don't know about the sweetener but I've grown the plant. The leaves are so sweet they register as bitter. Steeping them as for tea with other herbs didn't release the sweetness, though--I was disappointed.

I nosed around a bit online when I first got the plants and found some studies connecting them to metabolic disorders and gene disruption. Something to look at and evaluate for yourself.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007, 10:10 AM

check it out?! why would i? if i can lose weight by taking this untested, unproven "sugar substitute", why would i care about the long term effects? i'm looking for a short cut...

Wednesday, March 28, 2007, 10:20 AM

Im the OP. I always care about long term effects but this plant has been used for years in japan. and most know japanese take care of themselves usually

Wednesday, March 28, 2007, 2:09 PM

nothing like generalizing.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007, 2:14 PM

was not generalising just saying most orientals I have met . they are cautious what they eat and how they take care of their bodies. thats why when I go to a chinese rest I use to eat the fried rice and the staff on lunch breaks would be having steamed rice is what I meant.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007, 2:52 PM

you should not refer to asian people as "oriental", but instead as asians. the term "oriental", when applied to people, is highly offensive. and the staff in a chinese restaurant is usually made up of chinese people, not japanese people. just for future reference.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007, 3:02 PM

hmm I have some japenese in Me and I have always said its My oriental side thats kept Me looking younger than I am.. I will remember that I meant no offense. thanks for the advice

Wednesday, March 28, 2007, 4:24 PM

Gads. Why do internet boards always end up riddled with trolls? It makes it so hard to have a conversation about anything.

The fact that stevia has been used for centuries in Japan also came up in my nosing about. I'm not sure what I think of the studies connecting it to metabolic disorders and DNA problems. I'm on too close of a budget to buy specialty sweeteners, so I didn't look very deeply--just a half-hour's educated internet research. But for anyone considering making significant use of it, it's good to look around a bit and know what's being said, and whether you feel it's got any merit.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007, 4:28 PM

well I didnt buy this Myself it was given to Me by a girlfriend.4:28 I appreciate the resarch. I did not mean to offend anyone by saying oriental. I never knew it was disliked. I guess because I have always said I have oriental in Me but I know now. but to My original point Stevia sounds heathier than aspertame but I will read up more about it. thanks for all the great advice.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007, 4:42 PM

what's a troll?

Thursday, March 29, 2007, 12:03 PM

definitions of online trolls

Link

Thursday, March 29, 2007, 2:05 PM

is the purported troll the one who started the thread? or the one who mentioned oriental people? or the one who said not to call people oriental? i am confused. it seems that some people might think someone is being a troll while others might not. kind of relative, no? i've never heard of a "troll" in this regard before.

Thursday, March 29, 2007, 2:11 PM

In my subjective opinion, March 28 at 2:14 pm is a troll-like post. That comment really doesn't add anything to the conversation, doesn't make any good or substantial points or opinions, and doesn't even offer a reason why they care about the alleged generalization. It just uses sarcasm to try to get the other poster's defenses up in order to start a debate or argument

Thursday, March 29, 2007, 2:29 PM

just to play devil's advocate (might not go over so well on some of the other threads...), it could also be said that the poster at 209 was trying to incite or otherwise rattle people by his/her comment. it's like saying most japanese people are smart or dress well (or any number of adjectives). sure, these comments are not rude, but they are presupposing behavior according to ethnicity. i get the meaning, now, though of troll. i think. but i still think it is pretty relative to the reader and how he/she interprets a comment.

Thursday, March 29, 2007, 2:49 PM

Im the OP and I also am the one that made the comment about japanese people. I have japanese in Me. I never would have thought saying oriental was a derogatory statement towards anyone I have always said its My mix of oriental and spanish that has kept Me looking younger than My age. I did not mean to cause any offence.

My grandfather was part japanese and in My experince with My family that are part japanese they always take care of their boddies. I too took care of My body untill I put on weights through meds. I hope this clears up any misunderstandings

Thursday, March 29, 2007, 3:00 PM

Back to our regular scheduled programming

I've tried Stevia and found it gives me abdominal cramps and diarrhea

Thursday, March 29, 2007, 4:16 PM

Bump

Thursday, June 5, 2008, 3:15 PM

join stevia sweeties!

Check out the new group Stevia Sweeties!

http://www.peertrainer.com/GroupDetails.aspx?GroupID=53201

No sweetener works better!

Link

Saturday, June 7, 2008, 1:59 AM

I have used Stevia with good results, though I have not cooked or baked with it. My sister has grown it. I plan to grow it this summer and see if I can make a decent jam or jelly with it. I have used it mostly in coffee and notice a slight aftertaste, but have gotten used to it. My sister is an organic farmer and pretty well educated on health and food matters and I personally take her recommendation for the use of this herb as a sweetener with more confidence than an FDA stamp of approval. This is the only sweetener that I will use, since it is not artificial.

Saturday, June 7, 2008, 3:54 AM

I love Stevia!

I have used Stevia for about a year as a sugar replacement. I'm not diabetic, but was just looking for a more healthy alternative. I have been feeling great since using stevia to sweeten things, and have almost completely cut out sugar from my diet. I used to feel sluggish a lot and I had frequent skin irritations and now that's all completely gone. I realized that the one thing I was needing to eliminate from my diet was the sugar. Processed sugar is just not good for you. Stevia is also the ONLY sweetener I will use.

To read an article that I wrote on Stevia go to:
http://eatingandexercise.synthasite.com/diet-and-supplementation.php

Or to purchase the brand of Stevia that I have found does NOT have a bitter aftertaste (NuStevia) go to:
http://eatingandexercise.synthasite.com/shop.php

Link

Sunday, March 22, 2009, 5:00 PM

For those of you who are saying that it has a chemical aftertaste, I would try Truvia which is used from Reb-A, only part of the plant. If you are using straight up stevia, then know that you do not need a large amount - about 1/16 of a teaspoon per cup of tea, coffee, etc or it will taste chemical.

Stevia is from a PLANT, whereas aspartame and Splenda are man-made creations. Splenda is essentially bleached sugar, and it does not have 0 calories as it says. So beware for those of you who bake with it!

Sunday, March 22, 2009, 5:41 PM

AFTERTASTE AND SIDE EFFECTS

I noticed the aftertaste immediately, but continued to use stevia. I started getting gas, cramps and diarrhea. I did not associate ti with the stevia for about 2 weeks. Then the side effects got so horrible I actually had to go to bed, it was so painful. I thought I had gotten a bug, but there was no fever. After the symptoms disappeared I used the stevia again and started the cramping, pain, diarrhea and gas all over. I stopped and started using stevia a couple fo more time to make sure that it was causing the problem.
Although many sites that promote stevia claim that there are no side effects, I have come across several posts from users having these problems. I hacve also found soem medical sites that also state nausea and other such symptoms related to use. Perhaps some people are more sensitive, but these are definitely symptoms you should watch out for.
Stevia can also lower blood glucose levels by blocking carb absorption. This can adversly affect people who have diabetes and other glucose disorders.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 11:00 AM

Yeah - Splenda is a sugar derivative from a plant too.

By the time you consume any stevia derivative it is so processed that calling it a natural product is a joke. It bears as little resemblance to its origins as sugar/splenda do to cane.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 4:03 PM

The stevia I use is a powder, green (like the leaf it came from), and the only thing listed as an igrediant is stevia rebaudiana.

Are you sure it is really processed as much as you think?

A quick internet search did not seem to bring up the processing details. Do you have a link relating to how stevia is processed to back up your claims?

It would interest me to know because I use it a lot, and I like to know about what I put in my body.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 6:30 PM

I have experimented a bit with stevia (several brands, including Truvia) and I find it to have a slight aftertaste of licorice. It's a sweetness that hits more in the back of the tongue (if that makes any sense). I like it in tea but not in coffee or anything chocolate flavored.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 6:38 PM

I like Truvia. It doesn't really taste any different than sugar to me so I'm happy. And I do feel better.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 6:41 PM

I don't like the taste. Is truvia the same thibg

Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 10:11 PM

June 09 6:03 - you are putting opinions out there as facts.... sugar is pretty close to cane, and stevia is pretty close to the plant too. Splenda, though I like it, is more processed and man-made. I"m surprised that people had gas formation in response to stevia.... never heard of that before. Now, Splenda does cause gas if you have a yeast problem. I guess Stevia does too.

I love it because I'm basically sugar free which is very necessary for me. I couldn't go without sweets, so stevia is a Godsend.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 10:25 PM

To June 9 10:11 PM: Truvia is way better than Stevia It's derived from the same plant, but Truvia is much better than Sweet Leaf and Stevia Extract. It tastes way better.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009, 6:14 PM

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