Have you ever tried Stevia as a sweetener?
By craftcatcher
@craftcatcher (3699)
United States
August 22, 2007 11:53am CST
I have been using Stevia for over a year now for coffee, tea and cereal. It is amazingly potent and for a cup of coffee or tea I only use about 1/16th of a teaspoon.. that is plenty sweet enough. It has been used in Japan to sweeten soda and other commercial foods for over 30 yrs. However due to political/economic problems (sugar industry is basically the cause) it cannot be sold as a sweetener in the US or imported as a sweetener. It can be imported and sold as a dietary or food supplement though so it is available in many health food stores and online. It has never been found to have any side effects whatsoever.
Good points: Stevia is about 200-300% sweeter than sugar so a very tiny bit goes a long way. It is calorie free and carbohydrate free. Does not cause tooth decay, completely natural plant extract. Has been and is currently being studied as a possible helpful treatment for Type 2 diabetes and obesity as it may help glucose tolerance. It is a safe alternative to other sweeteners that have side effects. In 30 yrs use in Japan no side effects have been reported.
Bad points: It tends to have a bit of an aftertaste that some people may not like depending on the brand you buy, it takes a little getting used to the slight herbal taste. Very difficult to cook with as it's a very fine powder with almost no bulk.
Personally I could not be without it now. I have gotten so used to the taste that I no longer use sugar. It has played a huge role in helping me to lose 60 lbs over the last year and I'm still losing. I used to get terrible cravings for sugar and I no longer or very rarely get them. I also no longer have the major blood sugar drops that I used to get a few hours after eating sugar.
It's wonderful stuff. If you haven't tried it yet it might be worth giving it a try. It takes some time, as I said above, to get used to the taste and getting used to using such a tiny amount. People tend to use too much and it is so overwhelmingly sweet with a bitter aftertaste if you use too much. It is well worth it in my opinion to at least give it a shot.
If you already use it on a regular basis I'd love to hear how you use it and if you have any recipes that might be worth trying!
4 people like this
20 responses
@ladyluna (7004)
• United States
22 Aug 07
Hello Craftcatcher,
Yup, I've been using it for a few years. I buy it in powdered form, at my local health food store.
But, here's the real kicker ... it is so easy to grow!!! Talk about a treat that stems off any munchies for sweets, try munching on a stevia leaf, fresh off the stem.
I use it when I bake, which isn't very often, in sun tea blends, on cereal and strawberries. Pretty much anywhere one would use sugar. I love it!
2 people like this
@craftcatcher (3699)
• United States
22 Aug 07
I know, I've been wanting to grow a couple of plants too! I think it would be great fresh! Thanks :D
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
22 Aug 07
I have not used it yet because of the cost. I would also like recipes and how to substitute it for sugar, etc. I did find one site, http://www.stevia.com/ but have not investigated it thoroughly. I suppose in something like brownies, it might work. I know that I can substitute apple sauce for half the butter and use whole wheat flour and they still taste like brownies. However because of the concentration of the sweetness, I do not know about Stevia. Right now, I am not that flush with money and I did try the artificial sweetener but they have a metallic taste and even Splendea is not that good for you.
@craftcatcher (3699)
• United States
22 Aug 07
Splenda is awful! And not a good substitute in my book. And from what I've read Splenda's claims are barely this side of legal. It is a sugar and acts like a sugar in the body. How they can get away with calling it a sugar substitute is beyond me.
Aspartame makes me sick, even one diet soda can make me nauseous.
Stevia is the only thing I've found that has no side effects on me whatsoever. And I much prefer the fact that its a natural product with no synthetic fillers.
I hope you get to try it.
@Darkwing (21583)
•
22 Aug 07
I'm afraid I've never heard of Stevia Sweetener, but I do use a granulated sweetener on my grapefruit, strawberries, etc. I use Nutrasweet. I don't use regular sugar in anything any more, and if I see this Stevia in the UK, I will certainly give it a try on your recommendation.
Brightest Blessings.
@Darkwing (21583)
•
28 Aug 07
Yes, it would be nice if Stevia were available here. Maybe someday, huh? I only have Nutrasweet occasionally... I tend to change between different Supermarket Chains' own makes. It depends where I'm shopping when I have a need for sweetener but as I say, I don't use it all that much anyway.
Brightest Blessings.
2 people like this
@craftcatcher (3699)
• United States
23 Aug 07
Nutrasweet makes me sick to my stomach.. really nauseated. I don't use regular sugar anymore either but there are a couple of things I do like a little sweet. My mom actually introduced me to Stevia and I've used it ever since. It never bothers me and I love the taste. I hope you get to try some someday. :D
@MelodyRhapsodical (1248)
• United States
23 Aug 07
Oh how funny that I had never heard of Stevia until about 3 days ago and now I see this discussion! I'm really not a health nut at all (though I know everyone should be, at least a little) but my sissy in law is, and she's always telling me about replacement to fatty foods and such. She showed me Stevia 3 days ago, I tasted a little with my tea and it tasted so good! I wouldn't have believed that it wasn't sugar if I hadn't seen her put the Stevia in. So we'll be using Stevia soon. I thought the price was too high at first, but she only put in like a drop of it and it was so sweet! Might end up being a lot less than actual sugar. I can't believe this stuff isn't more popular, it should be!
1 person likes this
@craftcatcher (3699)
• United States
23 Aug 07
I am surprised to. It is expensive to buy in one shot but it lasts sooo long because you use so little. I pay $20.00 for a 65 gram jar.. but the jar lasts over a year. I think it's a terrific trade off in the long run. Especially for people like me, I'm very sensitive to artificial sweeteners and to blood sugar changes and this doesn't affect me at all. Plus no calories and it doesn't hurt your teeth, added bonuses for me!
Glad you got to try it out.
1 person likes this
@MelodyRhapsodical (1248)
• United States
23 Aug 07
I'm not sure where she buys hers from, I know she mentioned it was online but not sure where. I'm gonna email her the link you placed above, she told me it was $29.99 but I don't know how big the jar is. Your link might be cheaper!
Thanks for the heads up!
1 person likes this
@molusk (857)
• Philippines
23 Aug 07
Like some other respondents here, I dont use it because of
its high cost. Lately actually, we have shifted to low cost sweeteners like brown sugar. Instead of refined sugar
we use brown sugar for our coffee. They say brown sugar is more healthier than refined. I dunno what's your take in this opinion, but in terms of savings, it does counts.
1 person likes this
@craftcatcher (3699)
• United States
23 Aug 07
Unfortunately most brown sugar on the market is refined white sugar with 3% - 6% molasses added. So it's not really any different than white sugar. Even the true brown sugar is still sucrose sugar.
As far as the cost of Stevia, I get the 65 gram jars for about $20.00 on Ebay and it lasts me well over a year. I don't know what the cost of shipping would be to the Phillipines but it might be worth checking out. Here's a link to where I get mine.
http://stores.ebay.com/Earth-Links-Nutrition-Inc
@3lilangels (4639)
• United States
23 Aug 07
i never heard of this before but it definatly sounds like something i would use in my house hould.so i thank for the information and i will look it up.they always say you learn something new every day and i just did and thats from you.so i thank you so much,take care.
@craftcatcher (3699)
• United States
23 Aug 07
Your very welcome, here's a link to the eBay store where I usually get mine. It's the best price I've found so far.
I get the 65 gram jars for $20.00 and it lasts me well over a year.
http://stores.ebay.com/Earth-Links-Nutrition-Inc
@GardenGerty (157481)
• United States
23 Aug 07
I found a plant at the garden center this spring, and I love to grow herbs I was having great luck, it was blooming. I bought it after I tasted a leaf. I am sad to say that it got missed in the watering and has turned crisp, but with any luck it had dropped some seeds. If not, I will look for it next spring. I do not use much sugar, except in baking, but I was impressed with what I read about stevia. I am doing what I can to keep from going diabetic, like many of my family members have. My first husband's family also had hypoglycemia, and I would not be surprised if my daughter fell into that category, and I know stevia would be great for that as well.
1 person likes this
@craftcatcher (3699)
• United States
23 Aug 07
That was my biggest reason for trying it in the first place. My grandmother had Type 2 diabetes and my mother is hypoglycemic. I thought I was dooomed to one of them. But so far I've done really well. The Stevia most definitely helps. I've lost so much weight with it's help and a good healthy eathing plan. Thanks hon, :D
@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
1 Sep 07
I actually bought it for the first time about 18 months ago as a means to cut back on my sugar intake and though at first it took some getting used to (the after taste I guess you could say) I stuck with it and now dont use niether Stevia nor sugar at all in my drinks etc :-D
@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
1 Sep 07
Oh and I wanted to add..I didnt knwo they had a powder form! I'd bought the liquid kind since it was all i could find....
@Angelwhispers (8978)
• United States
22 Aug 07
I don't think I have ever heard of it. I have a hard time with sugar substitutes, but I am always willing to try new ones. I will do a little research on it and perhaps give it a shot. Thanks for the head up on this one.
1 person likes this
@craftcatcher (3699)
• United States
22 Aug 07
The best thing about this one is there's no synthetic ingredients just a natural plant extract. I hope you get to try it out.
@Riptide (2758)
• United States
26 Aug 07
I seen stevia being sold as sweetener in the natural food section in the supermarket and I have recently discovered a drinkmix made with stevia.
I love those little drinkmix pouches that you put in your waterbottle, but they all have artificial sweeteners in them, so I refrained from using them.
But I discovered that Celestial Seasonings is making them now too, but they use stevia. I absolutely love it.
I never tried stevia in my coffee though but I think I will give that a shot sometimes.
1 person likes this
@cassidy22 (2974)
• United States
22 Aug 07
What is it? Is it a chemical made in a lab? Then I don't want it. Here's a different trick for losing weight
a) cut out sugars where you can. Do you need it in coffee and tea? Do you need to add (more) sugar to your cereal?
b) if you have a sweet tooth, replace industrial sweeteners with fresh fruit! Chuck the candies and chocolates and eat strawberries, grapes, melon, or other naturally sweet foods.
c) cut out the HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP. Yuck! Sodas and other junk use this sweetener, and it's high calorie garbage for your body.
but ask yourself this, before you douse your food with sugar or an artificial sweetener, ask yourself "do I need this at all?" I have the same philosophy when it comes to adding butter or margarine to foods (like pancakes and corn on the cob - don't need it, don't add it)
@cassidy22 (2974)
• United States
28 Aug 07
Sorry, I didn't read all the way. Your post was a bit too long and preachy. Thanks, but no thanks. I don't use sweetener. And sorry if I offended, but I've lost the 20 pounds I gained - and that's all I ever gained - and I have never used sweeteners, I don't eat butter, I don't drink pop, and I don't fall for fad diets. So sorry, your miracle substitute for sweet isn't going to land in my kitchen any time soon.
@craftcatcher (3699)
• United States
22 Aug 07
Cassidy honey, you need to read a little further than the title of the discussion. I explained what it is.
Thanks for the diet tips but I've already lost 60 lbs and I'm still losing which I also explained. I have a healthy eating plan already thank you.
To recap for your sake, it is a natural plant, nothing artificial, synthetic or man-made. It has no calories, no carbohydrates, does not cause tooth decay and is safe for diabetics.
1 person likes this
@craftcatcher (3699)
• United States
23 Aug 07
I'm thinking about getting a couple of plants too. It's supposed to be easy to grow. I think I'll give it a shot. Thanks :D
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
25 Aug 07
I respect Stevia as a sweetener and am dismayed by the way its use has been discouraged for political reasons hereabouts, but in truth, I do not care for the taste and we use birch sugar (or xylitol which I believe to be chemically similar but less expensive) for almost everything except syrup and in place of that, we use agave syrup. Both of these alternatives to sugar are low glycemic, but they have no after taste and I think they both taste better than sugar. The agave syrup is especially delicious, but then, it does have a few more calories than the birch sugar, I think.
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
26 Aug 07
They do sell the seeds online I seen a link for it,but the downside to that would be that how do we know how to process it and process it the right way ? I mean we could hurt ourselves trying to make it and also you probably have to have the right conditions for growing it and in the long run the cost of seeds,time,fertilizers,bug powder,water, and all the other little things that add up might just be less worth it in the end. And buying it is so much easier and less time consuming.
@craftcatcher (3699)
• United States
26 Aug 07
The only reason I don't use xylitol on a regular basis I get very minor but annoying abdominal cramping when I used it. Most people are fine with it but leave it up to me to be the weird one... LOL
When my mother introduced me to Stevia it just suited us so perfectly. Exactly what I was looking for. The best thing about it for me is the aftertaste. The sweetness stays in my mouth for so long it actually curbed my habit of snacking between meals.
Thanks Ann, one of these days I'll have to give agave syrup a try!
@seethegrandview (99)
• United States
22 Aug 07
I use stevia and it is great. You are very right it takes some getting use to with the bitter aftertaste but it is manageable. I haven't heard of any side effects either. Who knows five years down the road they will try to banned it to like all the rest of the sweeteners.
1 person likes this
@craftcatcher (3699)
• United States
22 Aug 07
It hasn't been approved in the US yet. They're dragging thieir heels. I'm sure the sugar and aspartame lobby can't be too thrilled with the idea. It would take a huge chunk out of their profits.
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
26 Aug 07
No, I don't use Stevia. I use Splenda,Sugar Twin,Equal,Sweet and low and other sugar subs. 1/16 of a teasoon isn't much. But about how much does this Stevia cost? I haven't really seen it to much in the stores I go to. Of course I don't really look for Stevia either. I do not like diet sodas at all because of the aftertaste. This Stevia sounds as if it has alot of things going for it especially about it not having any calories, tooth decay or health issues. I can see that this so called "mircle" sugar would cause a big rift with all the other sugars and subs companies. It would also cause loss of alot of jobs. But I think they should open their arms to this Stevia because from the sound of it this is what we need. Especially people dealing with diabetics,obesity,ADHD, and other health problems. It may take some getting used to but I am sure that with all the other things we get used to we can get used to that. I don't like diet sodas but I do use sugar subs in my coffee and teas. I think it best to use it in teas possibly to get used to it before using it in other things. Congrats on the weight loss! Wow! 60 lbs is alot and I need to shed alot of pounds myself so I will be lookiing for this Stevia next time I go to the store. Thanks for the information on Stevia I appreciate it. I will let my mom know of this also because she is a diabetic who struggles constantly with her sugar trying to keep it down. So thanks alot.Good day.
@Tanya8 (1733)
• Canada
28 Aug 07
I agree with your assessment of Stevia. I've known about it for a long time, but never used it much, because I found it difficult to work with. Then my favorite plain yogurt went off the market, and I find the other plain ones too bitter, so I've been adding vanilla protein powder sweetened with Stevia, and it's great.
I wish we could have more commercial products sweetened with it in North America. I also stay away from aspartame and Splenda.
@craftcatcher (3699)
• United States
26 Aug 07
You're welcome. A lot of people are pleasantly surprised by it. Some people just don't like the taste but in certain instances I find it actually enhances the taste of something. I've never used sugar in coffee or tea in my entire life, but I do like Stevia in both and that's mostly where I use it now.
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
4 Sep 07
Stevia is such a great substitute to both sugar and other artificial sweetners that are actually poison. I used to use it but have no reason to anymore, I think I added it to cereal.....
@favefive (178)
• United States
22 Oct 07
I have not used Stevia yet. I have been using splenda. It is better than equal and no weird after-taste. It tastes just like sugar. I use it for baking too. Not sure if you have tried that one. I am borderline diabetic so I needed to cut down on carb and sweets. I lost 40 lbs doing it. Kudos to your 60 lbs weight reduction...that is awesome. More power to you!
@thefortunes (2367)
• Netherlands
31 Aug 07
Hi Craftcatcher, I have used it, or better to say - tried to use it but here they sell it within small bottles and thus fluid, and not as powder. and I tried to use it wth coffee and tea but it didn't taste well, and small amounts like 10-12 drops were not enough, as prescribed on the bottle, but when I tried with 15 it was ok, the only problem besides the after taste is the enormous cost of it. Imagine that such a tiny bottle is like $20 to $25 depending on the shop where you buy it, and it doesn't even last me for 2 weeks, so I stopped using it. I wish there was a cheaper way to get used to it and keep using it, but here there isn't. So unfortunate really. And I am glad that you do use it daily and have found it as a great help for your weight loss, besides it is good for the health ;)
