Anyone Here Use Stevia Sweetner?

[black chef]

i went to the doctor because of extreme pain & pressure in my urinary tract, and SURPRISE to me... he said that i should back off the SPLENDA!

now, i'm going to use the stevia sweetner...

anyone here got any tips for using this stuff... in cold drinks like tea, in hot drinks like coffee, and for baking????

Stevia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

sorry if this is a repost...

 

[Michael in FtW]

The Stevia.Net site has a lot of good information - click on Recipes and Tips at the top of the page. One of the things they point out is that it's hard to give a definative sugar to steiva conversion chart because different suppliers process it in different ways ... some have fillers and some don't, for example.

Baking yeast breads seems to be a big problem since stevia does not feed the yeast. However, quick breads that are not leavened by yeast would work.

A quick Google search for Stevia Recipes found several sites that might give you some ideas.

 

[Michelemarie]

I don't know about stevia - however, I do know about nutrasweet-just like splenda, stay away! IMO, any artificial sweetener is not worth potential health risks - sugar ain't so bad!

 

[stargazer021]

I haven't tried Stevia but I just joined Weight Watchers and the group leader is recommending Stevia over other sweetners. Not sure why

 

[black chef]

I haven't tried Stevia but I just joined Weight Watchers and the group leader is recommending Stevia over other sweetners. Not sure why

a friend told me that she's seen it at Whole Foods... so when i get back to houston, i'm gonna give it a try.

regardless, i need to back off the Splenda... it actually hurt me, and i don't like that.

 

[urmaniac13]

One of the benefits of Stevia is it is a natural product and there is no undesirable side effect for your health. We do have tried it, and used it for our tea and coffee. It is good, and although it may seem very expensive the sweetness is extremely condenced and a tiny bit goes a long way. The aftertaste is almost undetectable with the white version. The brown version has a little, it was better mixed with either honey or brown sugar. We haven't tried in cooking though, I have read that it can be used for cooking as well.
Here is another site with more info, Stevia - The Natural Sweetener - Recipes, Cooking Tips, Articles, and leading Stevia Products

 

[black chef]

One of the benefits of Stevia is it is a natural product and there is no undesirable side effect for your health. We do have tried it, and used it for our tea and coffee. It is good, and although it may seem very expensive the sweetness is extremely condenced and a tiny bit goes a long way. The aftertaste is almost undetectable with the white version. The brown version has a little, it was better mixed with either honey or brown sugar. We haven't tried in cooking though, I have read that it can be used for cooking as well.
Here is another site with more info, Stevia - The Natural Sweetener - Recipes, Cooking Tips, Articles, and leading Stevia Products

thx for the links and info...

after going thru my "episode" and reaction from using too much splenda, i'm giving stevia a try.

 

[philso]

here in japan, stevia is used in a lot of products. i may have supersensitive taste buds or something, but to me it tastes like chewing on aluminum foil.

 

[scott123]

i went to the doctor because of extreme pain & pressure in my urinary tract, and SURPRISE to me... he said that i should back off the SPLENDA!

now, i'm going to use the stevia sweetner...

Instead of switching sweeteners, it might be time to switch doctors. In the 100+ splenda studies that have been performed in the last 20 years, not ONE has ever linked splenda with urinary problems. Believe me, if it did cause urinary issues, there's no way it wouldn't have been detected during the testing phase.

You doctor is reaching- big time. I'm surprised he didn't blame your urinary pain/pressure on the alignment of the planets. That's how ridiculous blaming splenda for something like this is.

Is splenda perfectly safe for long term use? The jury's not in. Time will tell. But a direct link between splenda and urinary pressure/pain? That's absolutely ludicrous.

And recommending stevia as a substitute?!?! It sounds like your doctor might need to lay off the self medication.

There's a reason why stevia isn't approved for use in food (and it isn't some sugar lobby conspiracy). The reason is that there are numerous studies that show potential links between steviosides (the sweet component that's extracted from stevia) and both decreased male virility and cancer. CANCER!

Stevia is popular with the holistic crowd because it's 'natural'. They erroneously equate 'natural' with 'safe.'

Uranium
Lead
Arsenic
Cyanide
Hemlock
Strychnine
Opium
Belladonna
Tobacco
Mercury

are all 'natural,' and yet not safe in the slightest. It's truly a twisted society we live in that something so potentially dangerous as stevia would be embraced as a sweetener simply because it's a plant.

Even if someone were to dispute Stevia's carcinogenic/reproductive impact (and some do), it is generally agreed that stevia decreases heart rate and blood pressure. Although on the outside these effects may be perceived as a good thing... it's proof that stevia is impacting physiology to a substantial degree. Do you really want to be altered to that extent (good or bad) by your sweetener?

And lastly, although less processed forms of stevia leaf are considered safer, they taste, across the board, vile. When you get into the more dangerous steviosides, some brands taste better than others, but even the best brand has a noticeable aftertaste (I've tasted all the best selling brands myself and confirmed this).

So, summing everything up:

Splenda- good tasting, approved by the FDA, with no studies proving health issues
Stevia- bad tasting, unapproved by the FDA, with studies proving potential long term health impact

Stick with splenda, get a new doctor.

 

[JMediger]

Black Chef, you might want to find out if you have an allergy or sensitivity to chlorine. If so, Splenda might be the problem but if not, I'm kind of with scott123 on this one. The only people I've heard of having an issue with Splenda are those with Chlorine sensitivity or allergy since Chlorine is part of the processing. Why do I know this? A good friend of mine switched to Splenda after years of Nutrasweet and started getting bad headaches and a scratchy throat, similar to what occured if she went swimming in a pool. When she went to a few doctors (went to hers then got a second opinion), both confirmed that she was allergic to Chlorine and that was the problem with the Splenda.

I would get a second opinion before you switch foods of any kind as it (bad diagnosis) might be hiding a real problem.

Good Luck!

 

[black chef]

Instead of switching sweeteners, it might be time to switch doctors. In the 100+ splenda studies that have been performed in the last 20 years, not ONE has ever linked splenda with urinary problems. Believe me, if it did cause urinary issues, there's no way it wouldn't have been detected during the testing phase.

You doctor is reaching- big time. I'm surprised he didn't blame your urinary pain/pressure on the alignment of the planets. That's how ridiculous blaming splenda for something like this is.

Is splenda perfectly safe for long term use? The jury's not in. Time will tell. But a direct link between splenda and urinary pressure/pain? That's absolutely ludicrous.

And recommending stevia as a substitute?!?! It sounds like your doctor might need to lay off the self medication.

There's a reason why stevia isn't approved for use in food (and it isn't some sugar lobby conspiracy). The reason is that there are numerous studies that show potential links between steviosides (the sweet component that's extracted from stevia) and both decreased male virility and cancer. CANCER!

Stevia is popular with the holistic crowd because it's 'natural'. They erroneously equate 'natural' with 'safe.'

Uranium
Lead
Arsenic
Cyanide
Hemlock
Strychnine
Opium
Belladonna
Tobacco
Mercury

are all 'natural,' and yet not safe in the slightest. It's truly a twisted society we live in that something so potentially dangerous as stevia would be embraced as a sweetener simply because it's a plant.

Even if someone were to dispute Stevia's carcinogenic/reproductive impact (and some do), it is generally agreed that stevia decreases heart rate and blood pressure. Although on the outside these effects may be perceived as a good thing... it's proof that stevia is impacting physiology to a substantial degree. Do you really want to be altered to that extent (good or bad) by your sweetener?

And lastly, although less processed forms of stevia leaf are considered safer, they taste, across the board, vile. When you get into the more dangerous steviosides, some brands taste better than others, but even the best brand has a noticeable aftertaste (I've tasted all the best selling brands myself and confirmed this).

So, summing everything up:

Splenda- good tasting, approved by the FDA, with no studies proving health issues
Stevia- bad tasting, unapproved by the FDA, with studies proving potential long term health impact

Stick with splenda, get a new doctor.

wow... where did you get YOUR M.D.?

my doctor NEVER recommended using stevia... that was MY idea; so don't read btw the lines, OK.

secondly, it has been PROVEN that splenda causes irritation in the male urinary tract.

*sits back while you attack the use of stevia and my doctors diagnosis.

 

[scott123]

secondly, it has been PROVEN that splenda causes irritation in the male urinary tract.

Proven, huh? Let's see the studies.

 

[scott123]

Stevia has long been known to have an effect on the male reproductive organs - natives traditionally used it as a contraceptive.

Yeah... would you like one lump of contraceptive with your tea or two? I guess you, as a woman, are in a position to be cavalier when it comes to reproductive organs that aren't your own. Me, personally, I kinda like my reproductive organs the way they are.

Call me old fashioned, but I try to avoid activities that diminish my sperm count.

I've read all about the great 'Stevia Conspiracy.' I'm also fully versed in Area 51 lore as well as the Loch Ness Monster. It's all very entertaining, but none of it holds a shred of truth.

If the Chinese studies have been disproven by some other research, please, feel free to point me towards this body of knowledge. I'm not sure what 'scientific world' you're referring to. The general consensus among scientists is that the leaf form that's been used for centuries is fairly benign but the highly purified extract (steviosides) has not been studied enough. Until further research occurs, it will continue to be banned in Europe as well as remain unapproved for use in food products in the U.S.

 

[JMediger]

Yeah... would you like one lump of contraceptive with your tea or two? I guess you, as a woman, are in a position to be cavalier when it comes to reproductive organs that aren't your own. Me, personally, I kinda like my reproductive organs the way they are...

She was simply stating a fact as to prior uses for the stuff - not suggesting that you personally (or any other man) use it for this purpose. I don't think she was trying to be cavalier about anything ... No need to jump on her response like that. Argue with the right side, not those of us who are offering support to your statements. Unless, of course you are chewing on some stevia currently and it's ill effects have interfered with your sense of reason.

 

[kitchenelf]

I think it's been made clear that everyone has an opinion. Everyone needs to check with their own personal doctor. I think it is a known fact that anything artificial is best in very small doses.

Everyone should consult with their own doctor to see what's best for them; consult another one if need be. If you find relief from what your doctor says there must be something to it.

Please, one of our hard and fast policies here is NOT doing what is being done here. Take all your arguments to PM please. A friendly disagreement for the sake of working out problems is fine but this has gone too far.

 

[Dove]

Thanks Elf. You saved me from sending invitation's to the wood shed. LOL

 

[kitchenelf]

.................

 

[JMediger]

My apologies to all ...

 

[mujiber]

Huh?

Ok Stevia has been used in Japan for over 30 years now - it makes up 40% of their "sweetener" market... and Coke even uses it in all their diet drinks over there... hard to believe it's "well known" that it causes problems with reproduction... that's just absurd. If you want some actual details on Stevia, go here: Stevia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[mudbug]

All I can add to this discussion is personal experience of HH"s use of Splenda for several years now. No ill effects to that guy's plumbing or ancillary systems.

Hasn't bothered me either.