Comments on: Is Stevia really “natural?”

By: Anthro

Anthro — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:57:31 +0000

I’m with those who ask, “why all the sweetener to begin with?” Even fresh-squeezed o.j. has a fair amount of sugar (we have it on Christmas as a very special treat–having something like that every day takes the special out of it). Me–I just eat the orange! What a concept! I also eat lots of greens and other veggies, so I get plenty of Vitamin C without o.d.ing on the sugars in fruit juice. Our culture is obsessed with beverages! Why can’t people drink water? I like club soda with a slice of lemon or cucumber (or both) and a good micro-brew now and then, but I am always amazed at a whole aisle being devoted to juice at supermarkets and coops alike.

Stevia is awful just like Splenda and all the rest. I use good old cane sugar when I need it–in small quantities–only 20 or so calories per teaspoon, but lots of carbs in orange juice.

By: Swerve Sweetener

Swerve Sweetener — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:12:23 +0000

“Stevia doesn’t taste like sugar. Companies have to fuss with it to cover up its off taste.” This is a problem that we faced years ago when trying to create Swerve Sweetener. Stevia also has a problem with it’s unstable sweetness cycle, it goes bitter/sweet/bitter, this is the nature of many herbs. This cycle is what gives stevia based products the strange after taste.

The erythritol that many of these companies are using is only about 60% as sweet as sugar, so that is why they are adding the stevia (which is close to 300% as sweet as sugar.

Erythritol is made by enzymatic processes where enzymes break-down natural foods that are a part of your everyday diet (fruits and vegetables). The process that we use to yield the white crystals is the introduction of microorganisms classified as “osmotolerant”. The non-GMO microorganisms are introduced, and during that 3 day “fermentation” process a white crystalline powder is formed. Those crystals are then purified with natural activated charcoal and ultrafiltration, no chemicals involved.

Erythritol does not perform as well as sugar. Our proprietary formulation actually improves the characteristics of plain erythritol, overcoming these issues, enabling us to create a product unlike any other, with characteristics most like sugar – able to cook, bake, candy, freeze and brown like sugar.

swervesweetener.com

By: Jessica

Jessica — Sat, 02 May 2009 04:09:53 +0000

I just don’t understand. Why don’t people just drink a small glass of regular, freshly squeezed orange juice and call it a day? What is the deal?

By: April

April — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:04:16 +0000

Hi:
I find this discussion pretty fascinating – especially the part where you say “sugar, which is definitely safe if you don’t pile it on,” Marion. I am worried about Stevia’s safety – especially after the sweetener is turned from a green plant to a green powder to a white powder – that just can’t be “all natural.” And yet, sugar made from GMO sugar beets – how safe and natural could that be? I guess I agree with the sentiment behind your words, Marion, that seem to imply that anything that has withstood the test of time in careful moderation shouldn’t be too bad. However, for me personally, hot chocolate as an occasional afternoon pick me up would give me a definite downer an hour later if I used sugar as the sweetener – that’s not the case with stevia-sweetened. So any further info you have on stevia’s safety would really be welcome.

By: Kami Gray

Kami Gray — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:08:37 +0000

I don’t buy any presweetened beverages and try and avoid anything presweetened. If I’m going to add a sweetener to anything like coffee, ice tea, plain yogurt, or cereal; I want to control the amount that goes in and I will choose a natural sweetener like maple syrup, honey, brown rice syrup, or agave nectar. I’ve also found you don’t need much sweetener! A half a teaspoon typically does the trick! I personally don’t like the licorice aftertaste of stevia, but that’s just a personal preference.

I also think we need to practice being less sweet-addicted and discover what food really tastes like. A perfectly-ripened grapefruit for example, tastes amazing sans sweetener of any kind.

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:09:32 +0000

Sugar tastes better, and is fine in moderation. I mean, I’ve seen the best improvements in A1c in patients on a low-carb diet (as one would expect), but even I would say that jumping through hoops to produce techno-foods totally ignores the simple fact that you can moderate it.

I wouldn’t buy a soda, stevia or not. They’re almost as useless to the cook as they are to the dietitian.

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:13:14 +0000

If your mother made it to 84 (pre-diabetes or not), she’s done something right. If it were me, I’d let my mother eat what she wants and enjoy my remaining time with her.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:18:09 +0000

Try telling that to a sugar addict. I am trying to wean my 84 yo mother off sweetened foods due to high blood sugar (pre-diabetes), and she doesn’t even get AT ALL how many products contain sugar, or “high fructose corn syrup”. This is the same deceptive advertising that got her to buy a “sugar free” cranberry juice, that in fact contained the equivalent of 9 teaspoons of sugar in an 8 ounce glass, thanks to the liberal use of apple and grape juices, the main ingredients! Oh, this all makes me too mad.

Of course, those of us who are aware don’t eat and drink this junk. It’s the way it is marketed to fool the majority of mainstream Americans into thinking these products are a healthy alternative. As for Stevia, I don’t touch the processed variety. I do have a bottle of ground Stevia leaf, which I used to put in teas, but I simply don’t need them that sweet anyway, so I stopped using even that.

By: judi

judi — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:06:04 +0000

Steve,
You took the words right out of my mouth! Instead of substituting sugar why not eat less sugary tasting food… that would make this a non-issue.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:53:20 +0000

Is sugar really that horrible that we have to go through all these hoops to manufacture a substitute?

I guess I just don’t get the mentality that says this is the case…