Stevia vs Splenda

[Aya]

Hi all

Can anyone tell me why Splenda is the Atkins choice over Stevia? From what 've seen, Stevia seems like a healthier option (haven't tried it yet).
Any info?

Thanks!
Aya

[susan423]

Re: Stevia vs Splenda

I've been choosing stevia over splenda for quite a while. Splenda makes me sick..headaches and such. The only thing I can think of is maybe when Dr, Atkins was doing his study, stevia wasn't very well known. Most folks on this board take the drs advice as gospel and they have trouble thinking for themselves. If he says Splenda they think they don't have any other choices so they don't even look for a better choice.

[mirna05]

Re: Stevia vs Splenda

stevia is natural and better, the only reason he doesn not recommend it is because it is not aproved in the USA as a sweetener just as a suplement. Dr. Atkins thinks it is not aproved just for political reasons and mentioned that it has been used succesfully in Asia for years.

[Miss Phode]

Re: Stevia vs Splenda

I prefer stevia too. Splenda makes me hurt. I use SweetLeaf Stevia. It has the least bitter aftertaste. I only use it to sweeten beverages though, i.e. herbal tea. I don't bake any "low carb" desserts, so I've never tried to use it for baking.

[ValidRouge]

Re: Stevia vs Splenda

Most folks on this board take the drs advice as gospel and they have trouble thinking for themselves. If he says Splenda they think they don't have any other choices so they don't even look for a better choice.

Wow, Susan, that's very supportive.

[Hopeful1]

Re: Stevia vs Splenda

I've got an order coming in soon with Stevia in it. I haven't tried it yet. I like to make sweet tea (by the gallon) for the whole family. Does anyone know how much I'd use? I usually use 18 small packs of splenda for the whole amount. I guess I'll do trial and error. Is Stevia safe for everyone? I've done some reading on it. But I was just wondering for those that use it who have kids.

Any word will be helpful. Thanks

[Miss Phode]

Re: Stevia vs Splenda

Stevia is from a plant, and it's not a chemical, and as far as I know, unless your children would have some sort of allergic reaction to it, which I've never heard of, it should be just fine for them. It's not a chemically man made item like Stevia is, so it should be better for them in my opinion. Stevia is far sweeter than sugar, so you'd need very little in comparison. I use like 1/4 of a packet, at most, in a cup of tea.

[mirna05]

Re: Stevia vs Splenda

I've got an order coming in soon with Stevia in it. I haven't tried it yet. I like to make sweet tea (by the gallon) for the whole family. Does anyone know how much I'd use? I usually use 18 small packs of splenda for the whole amount. I guess I'll do trial and error. Is Stevia safe for everyone? I've done some reading on it. But I was just wondering for those that use it who have kids.

Any word will be helpful. Thanks

I use it for my kids, don´t worry is completly safe

[susan423]

Re: Stevia vs Splenda

Wow, Susan, that's very supportive.

Just being observant. I've heard far worse coming from this board

[sadie147]

Re: Stevia vs Splenda

I grow my own stevia every summer, it grows really well (get the starter plants at home depot). If you do a search on the net you can find the recipe for creating your own stevia liquid. It's good for sweetening things like yogurt etc, and baking. Only problem with it is it's green in colour...so it'll change the colour of your food. but much cheaper than buying stevia! the plant cost me 1.79 and it provides a ton of leaves!

[tulsanurse1]

Re: Stevia vs Splenda

I just realized that I have 50 small packets of Stevia. I have no idea what to do with it. Could I use it to replace the Splenda that is called for in recipes? Would the amounts be the same? It says it 10-15 times sweeter than processed sugar but gives no info on the difference in sweetness between Splenda and Stevia. Whats your preference and what do u do with this stuff?

[TitianWasp]

Re: Stevia vs Splenda

Hey y'all - make sure you read up on Stevia before using it regularly. I am sure there are similar alerts on many products, but it never hurts to be as aware as possible when making choices:

FDA import alert on stevia used as food additive; Dole packaged salads recall

By: Kay B. Day Posted: 7:20pm, Tue 18 Sep 2007 Topics: Food & Drink Health & Wellness Politics & News


The U. S. Food and Drug Administration has identified certain products from companies in Japan, Korea and Brazil for automatic detention because the products contain derivatives of stevia leaves used in food products. Stevia is popularly used as a sweetener in the U. S. as in some other countries. But technically, stevia is only legal in the U.S. as a dietary supplement—it hasn’t been approved as a food supplement or sweetener.

FDA issued a revised attachment September 12 to an alert originally issued in 1996. Read more at Covering Florida.

Google "Stevia" and "FDA" before purchasing.

[des]

Re: Stevia vs Splenda

When sweetening anything with stevia, it's really trial and error. Add a little and taste to see if it's good enough. If you over sweeten, it tends to get a bitter taste, which kinda ruins it. A little goes a long way, and I find it's usually more potent than Splenda.

Stevia has properties that help the body to process sugars, and has no glycemic effect. So it's actually recommended for diabetics to complement a healthy diet. I found it took longer to get used to than Splenda. But now that I am, it's basically all I use. I prefer it in liquid form, but the powdered form is good too.

[susan423]

Re: Stevia vs Splenda

[QUOTE=TitianWasp]Hey y'all - make sure you read up on Stevia before using it regularly. I am sure there are similar alerts on many products, but it never hurts to be as aware as possible when making choices:

FDA import alert on stevia used as food additive; Dole packaged salads recall

By: Kay B. Day Posted: 7:20pm, Tue 18 Sep 2007 Topics: Food & Drink Health & Wellness Politics & News


The U. S. Food and Drug Administration has identified certain products from companies in Japan, Korea and Brazil for automatic detention because the products contain derivatives of stevia leaves used in food products. Stevia is popularly used as a sweetener in the U. S. as in some other countries. But technically, stevia is only legal in the U.S. as a dietary supplement—it hasn’t been approved as a food supplement or sweetener.

FDA issued a revised attachment September 12 to an alert originally issued in 1996. Read more at Covering Florida.

Google "Stevia" and "FDA" before purchasing.[/QUOTE

And while you're at it, Google Splenda. Scary stuff.

[Grant]

Re: Stevia vs Splenda

The only thing I can think of is maybe when Dr, Atkins was doing his study, stevia wasn't very well known.

I agree with this, I think if Dr. Atkins was stil around he would probably have included Stevia an a new edition.

Most folks on this board take the drs advice as gospel and they have trouble thinking for themselves.

Nice.