[Brookhaven]

Our family is looking for a sugar alternative, and came across this product. Does anyone have any experience with it? I found it interesting that it is legal as a dietary supplement, but not as a food (if it's part of your diet, isn't it food?)

I also read that it holds 40% of the sweetener market in Japan.

I know we have a problem with nutrasweet (causes my wife headaches, and it causes my essential tremor to get worse). I am concerned about splenda because it is also artificial, so I was looking for a natrual alternative.

[LibertarianLiz]

I am also looking for an alternative. Most artificial sweeteners give me side-effects (headaches, intestinal problems) and, a very unpleasant after-taste.

I would be interested in anyone on FR who has used this product, and what they think of it --- good and bad.

Also, what is that throw-away line at the beginning about being a problem with some internal organs. Anyone have any other info on that?

[EggsAckley]

From the Website "Stevia.net"

If you've ever tasted stevia, you know it's extremely sweet. In fact, this remarkable noncaloric herb, native to Paraguay, has been used as a sweetener and flavor enhancer for centuries. But this innocuous-looking plant has also been a focal point of intrigue in the United States in recent years because of actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The subject of searches and seizures, trade complaints and embargoes on importation, stevia has been handled at times by the FDA as if it were an illegal drug.

Since the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), stevia can be sold legally in the United States, but only as a "dietary supplement." Even so, it can be found in many forms in most health-food stores, and is also incorporated into drinks, teas and other items (all labeled as "dietary supplements"). It cannot, however, be called a "sweetener" or even referred to as "sweet." To do so would render the product "adulterated," according to the FDA, and make it again subject to seizure.

The purpose of our Web site is to provide as much information about stevia as possible, from the scientific studies regarding its safety to the petitions submitted by the Lipton Tea Company and the American Herbal Products Association. Stevia.net will be an ongoing project for us at Body Ecology, so check back often, as we will be augmenting and updating this information frequently.

[martin_fierro]

I can't quite remember, but I think I used to smoke this stuff.

[untenured]

There's a Usenet group called misc.health.diabetes that has more about this than you'd ever want to know. It also has a FAQ, although I haven't looked at it in awhile.

[hove]

Can any body explain why our government is fighting the approval and acceptance of this natural sugar substitue??

[america-rules]

Splenda is much better and tastes exactly like sugar. It's made from sugar with no calories. Look Here !

[TheMole]

It's readily available here (I live in Canada) and I use it sometimes. The good news is that it's very strong and can be cooked into food. The bad news is that it tastes like artificial sweetener. To be specific, its taste resembles saccharine. I find it works best in lemonade that I make regularly by juicing fresh lemons. It's less good for coffee, which I eventually decided to drink unsweetened. Some brands are better than others, so talk to some customers if possible.

[stanz]

We tried Stevia, but did not continue with it because it had a bitter aftertaste. For the amount of sugar we use, we're better off staying with unbleached cane (Sugar in the Raw.)
Also, Dr. Andrew Weil, who is my health guru recommends it as a safe sugar substitute on his website, but I'm not sure if it's safe for diabetics.

[Cold Heat]

I know we have a problem with nutrasweet (causes my wife headaches, and it causes my essential tremor to get worse).

Hmmmmm....You are the first person I have seen complain about something I noticed years ago with nutra sweet. I was using it with iced tea and discovered that I was experiencing uncontrolled hand and arm movements and also vocal problems. The stuff was definately affecting my nervous system, ie: brain functions regarding more than one system.

I regard the stuff as dangerous.

[Revolting cat!]

This reminds me of the time eons ago when I was in the neighbourhood hospitality industry and we cheerfully served to the customers of our high class dive Sterno on the rocks!

[redhead]

" Does anyone have any experience with it?"

Yes. I have it in all three forms. It is INTENSELY SWEET. One drop in a full cup of coffee or tea is usually plenty. Some things are sweetened more easily than others, although I'm not sure why this should be. As far as I know, it has no side effects for the user, and is as safe as any herbal preparation that is sold. Just remember to use it in tiny amounts, and to experiment with it before you use it in something you want to serve to guests.

[cruiserman]

For stevia to be re-classified as a food additive, FDA spokesman Alan Bennett says, manufacturers must prove that it is safe.

Which is impossible.

[in_troth]

Our family is looking for a sugar alternative,

Why? Enjoy sugar in moderation, it won't kill you.

[alnick]

I started a few stevia plants from seed. They're still in the seedling stage, but I read at www.steviaplant.com that you can use the plant several ways. You can make an extract by boiling the leaves. You can dry the leaves and crumble them. I think that you can use them the same way that you would use bay leaf too when cooking.

Anyway, time will tell if I can figure out how to use it to sweeten my coffee.

I bought the seeds from Park Seed Company.

[angry elephant]

There is another artificial sweetener called SweetOne which I like better than Splenda, and it is cheaper. I have tried Stevia and did not find it that sweet. Also, to me it has a strong licorice flavor, and I don't care for licorice flavor in all sweets.

[DainBramage]

I've found that if I stir my drink with my finger it tends to sweeten up each time. (:^)

My wife's finger produces a lemony taste. I let her stir the tea.

[didi]

I have used it to sweeten tea, and bought the powder at a health food store. I also, in the past, bought a box of packets to take with me to restaraunts. I haven't bought any lately, but my feeling is that it is safe. I liked it, but it is harder to find where I live now. I believe that saccharin is safer than nutrasweet. I am not diabetic, but would like to have my teeth when I am old and am something of a sugar fiend.

I have become more cautious about 'natural' foods and remedies lately, particularly the herbal "supplements" as kavakava has been found to cause liver damage in some, with at least one person dying. My advice, for any of that, would be to find information on how long it has been used in Europe, for what symptoms, and any side effects that have been found. The Europeans are ahead of us in this aspect. I hope this helps.