I heard that Stevia is awesome as a sweetner and has NO carbs (as opposed to Splenda that has one carb).

BUT, I just read that Stevia makes your pancreas release insulin. I thought we wantd to avoid this? Am I confused?


Thanks,

kitten

Hi kitten,
Don't know about the insulin, but I got some samples of Stevia sent to me (for $2.00) so I could try it (since it was so natural). I think it's terrible tasting. I really like Splenda (even if it does has ONE carb), but the Stevia tastes very much like sacharin to me and leaves an aftertaste too. But that's just my opinion.

Hi! The stevia is extremely sweet, so there's no way you could eat enough of it to get much of an insulin response.

...and, as thinkthin pointed out, it doesn't taste too great. I use it anyway, though, because I want to minimize my use of the unnatural stuff like Splenda. I've never tried baking with it, but I use it in my coffee. A tad of Splenda plus a drop or two of stevia.

If the stevia is tasting bad, you may be using too much. If you over do it, it gets an extreamly bitter taste.

Stevia is great, and can be used by people who have candidia. I use the kind with the good type of fiber added. My only complaint is that it doesn't always disolve and your left with a nasty chunk. The liquid I have to be extreamly careful not to use to much of and getting to the nasty tasting stage.

Hi LadyBelle - I think that was the case with me. If I use one drop in my coffee, it's fine. Two drops, and I can start to taste a hint of the aftertaste. Three drops, blech!

Stevia is supposed to be a wonderful thing for us LC'ers (an alternative to Splenda as a sweetner) but, look what I found!!

"Stevia helps pancreas release INSULIN!" (I thought that's what we don't want!!?? )


http://www.healthy.net/asp/templates/column.asp?Id=296


Help me figure this out, please. I'm an "anatomy dummy".

Thanks a ton!!

Kitten

I tracked down the actual study (abstract) ... and it's not really clear just how much stevia was used to elicit this response. Nonetheless, stevia is normally only used in very tiny amounts, just a drop or two.

If you are low carbing "cleanly", it's unlikely that the insulin output would be enough to work against your efforts. If you're a Type 2 diabetic on blood sugar-lowering medication, it might be prudent to discuss using stevia with your dr.


Doreen

It seems like they don't know why or how it works, but when there is glucose in your blood stevia makes your pancreas work better.
They did not test the effects of stevia when there is no glucose present.
So I would not worry about it for now.

WHEW Thanks you guys!!




Kitten

Stevia is really sweet, and not as rounded as sugar in taste. I use stevia powdered extract, from Sweet Leaf. 1/3 of a teaspoon sweetens an entire pitcher of tea, one tap of the shaker is all I need in a cup of coffee. I didn't love it at first but find I am accustomed to it and now I really like it. I think its a powerful ally. I have decided to phase Splenda out of our lives.

I am a hypoglycemic, and can't even deal with Splenda. However, stevia works just fine for me without upsetting my blood sugar at all. It really does have to be dilute, and I've had bad luck with certain brands as being more bitter. I prefer the purified Stevia Extract from Now. I use just the end of a teaspoon handle to scoop up what is probably 1/32 of a teaspoon to sweeten a whole pot of tea. I find that this brand dissolves more readily, and doesn't have any added starches or other carbs.