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Old 10-08-2012, 09:41 AM   #1  
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Default Stevia or Splenda???

I stopped drinking diet soda a few weeks ago, I switched to crystal light and kool-aid with splenda for sweetening. I was wondering if stevia is better for you than splenda. I am slowly going to wean off of sweetened drinks but for now, well, I need something sweet (baby steps). I lean toward stevia being better but I am not sure. I have very early kidney problems so I know I need to stop the sweeteners altogether but until I get there I would like to try to lessen the damage.

That is so clear in my head and so garbled when I type it.
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Old 10-08-2012, 11:56 AM   #2  
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I like stevia and use it whenever I can, especial in drinks or baked goods. But Splenda in moderation (in a few sugar free desserts or storebought things) is fine for me, too. I try to limit my artificial sweets down to a serving a day or so, but I've never counted stevia toward that total because I notice no physiological impact when I drink it, unlike Splenda or aspartame.

For sugar free sweeteners, I prefer Erythritol over Splenda. But stevia powder and liquid definitely gets the most daily use.
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Old 10-08-2012, 12:56 PM   #3  
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Thanks for your response. I bought stevia and am going to see if I feel better on that. I wonder sometimes if my headaches are caused by the splenda I use.
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Old 10-08-2012, 07:36 PM   #4  
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I also prefer Stevia. I actually choose sugar over Splenda. I used it Stevia in my decaf green tea for a while, but honestly, I prefer it sweetener-free now. Surprised me, but happy about it. :-)
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Old 10-08-2012, 09:50 PM   #5  
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Stevia is a much better choice. It's a natural sweetener, at least, but the taste reminds me of saccharin. I prefer Splenda any day of the week for sweetness. I will, however, choose the Stevia if given the choice.
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Old 10-09-2012, 09:00 AM   #6  
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Thanks for more input. I really enjoy hearing (reading?) everyone's ideas and opinions.
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Old 10-09-2012, 01:27 PM   #7  
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I <3 stevia! I have no adverse affects from it and use it daily in my smoothies. I use Splenda in moderate amounts if it's in something that's pre-packaged.

I know you didn't ask about aspartame, but I avoid it completely. A few years back I started getting severe migraines and it took months to figure out why I'd be unable to get out of bed for a week at time. Most diet drinks and a lot of low-calorie processed foods contain it so I always read labels and tend to avoid processed foods period.
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Old 10-09-2012, 02:03 PM   #8  
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I'm not convinced that stevia is safer than Splenda or aspartame. Herbal products have to be proven unsafe before they are taken off the market, while artificial products have to be proven safe to be put on the market.

The only studies I could find on stevia's safety found reproductive organ birth defects in lab rodents born to mothers fed stevia.

The herb has a long history of apparent safe use, but not in the quantity or form the extract is being used.

I'm not too concerned about stevia because I'm not going to be having any children, and I don't use it frequently enough to be concerned, but I'm not convinced that it is any safer than other low-calorie sweeteners.

I actually prefer sugar alcohols like erythritol or xylitol as sweeteners, because they don't seem to increase my appetite as many sweeteners do, and there's more incentive for using moderation. They tend to cause gas and diarrhea if eaten in excess, but I don't have problems with it in small amounts.

I do use aspartame and Splenda as well, because I believe that using a wide variety of sweeteners is actually safer and better healthwise than eating too much of any one sweetener, and I think that's true whether the sweetener is question is natural or artificial.

I also like that most sweeteners have a synergistic effect with other sweeteners, so I can use less sweetener to achieve my desired level of sweetness if I use two or more sweeteners rather than one.
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Old 10-10-2012, 09:27 AM   #9  
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I read about the reproductive issues too, but I am not planning anymore children (2 kinds of birth control), the page I read said that it was in lab rats but wasn't supposed to damage humans that way. I just want to use it to wean down to only water so hopefully I won't be using it for long. I switched to stevia yesterday and I don't have a headache today, I have been having constant headaches for weeks.
Kaplods, where and what do you read?! You are always chock full of information about all kinds of stuff, and always give such good advice and information!
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Old 10-11-2012, 07:56 PM   #10  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tubolard View Post
Kaplods, where and what do you read?! You are always chock full of information about all kinds of stuff, and always give such good advice and information!
I'm a compulsive reader, so I read everything, everwhere. If I see print, I can't not read it, from cereal boxes to billboards.

I'm a very rapid reader, and on a sick day (when I have nothing better to do, but read), I can read easily read 900 pages of text in a day. It's not unusual for me to read three or four books in a day.

Weight loss topics especially interest me, so I do read most of the diet best sellers, and if the authors cite research, I will usually go to the actual research articles to read at least a few of the studies being cited to make sure that I agree with the author's interpretation of the research.

Likewise when I hear or read about new weight loss research, I usually try to find the original published research article or at least the abstract (it's astonishing how often the report of the research bears little resemblence to the actual research).
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Old 10-12-2012, 04:45 PM   #11  
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I never eat Splenda - it's artificial. I LOVE stevia though - it's natural and has less of an impact on my blood sugar (supposedly anyway) and I love that you don't have to use a lot to get it sweetened.
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Old 10-12-2012, 05:07 PM   #12  
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I've tried both... But I actually prefer Truvia to Stevia. I don't know if you've ever heard of that. But I use that in my smoothies.
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Old 10-12-2012, 05:25 PM   #13  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sensualappeal View Post
I never eat Splenda - it's artificial. I LOVE stevia though - it's natural and has less of an impact on my blood sugar (supposedly anyway) and I love that you don't have to use a lot to get it sweetened.
Stevia is indeed natural if you are eating the leaves or preparing it at home. The powdered form so popular right now is just as processed if not more as regular white cane sugar. Keep that in mind when touting the benefits of natural vs. artificial. I personally enjoy both Stevia and Splenda though I understand the composition of Splenda more than Stevia so I use it more in my baking and everyday eating.

Aspartame can indeed cause headaches in some (which is why there are small warnings on items that contain it) as it is an allergic reaction. However, from what I've read it is one of the most researched and studied sweeteners on the market. The idea that aspartame is the cause of a lot of ailments has not been proven and the opposite has been proven, that it does NOT cause these diseases. That idea was wrongfully sent in a chain email many years ago. Human beings are psychologically pre-dispose to rely on word of mouth rather than some stranger scientist publishing a report...hence aspartame is the devil being a widely accepted "truth". I personally choose not to consume the packet form of aspartame due to the flavour. I will drink diet coke and sugar free gum to my hearts content though!
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Old 10-12-2012, 08:43 PM   #14  
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My hubby is also an obsessive researcher and tells me that Truvia is the best so that's what we use. Although we don't use a lot of artificial sweetners in general.
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Old 10-13-2012, 11:04 AM   #15  
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I read a lot, too much probably, but it seems like every page or site I read contradicts the next one. It get so confusing sometimes. I think they do it on purpose because they don't quite know what the truth is, lol.
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