Stevia Extract. Not worth it IMO

[TracieandJim]

Have you heard about Stevia extracts and related products? The latest sweetner to come out. Not artificial. It comes from the Stevia plant that originates in South America.

Heres the thing. Google it and you will find several sites selling it but you wont find a nutrition label. You will see many people building it up as 'safe for diabetics' but my question was what about carbs?

A T2 friend of mine actually brought 'Stevia' to my attention. She was so anxious to get some she sought it out and found it at Whole Foods. She bought a box of 100 packets for $8. She said there are a variety of Stevia products. You can get powder, liquid.. the packets etc. All of the Stevia products she saw were not exclusive to one manufacturer. This box of 100 packets she bought is distributed by Whole Foods. It doesn't say who processed it.

The web sites are misleading by saying its safe for diabetics and the nutrition label on this box is contradictory.

Here are some facts you should know:

1 - Stevia DOES have carbs! There is 1g carb per packet.

2 - This particular box of 100 pkts was processed in a facility that processes nuts, milk, egg, shellfish, wheat and soy products. Important if you are allergic!

3 - There is a CAUTION disclaimer on the box. It says: DO NOT USE MORE THAN 8 PACKETS PER DAY. DIABETICS OR INDIVIDUALS WITH BLOOD SUGAR IRREGULARITIES SHOULD CONSULT A HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONER BEFORE USING THIS PRODUCT AS STEVIA EXTRACT HAS A MINIMAL EFFECT ON BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS.

huh? So.. why not more than 8 packets? It doesnt say. Why the disclaimer about diabetics? Interesting.

4 - Ingredients are: rice maltodextrin and silica. No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

5 - Its marketed at a dietary supplement. Not as a sweetener. Something about the FDA and patenting about why its marketed this way.

6 - It has a HORRIBLE after taste. If you get an after taste from sweet n low, or splenda or Diet drinks or anything diet for that matter then you WONT like this! I put a tiny bit on my finger and tasted it an hour ago, bleh! Ive been drinking coffee since and I can still taste the after taste. ugh.

7 - Its expensive!


SO... those are my 2 cents. IMO Stevia is not worth it at all. BTW.. you can find out all this info on your own by googling and going to a Whole Foods or other grocery store that has herbs, vitamins, health stuff etc.

[Karenwith4]

We use Stevia and we love it.
Stevia has a lot of really postive benefits and here in Canada at least we can buy Stevia without an aftertaste (it's clearly indicated as free of aftertaste on the label.)

I responded to your other post here (http://forums.childrenwithdiabetes.com/showthread.php?t=20052).
The brand we buy has chromium and and inulin (and Stevia naturally has a lot of other vitamins and minerals) and because of these micronutrients they have to recommend not to use more than 8 packets again in order not to exceed the DRI for these micronutrients (which are btw very beneficial for diabetics).

The carb of 1 gram is offset by the fact that it has 1 gram of fiber - essentially rendering it carb free. It also has a GI of 0.

I agree completely that people need to do their own research about this to make a decision. I personally think Stevia is an excellent addition to anyone's diet and we far prefer it to the artificial sweeteners.

[TracieandJim]

We use Stevia and we love it.
Stevia has a lot of really postive benefits and here in Canada at least we can buy Stevia without an aftertaste (it's clearly indicated as free of aftertaste on the label.)

I responded to your other post here (http://forums.childrenwithdiabetes.com/showthread.php?t=20052).
The brand we buy has chromium and and inulin (and Stevia naturally has a lot of other vitamins and minerals) and because of these micronutrients they have to recommend not to use more than 8 packets again in order not to exceed the DRI for these micronutrients (which are btw very beneficial for diabetics).

The carb of 1 gram is offset by the fact that it has 1 gram of fiber - essentially rendering it carb free. It also has a GI of 0.

I agree completely that people need to do their own research about this to make a decision. I personally think Stevia is an excellent addition to anyone's diet and we far prefer it to the artificial sweeteners.

Ah.. ok.. Thanks for this info. When my friend told me there were various options to Stevia and they were all diff. manufactures I wondered if the carbs were different too. We only looked at this one particular box and it doesnt have any fiber to offset the carbs. This also explains the vagueness of info on alot of the web sites about it. Soooo.. like with anything, the nutrition label will differ. I dont like the idea of chromium however I wouldnt mind trying one that says 'aftertaste free' on it. Which brand is it you have?

[Nightowl]

The Stevia brand I use has zero carbs. It is pure Stevia and has zero impact on blood sugar. Stevia is sold under many brands and with various formulations. You must be careful to read the label. Do not buy Stevia that contains maltodextrin. In some brands, maltodextrin is listed as a first ingredient. This would be more detrimental to blood sugars than table sugar.

[twodoor2]

I don't care for the taste at all, maybe it's an acquired taste. Are there some brands that are more pleasing than others, and Karen, what brand do you purchase?

[KelliTwins]

Great discussion! I've heard a lot about Stevia, and wondered if it was a good choice for our family.

[Ellen]

I chewed a stevia leaf - blech - reminded me of saccarine. Maybe it would be better in iced tea?

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