Stevia

I've been reading information about a "supplement" called stevia. It is derived from a plant found in South America, and has been used as an all-natural no calorie sweetner for hundreds of years in that culture. I was just wondering if anyone has used it and what they think. From what I have read, it is 50-400 times sweeter than table sugar, so you use very little, it can be used for cooking and is ALL-NATURAL unike artificial sweetners like SPlenda and Equal.

It is the only "artificial" sweetener I use.  Splenda rips up my stomach.  I love the Stevia - you can even get it with added fiber.  It doesn't have a weird taste.  I use it in my coffee every day.  Sometimes I add a couple drops of the vanilla flavored liquid stevia to my oatmeal.  I really like it.  I keep some packets in my car and purse so if I get coffee somewhere like starbucks, I can use it. 

Never tried this one, but I love Suganut(works just like regular sugar in baking)  and agave nectar(as an alternative to honey).

Personally, with my tea (which I drink like crazy!!) I would have two packets of the pink sweet n low. And was used to the taste and loved it.

Anyways, I knew the negative effects of aspartame so I decided to use stevia. Unfortunately I did not like the taste at all in my tea. It was a different type of sweetness that I could not get used to. Now everyone has different opinions, and I only used to use it in tea, so it probably would taste different with food etc.

Definately give it a try! Because its 0 calories and is all natural with benefits!! Way better for you!! Although you might have to acquire the taste!

Stevia is the only added sweetener I allow in my diet.  It may be better to get rid of that too (who knows!) but I figured it's probably better than the other ones.

I love it and add some of it to my PB, banana, and flax oatmeal as well as my protein shakes.  That's about it though =)

I can get Stevia in green packets, in my grocery's healthy and organic food section.  I like the taste of it, but it's definitely more challenging to stir into tea, for example.

I grew up in Michigan, where a locally made pop, Vernors, was made for years with Stevia, until the sugar/artificial sweetener companies got it outlawed as a food item.  Technically, we are buying something classified as a 'nutritional suplement', IIRC.

I tried to stir a pack of Stevia into some hot cereal, for sweetener. Maybe I bought the wrong brand or something, because it was gross as heck to me.

I tried Stevia this weekend for the first time. I kinda shocked my hostess when I was reading the lable and noticed it's got silica in the ingredients.  I'm wondering if there is a*more natural stevia* without having dry the leaves  yourself etc.  I'm not an all natural eater but, my hostess and her husband are trying to be serious all natural organic and by the Bible eaters.

If you've got a stevia that is double sure all natural. Would you please PM what it is?

I use Stevia EVERY DAY in my coffee - and A LOT OF IT - because I drink a lot of coffee & decaf coffee! I love it!! :) Sweetleaf Stevia has AWESOME flavor varieties!!

Natural does not mean safe! Artificial sweeteners have to go through rigorous safety tests before being released onto the market. Stevia has not been studied all that intensely, and that is why it's sale is banned in several countries.

^^^ As far as I know only in U.S. and there is a question of why....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia#Controver sies