Many people are choosing Truvia as their sweetener. Afterall it’s made from Stevia right? It’s found in the local grocery store, it’s less expensive and easier to purchase than Stevia.
Stevia
Stevia is an all natural sweetener. The Stevia plant is part of the sunflower family, native to subtropical and tropical regions from western North America to South America. The sweat leaf is widely used as a sweetener and sugar substitute. While it’s 300 times sweeter than sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste (at high concentrations) that many people find unappealing, Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose and may even enhance glucose tolerance.
Unlike all the other sugars available to us, Stevia is recognized by the body as a sweetener so it takes care of the sweet tooth but it does not cause the body to produce insullin to deal with “sugar”. It’s the perfect sweetener for diabetics for this very reason. You will reduce your propensity towards insulin resistance and thereby cut your diabetes risk, lower inflammation caused by insulin spiking in the blood, lower fat storage and even lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol.
Powdered or crystallized stevia can be purchased in natural foods stores.
Truvia
Truvia is a Stevia-based sugar substitute, developed jointly by The Coca Cola Company and Cargill. It is currently distributed and marketed by Cargill as a tabletop sweetener and as a food ingredient. Truvia consists just partly of stevia extract however. Next to stevia, Truvia contains also rebiana, natural flavors and mainly erythritol, a natural sugar alcohol that is almost non-caloric, does not affect blood sugar, does not cause tooth decay, and, in regular use (i.e., not extreme quantities), does not cause side effects.Sucralose and aspartame have dominated as artificial sweeteners that provide sweetness without the undesired weight gain. However, both are artificial and have a slew of controversy surrounding their safety. Truvia, however, is a naturally derived sweetener from the herb stevia. Because it comes from the stevia plant, Cargill classifies it as a natural sweetener in addition to being a non-nutritive sweetener.
Thank you so much for this information. I have been using stevia for some time but was recently given a large amount of Truvia by a person who did not like it.
After reading this, I think I will stick with Stevia as my sweetener
I really like Truvia. Other artificial sweetners currently on the market spike asthma attacks. I presume that’s considered an allergic reaction and that I should completely avoid them or risk anaphylaxis, which can be deadly.
Great comparison for one to understand. I too will stick to my stevia. The insulin resistance, lower cholesterol and fat storage information sold me.
Stevia tastes terrible! Ruined a nice apple pie using it! Love Truvia.
I like and use stevia but it does contain dextrose