The Truth on Truvia
For better or for worse, we’re hell bent on finding or concocting the “perfect” non-caloric sweetener in this country. Call it the spirit of creative innovation – or capitalist enterprise. Call it incessant perpetuation of Americans’ bad eating habits. Call it a pragmatic step toward at least a more healthful alternative for what people will eat regardless.
First it was the pink packets, then the blue, then the yellow, and now the pleasantly, nature-inspired white and green foliage-designed envelopes. Truvia is a lucrative marketing merger of the “true,” (the essence?, the genuine?, the handy emotional affirmation?) with the herb stevia and all its natural (or novel) associations, depending on your familiarity with the natural foods (er, dietary supplement) arena.
Truvia is a creation of the Cargill Corporation, Big Agra giant. (We’re not sayin’, we’re just sayin’.) According to the company, it’s a non-caloric sweetener made from rebiana, an isolated and purified extract of the stevia leaf, a natural sweetener source originally from South America and now used in many corners of the world. Stevia, as we’ve reported on before, is considered safe by most experts, but it has not been approved by the FDA as a food ingredient in this and a number of European countries. (A small number of older and controversial rat studies found some association between high consumption and decreased fertility, lower birth weight and cancer. However, more recent research including a 2006 World Health Organization analysis found no evidence of negative health impact. Additionally, no health issues have been noted in the indigenous populations that have used stevia for generations or in Japan, where it is a very common and legally accepted sweetener used for decades.) In the U.S., stevia has been available but marketed instead as a dietary supplement. The biggest drawback for the sweetener in the minds of many consumers has been the slight (but distinct) aftertaste.
According to Cargill (and a number of tasters who either sampled the product at the company’s official rolling out event or who have purchased the product online), the plant selection and purification processes have done away with the offending aftertaste, leaving nothing but “clean, pure” sweetness. And taste testers seem to be responding positively as well, even preferring the sweetener to real sugar in many cases.
But what about the safety of the product and the whole “natural” claim? Is it really, as Cargill contends, a sweetener we can “feel good about”? We, of course, had to do some digging. Research has thus far been limited to several studies sponsored by Cargill itself. They were published together in a special supplement addition of the Food and Chemical Toxicology Journal this past July. The studies used both rats and humans as test subjects. Other than one study focused on reproductive impact, durations ranged from 4-16 weeks and used high doses of rebiana. According to the assembled research, there currently isn’t any indication that rebiana negatively impacts health. In healthy people, it didn’t raise blood pressure. It didn’t raise blood sugar in those with type 2 diabetes. Animal studies showed no signs of reproductive impact or harm to offspring. The rebiana substance was shown to be safely metabolized and secreted. The company adds that this research is meant to be examined in tandem with the plethora of existed studies on stevia – mainly steviol glycosides, which includes rebaudioside A, the primary element of Cargill’s rebiana.
As we speak, Truvia is in the midst of a nation-wide rollout. Having been first sold by select New York vendors and online, the product is making its way to more main street grocers. Additionally, consumers will increasingly find common food products made with Truvia in their supermarket aisles (including Coca-Cola-yeah!) as additional food and beverage applications are announced. We’ll see which ones are worth their salt – or their sweetener, we should say.
So, what’s our take on Truvia? In our minds the jury is still out. While the initial studies offer some degree of assurance, they’re extremely limited in terms of populations tested, biomarkers analyzed, and durations used. First off, it isn’t 100% clear that rebiana is entirely the physiologically-acting equal of other forms of stevia used throughout the world. Studies that last a mere 4-16 weeks don’t tell us much about the long-term effects of a substance. And though one study observed no impact on fertility or offspring in rats over two generations, somehow that still isn’t enough for us to recommend Truvia to our pregnant sister-in-law. Also, we wonder how well the substance will be tolerated in people with autoimmune disorders, certain food allergies, high blood pressure or other medical conditions. On a related note, we wish we knew more about potential substance interactions – how prescription drugs, hormonal therapies, or other medicinal treatments might alter the body’s processing and secretion of the substance over time. Finally, some critics also add that most of their stevia crops are generally grown in China under non-organic conditions. Given the recent problems with Chinese produced crops and medicinal substances (e.g. infant formula, pet food, heparin components), this fact doesn’t exactly inspire the deepest confidence.
Ultimately, our perspective on Truvia is the same as it is with any artificial/altered sweetener: ask yourself if the sweetened food/drink offers any real benefit (physical or otherwise) that you couldn’t get from the same or similar food/drink that’s unsweetened. If using an artificial/altered sweetener gives you an excuse to eat or drink things that probably aren’t good for you anyway (like Coca-Cola), we definitely say skip it. In this case, it’s just a crutch that perpetuates sweet cravings. If it allows you to have a sensible alternative for foods and drinks that offer you some kind of nutritional or personal benefit, then it might be a reasonable addition to your diet on occasion.
We’ll be watching as the news about Truvia unfolds and promise to bring you updates as they come along. In the meantime, we want to hear what you think of the latest sweetener to hit the shelves. Have you tried it? Do you intend to? Tell us your thoughts.
Further Reading:
A Cranky Crab Confesses: Yes, I Use Splenda!
10 Health Marketing Buzz Words (Ripe for Skepticism)
Subscribe to Mark’s Daily Apple feeds
Posted By: Worker Bee
I haven’t tried it and don’t intend to. I still take in more sugar than I’d like (mostly in coffee), but as I focus on changing my eating habits, I find things I used to enjoy now taste overpowering to the point where I don’t enjoy them. Give me a 90% dark chocolate bar and a spoonful of coconut oil, and I’ll be happy to call that dessert.
I’d still like to try miracle fruit, both for curiosity’s sake and because it might help me drink coffee without sugar.
If you are ever interested in a really natural grow it yourself sweetener, try sweet cicely. It is an herb which is pretty easy to grow and has very sweet leaves that you can use fresh or dried. I have just began to use it but it seems like just a few leaves can really add all the sweetest you need. And I am a recovering sugar addict.
I’m with you on the 90% cocoa and coconut oil – I was a coffee drinker, especially in winter in NY. As of last fall I went low carb and decided to try Stevia with cocoa powder and water instead. I’ve grown to love it both hot and cold. It does require repeated stirring or a good swish toward the bottom of the cup. Sometimes I do add in a bit of hazelnut flavoring too – mmmmmmm give these a try and you may be able to replace your coffee w/ sugar habit with still plenty of antioxidants. Also – we dark chocolate lovers can easily adjust to the bitterness of stevia. I haven’t tried Truvia but will – but generally prefer things as the most natural the better….
So, I was thinking about the miracle fruit? Did you ever try it?
YES! my mother grows miracle fruit in Florida. hat it does is makes juicy…citrus type fruits SWEET. I recall this smallish 3/4 inch berry.. A bit sweet itself. chew it and getting around your mouth. THEN eat lemon or lime … It will be the sweetest lemon or lime!
where can you get miricale fruit from if you dont want to grow it yourself?
What is this berry called?
stevia is safe healthwise and in fact, good for your health, in that it is good for your teeth and gums, normalizes blood pressure, normalizes blood-sugar levels, aids in digestion and secretion, improves kidney health, and other health benefits. It is truly like a miracle food, being sweet and doing the healthful opposite to your body then the halth detriments of sugar. You can find all of the substantiated and extremely credible medical literature to confirm what I said! Truvia is not pure stevia and is made up of erythritol, as the first ingredient and rebiana, which is a form of stevia , as the second ingredient ; and erythritol unfortunately has a slight glycemic index and causes other health problems, as it is a sugar alcohol,and sugar alcohols cause various bad health problems! I only know about 2 brands of stevia products on the market, that are not mixed with sugar or sugar alcohols or maltodextrin, and they are Trader Joes brand of pure stevia which comes in a canister and not the packets, and Wisdom of the Ancients brand stevia product which comes in packets and the second ingredient is inositol, which is fiber from chicory root, and inositol is safe and is not associated with detrimental health problems.
you say stevia is much safer then truvia? ive been researching the sweeteners and although i havent found any information saying it was directly harmful to your health, i never found anything saying stevia could be good for you. where did you find this information?
Truvia has a definite aftertaste, and, quite remarkably, 3 carbs per packet! I’ll take my Splenda, and feel okay about it because it makes my primal lifestyle a little easier to swallow (pun intended).
The aftertaste come from the stevia. Stevia is a natural herb that has a bitter/sweet/bitter cycle, the problem is the bitter is always present. The erythritol that Coke is using is only about 60% as sweet as sugar, so they have to boost the sweetness somehow – they chose stevia – which is 300% as sweet as sugar. There is no way to extract and crystallize stevia without chemicals.
We have been working on out erythritol formulation for 9 years and have came up with a 0carb/0cal form of erythritol that is made completely naturally with no chemicals involved in the entire process.
“Erythritol is made by enzymatic processes where enzymes break-down natural foods that are a part of your everyday diet (fruits and vegetables). The process that we use to yield the white crystals is the introduction of microorganisms classified as “osmotolerant”. The non-GMO microorganisms are introduced, and during that 3 day “fermentation” process a white crystalline powder is formed. Those crystals are then purified with natural activated charcoal and ultrafiltration, no chemicals involved.”
Swerve Sweetener
In the Marines there is a term “Overwhelming fire power”. All this truvia is cracka-cola’s effort to get products like sweetleaf which is actually made from stevia leaf extract and others off the market.
According to this “Swerve Sweetener” its impossible for all these other products that contain Stevia extract without having gone through some sort of chemical process being involed.
This character “swerve sweetener” seems to be dumping alot of information to try to reassure people of this truvia product. I sense a cracka-cola propagandist and would suggest people actually looking up all thie information them self.
While this character says its impossible to extract stevia without chemicals it forgets to mention Truvia contains rebiana. Rebiana is a product of the stevia plant which according to person would be done through a chemical process chemical.
The label Natural flavors is a notorious term in ingredients to hide whats inside. I am not saying that Erythritol isn’t what “Swerve Sweetener” says it is. I am saying its a look over hear tactic used to make you feel safe about the product.
I am not a spokesperson for any product or group/company. I just hate when people try to manipulate others.
~Michael Smith, random individual
Don’t be fooled by the “Naturally Made” line. Does anybody remember how Aspartame was originally marketed/made?
Essentially the same way… Toxic substance fed to a micro-organism (aka bacteria) which feeds on it, and then excretes (think waste) a powdery substance, which is then filtered and fed to us, broken back down into good stuff and formaldehyde. The latter not being the good stuff.
So what’s left? What’s natural? Every sugar and sweetener is either chemicals, or chemically processed (removing original enzymes and truely natural characteristics)…
If your like me. Stick with the plant. Eat the berry. Eat the fruit. Enjoy the natural characteristics of tea and coffee. Shave the orange peel, chew the sweet leaf. And do it non-GMO style (organic).
Refined foods is the stone the Western world stubs its toe on.
Personally, I stick with pure home- boiled maple syrup. Nothing is added – just sap from the sugar maple tree boiled down to syrup. Lots of work – over 40 gallons of sap boiled down to get ONE gallon of syrup, but WORTH it! I use replace the sugar called for with half the amount in syrup. Lots of comments about how good bakery tastes – great over ice cream and in main dish recipes, too.
I agree. It’s really sad what the corporations are doing to our foods in the name of the almighty dollar, but it is also really sad that we put up with it. It’s really frustrating to find good quality food that you don’t have to make completely from scratch. I wish they would just pull their heads out and stop trying to trick us into thinking that they are actually listening to us as consumers and giving us good food while they are still slipping crap in there that bogs us down and hurts us.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but Truvia is better than splenda. Splenda has 3 calories (carbs) per packet as well. Since it is under 5 calories it can be labeled as “calorie-free”. Splenda is chlorinated sugar. It breaks down at higher temperatures (over 90 some degrees) and becomes toxic to the body. Most sweetners are already spoiled by the time the hit the grocerery
Splenda has 3 calories which is equivalent to 1 net carb not 3 carbs.
Also, Splenda® does not interact with other food ingredients or breakdown when exposed to the hot temperatures, acidic conditions, and storage requirements common to many food manufacturing and distribution systems, such as those for carbonated soft drinks, dairy products, hot-filled teas, canned fruits, and baked goods.
That said, I prefer Truvia because it’s a natural sweetener.
Just wanted to clear up some falsehoods others posted.
You do know Splenda causes cancer right?
Everything causes cancer, ha ha. But with that said, it is still no reason to not try and do your best and live as healthy as possible. Lol.
Stick to your Splenda if you eventually want to become very ill as did my wife. Splenda is made by taking two or three OH molecules off of sugar and adding two or three Chlorine molecules making Splenda a “Chlorinated Hydrocarbon.”
Splenda WILL make you sick especially if you use quite a bit of it as I did several years ago. It is not natural. My daughters and I plus a niece all became very tired and had a hard time just trying to function during a regular work day. My niece actually had changes with her white blood cells. We all quit the stuff. My niece now how cancer of her lymph glands. Maybe the two are not related but who knows? I love Truvia and only hope it is safe. Time will tell.
And table salt is “sodium chloride”…that doesn’t mean that you’re consuming chlorine when you eat salt or splenda as the chlorine is chemically bound, rendering it inert. I think people dramatically underestimate the dangers of refined sugar….personally I subscribe to the “everything in moderation” theory, but I’d rather eat splenda than sugar any day.
FYI: In case you are interested.
My gastro Dr. took me off Splenda because I was having unexplaine digestive attacks. After researching Splenda I found that it causes digestive problems, severe headaches & kills the good bacteria that the body needs to properly digest food, not to mention what is does to the liver. I feel so much better now
Splenda? Oh scary! http://www.truthaboutsplenda.com/factvsfiction/index.html
Splenda is made from chlorine … you might wish to switch to Stevia, which is a natural sweetener.
I haven’t tried Truvia but I’ve been using Stevia Plus for a few years now as a sweetener in my tea. Even there I only use it from time to time as I’m learning to enjoy the flavor of green tea without sweetener. I don’t drink coffee and I’ve quit drinking any kind of soda over a year ago.
I don’t see any need to try Truvia because the aftertaste of Stevia doesn’t bother me. I’m also dubious of Cargill products.
Could you please explain your dubiousness about Cargill? I’m interested in knowing more.
Dave, I think I agree with you more than I do with most of the folks who have written on this site. Thanks, Jan
Stick w/ the Stevia as I just read a ton of posts about side effects of Truvia which is after all…. a Coca Cola product.
Thanks for writing about this new sweetener. As of now, i use a little Stevia in my morning coffee, and yes, as you’ve said, it does have aftertaste, but the taste is O.K. while drinking it. I’ve not yet tried Truvia, but plan on it, i’ve not yet seen it nor had i even heard about it until now here on MDA-THANKS for sharing this!
What gets me is that some people think if they drink a diet cola because it has no calorie sweetener, they think it’s healthy. I’ve tried to tell people you’re not doing yourself a favor. They drink this stuff all day long, and some days no water. And yes, i do have coffee in the morning, but not all day long!
I found Stevia to have a bitter aftertaste. I reluctantly tried Truvia and was pleasantly surprised! It taste just like granulated sugar and no aftertaste. It cost alot more than splenda or other sugar substitutes, However,I am hopeful the price will drop as more people discover the sweet taste of Truvia.
When I first read about truvia, this was my response “So… you take a decent natural sweetner, chemically break it down… then reconstruct it and sell it?”. Carghill processes the heck out of the stevia before it becomes truvia. What a load of caca!
The SoG
I’ve been using Truvia for a few months. I generally use it to sweeten herbal iced tea that I drink in the mornings. Sometimes I sprinkle some on my berries and unsweetened coconut milk, or on oatmeal (also made with coconut milk). I use maybe 2-3 packets a day, so I’m not a big user. And I don’t drink any diet soda at all.
Taste-wise, it’s better than plain stevia, though my wife finds it still has an aftertaste that she doesn’t like.
I don’t experience any effect on blood sugar that I can discern. I’m on a very low-carb, paleo-type diet, and haven’t seen any weight-issues.
In general, I like it. I replaced the same amount of yellow-packet sweetener, and I figure it’s probably more benign than Splenda was. But there’s probably a trade-off of some kind, as there is with anything other than fresh wildebeest that we’ve run down on the veldt!
So you’re on a strict low-carb natural berries and oatmeal hunter-gatherer diet, yet you purchase a laboratory-made chemical to sweeten your food. I take it you’re moreso “anti-carbohydrate” than pro-natural?
Lee, There is no need to be a mean person. You have your opinion and live your life the way you want. Does that mean that you have to be so judgmental in a non-productive way? Life can be pleasant if you choose to be kind and helpful instead of being high and mighty.
Where is this sold? Only @ health food store? Just this past Friday i was in the health food store getting more cashew and almond butters. I’ve not seen this. But, i do have another h.f.s i could look at. I want to give this a try because Stevia does have “after”taste. I see no reason to not try it if so far so good!
You can buy it anywhere, Publix has it, Whole Foods has it, most of the mainstream groceries carry it.
You can actually find it at Walmart now too.
Truvia is also sold at Meijer. Besides adding it to my tea and oatmeal in the morning, I’ve also made an apple pie with it. One packet is equal to two tsps. of sugar. After emptying around 10 packets, I ended up with about a 1/2 cup of sweetner for my pie. The pie was plenty sweet, very good!
I just found Truvia at Target last week.
i get truvia at walgreens
I’ve tried it and it’s pretty good. I also have used Stevia for some time, and can’t even detect an aftertaste, although from what I understand some brands have more of an aftertaste than others. Be aware that Truvia also has another ingredient in it, erythriol (hope I spelled that right). It’s an alcohol sugar, I believe. It has a slight cooling effect on the tongue, almost like a mint, just not near as strong.
As for me, as much as I like Truvia’s taste (one packet is = to two teaspoons of sugar) I think I’ll stick with what I know is not as processed, Plain stevia powder, and the liquid kind that is good for mixing with drinks. I do’t use that much of it anyway…
Oh and Truvia was found at our local Krogers. And the shelf was cleaned out, save for the box I got.
I think it’s going to be pretty popular.
I get it online. You can Google “Truvia” and find the web site.
It is probably great to sweeten a morning coffee with, eh, Mark? The way I see it, we are better off without sweeteners or artificial sweet things in general. If sugar is addictive, why keep yourself addicted in the first place?
I’ve been using regular stevia for over a year in both liquid and powdered forms. I like it and its unique taste doesn’t bother me. I was very skeptical of Truvia, so thanks so much for this article! I still won’t be choosing it over plain stevia, but it doesn’t seem to carry the same risks as artificial sweeteners or refined sugars (neither of which I go near).
Haven’t tried it and have no interest in doing so. All sweeteners are bad for you, and the non-caloric sweeteners are the absolute worst (Splenda, Aspartame, &c.). And whilst Stevia *may* not be as bad for you as High Fructose Corn Syrup, what is the point of feeding an unnecessary sugar addiction with yet another foodstuff monstrosity? I would rather have an occasional piece of dried fruit as a treat than eat any processed sweetener – I don’t care how “natural” they say it is.
I am on a specific diet for candidas (systemic yeast overgrowth). I must completely avoid all sugars and carbs. Stevia is the only sweetner that doesn’t feed the yeast. I am supposed to eat plain unsweetened organic yogurt. If you have tasted plain yogurt (similar to sour cream) you would see why this using this product is necessary.
i think plain yogurt has a great taste it is not any smilar to sour cream, you need to get the right one. if you can get the greek yogurt you can spred it onto a cracker and eat it like cream cheese and if you want you can put another layer of something sweet or something salty.
grade some cucumbers chop some dill mash a clove of garlik mix it with greek yogurt and use it as a dipping for your veggies. you dont need sugar to eat yogurt. i know it sounds abit strange but it tastes whole alot better than it sounds. it is cooling and freshening. lost of people liked it i hope you like it too.
Spread it on a cracker or add something sweet? Did you not read the part about avoiding carbs/sugar?
I use plain yogurt as a dip and its pretty good that way.
Very astute observation, Dave. You’ve just paraphrased our philosophy in a nutshell. Thanks.
You can use plain yogurt as you would sour creme in Mexican dishes. I love to put a dollup of plain yogurt on top of my salsa for a dip. Of course the corn chips would be another matter, but it is less fat in the dip than sour creme. I might add it is a special occassion summer thing.
First off, I trust Cargill about as far as Grok could throw them — which is to say, a slightly shorter distance than Grok could throw ADM.
More to the point, what is with this incessant, God-given need we have for sweet things — which weren’t made sweet by nature. Fruit is sweet, I get it. That sweetness comes from naturally occurring sugar, I get that too. Yippee for sweet.
Coffee isn’t sweet. Tea isn’t sweet. Milk? Not sweet. Water — in it’s natural form isn’t even flavored, let alone sweet.
Nobody has a God-given right to sweet things. Sweetness is just another paperclip, clinging to the magnet at the core of our food attachment canister. Good grief.
Milk is quite sweet. It can be used by diabetics for hypoglycemic crises, same as OJ.
Just needed to clear this up- since this is just sitting here on the internet being wrong, however late I may be. Milk, while having sugars in it, is NOT appropriate for a hypoglycemic crisis. Milk has fat in it, and fat slows the absorption of the sugars, delaying the rise in blood sugar. If you see a diabetic have a a hypoglycemic crisis, give them something like juice, dried fruit, or regular soda.
Some misinformation here. Milk IS very appropriate to treat a hypoglycemic reaction. There are many endocrinologists and internists that prefer their patients be treated with milk as it prevents a blood sugar spike and the protein also tends to stabilize the blood sugar rather than cause a rebound high/low see-saw effect. Also, I need to point out that dried fruit IS NOT an appropriate treatment for a very low blood sugar as many hypoglycemics in crisis do not have the energy/available calories or coordination to be able to chew it.
There are some people for whom sweet (and salty, by the way) are a godsend. I am currently undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, and the chemo drugs warp your taste buds. My mouth constantly tastes of metal. Not just a little—-A LOT. Sweet kills the metal taste. Foods that used to taste great, don’t anymore. I can’t eat sugar sweetened foods because of the risk of tooth decay. And artificially sweetened gum and candies do take that god-awful taste from my mouth temporarily.
Take your superior attitude and stuff it.
Yeah! I Love your stuff it comment!
You do what you can to get thru Chemo.
My sister was recently diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, a Non Hodgkins Lymphoma cancer, she may have to undergo Chemo in the future. We need to support each other on this. Best of luck to you.
God Bless
I do not believe in god, however, I have rights nonetheless…I have the right to paper clip and cling to whatever I wish…knock off the preaching…just the facts mam, just the facts…
Stevia’s taste is so hideously repulsive and totally overpowering that if this product has even 5% of the vomit-inducing noxiousness of Stevia, it will never, ever, catch on.
Living here in Cargill territory (seriously, I’m spitting distance from their headquarters & half our neighborhood works for them in some capacity), I tried out Truvia about a year ago. I’ve been using Stevia for years (not daily, just every now and then) and am well accustomed to the aftertaste but I did think that Truvia was an improvement. That said, I haven’t made any effort to get any more since I first tried it. It’s the whole “processed factor” that Son of Grok brought up. Makes me nervous.
But it does taste better…
Damaged Justice,
I tried the miracle fruit last weekend and it was indeed miraculous. But, I wouldn’t suggest using it as a sweetener substitute for coffee. The miracle fruit really sends your tongue into weirdsville. Here were some of the wacky taste results:
Beer – sort of like a chocolate milk shake except 80% more awesome.
Tomatoes – a little bit like peaches.
Lemons – lemon candy.
Mustard – frosting.
Wine – grape juice (and not in a good way)
Blueberries – little balls of heaven.
But nuts still tasted like nuts and coffee still tasted like coffee. Miracle fruit makes for a fun party, but using it to brighten up a diet would be similar to wearing 3-D glasses whenever the sky is cloudy.
And on Truvia, bring it on–Go Big Agra Go!
Did the schnozberries still taste like schnozberries?
Thanks for the anecdote — I was hoping it would make my coffee taste like mocha. Sounds like I’d be drinking a lot more beer
I hear it also doesn’t affect the taste of meat?
Dave,RN
Thanks for letting me it’s sold @ supermarket, i’ll check around, appreciate it.
Charles,
My thanks to you also. I’ll check out their site.
Glad both you guys enjoy it!
As soon as i find it, i will try it and see how i like it. Different people have different tastes, i like Stevia but i dilike the liquid Stevia. I’ll let you know how i like it and MDA will keep us posted on it!
As Dave, RN mentioned, Truvia has Erythritol in it. 3 g. per packet! I am sensitive to sugar alcohols and would never use a sweetener with that much sugar alcohol in it, even though Erythritol usually causes less “upset” than the other sugar alcohols do.
Damaged Justice,
Indeed. The beef jerky still tasted like beef jerky.
Artificial sweeteners typically do not trigger an insulin response so they should not increase appetite.
I use both stevia extract and erythritol but I mostly use Sweetzfree. I usually use stevia extract and Sweetzfree together and sometimes erythritol (for texture) because a blend of sweeteners seems to taste better than any one alone. The erythritol I have to powder in my blender because it doesn’t dissolve very well otherwise. I wonder if the erythritol in the Truvia dissolves when you mix it into something?
Try swerve sweetener, it acts just like sugar at all temps, it melts, dissolves, cooks, bakes and freezes just like sugar. The best part is it measures the same as sugar, equal in sweetness 1:1 – makes for easier recipe conversions.
Hi,
I am concerned with the new Sugar “Swerve” as I am with “Trivia”. . .WHY! because they have listed in there ingredients “NATURAL FLAVORINGS”. . .WHAT IS HIDDEN underneath that heading “NATURAL FLAVORINGS” that they don’t want us to know about?????Could it be MSG which enhances flavor or some other bad Excitotoxin. I wish both these Companies sugars would tell us what the “NATURAL FLAVORINGS” are. So, until either of these companies come forward with all their ingredients I am not buying. For those of you wondering what an Excitotoxin is here is the definition: Excitotoxin are substances, usually amino acids, that react with specialized receptors in the brain in such a way as to lead to destruction of certain types of brain cells. Glutamate is one of the more commonly known excitotoxins. MSG is the sodium salt of glutamate. This amino acid is a normal neurotransmitter in the brain. In fact, it is the most commonly used neurotransmitter by the brain. Defenders of MSG and aspartame use, often say: “How could a substance that is used normally by the brain cause harm?” This is because, glutamate, as a neurotransmitter, is used by the brain only in very, very small concentrations – no more than 8 to 12ug. When the concentration of this transmitter rises above this level the neurons begin to fire abnormally. At higher concentrations, the cells undergo a specialized process of cell death. So, Bottom line is I’m not using any sugar that list ingredients as Natural Flavorings.
ah ha! this is the nugget of info I was looking for. The “natural flavors” – MSG connection. I’m glad you included this in the discussion because it must be examined closely. Any company that does not want to fully disclose the exact nature of their “natural flavors” is a flag to me. What’s to hide? The fact is I can’t touch the stuff till I know.
Amen!! Plain old sugar in moderation just the way God intended it. If it is artificial, processed, or some modified manmade chemical I’m opting out. Water, exercise, and real sugar in moderation is key for me. I often use natural local honey or fruit juice to sweeten coffee, tea, or during baking. You’d been amazed how little of a difference there is.
I bought some not too long ago. I used it once or twice before I decided that I like my coffee black these days. I used it in one or two low carb desserts too, and it helped bulk up the taste of Splenda, but I am still not sold on Stevia. I’d rather avoid the sweetness whenever possible, to tell the truth.
I think the phrase is, “we’re not hatin’, we’re just sayin’” but point taken
No it’s NOT hatin’!!!!!!!! This is a direct quote from Seinfeld. It’s correct, and damn funny!
I wish you had talked about the fillers that go in those Truvia packets. Terrible processing. There are plenty of natural stevia products that as a diabetic I support and use, but I’m not down with this garbage.
Actually the problem with truvia is the use of stevia and the way the erythritol is made. There is a way to naturally make and purify erythritol with no chemicals. Just let the enzymes do the work on the right combination of fruit and vegetable fibers and you get white crystals that are equal to sugar in sweetness and structure.
Nancy, erythritol is the only sugar alcohol that doesn’t cause digest upset and doesn’t contain carbs (well, it has 10g carbs for one WHOLE CUP). They have to list 3g on the packet, but it’s not metabolized by the body that way.
I blend my own erythritol and NuNaturals pure stevia extract for baking. Why perpetuate a love of sweet things? Because it makes my low carb all natural lifestyle doable. Because it makes celebrations happier. Because sweets and fancy desserts are part of our culture, and I like being a foodie.
Truvia is probably better than Splenda. It’s just too expensive for me.
I’m just curious… what motivates someone to shun a food item from diet that has never been found to cause health problems? “Natural” is arbitrary. I would argue there is nothing “natural” about eating berries year round, or dark chocolate, or green tea for that matter. All of these items require technology. What line do you draw which says truvia is not natural, but berries during 15 degree winter weather are natural?
Is it an aversion to hedonism in food? I’ve long suspected morals which make one uncomfortable with hedonistic eating motivate pointless “health freak” behavior. Therefore, truvia is bad because it makes food taste delicious. This makes one feel dirty, out of control, animal-like, take your choice pick of unpleasant adjectives. Berries are good because no one loses control with berries. Splenda coke is bad (even though caffeine has speculated to have some benefits to metabolism)… unsweetened green tea is good because it tastes like crap. Oh you aesthetic, pious observers, maintaining the sanctity of your body. By abstaining from electrifying, will-stealing sensation, you are transcending mortality… this sort of thinking is a distant cousin of the increasingly maladaptive practices of CRON and even anorexia nervosa. Living, point of it, missing you are.
I operate by a very simple principle. If it is bad for me, I don’t eat it. If it makes me feel bad, it is bad for me. I will never eat real cookies because they make me feel terrible. I go insane, I get fat, I stop living. I will gladly eat atkins bars because they make me feel good. I stay thin, I stay sane, I live as best as I can live.
I like living. I like sensation. I like pleasure. Sugared Coke is bad because it makes me feel horrible. The sweet taste is a tiny pleasure compared to everything it steals from me. Unhealthy food steals my life. I’ve lost years of my life to it, because my metabolism doesn’t work.
Diet soda is a pleasure I cannot understand denying myself. It is nice in moderation. Too much and I also feel bad, but a can per day has no effect that I can see or observe other than making me happier for tasting something sweet.
I’ve often remarked it’s such an irony that I feel *best* eating very processed food like atkins bars. Atkins bars, contrary to hype on low carb forums, do promote a deep fat burning for me, thus high energy and stable moods and a lack of hunger. On the other hand, a relatively “safe” food like chicken tends to make me hungry. Too much protein makes me hungry. Rice, forget about it. Sugar covered oil roasted peanuts? Bring it on. Salami, bacon with commercial french onion dip? Sure! Sprouted grains? Get it away from me, it contains the devil. Large amounts of fruit? Ditto. Raisins? Evil. Lots of carrots and peas? Sure, if I want my head to split open and live in hell for awhile.
I eat what makes me feel good. Why remove something from diet that makes you feel good? Splenda makes me feel good, and I am motivated to do pleasurable things.
People who eat raw sugar and honey are either metabolically normal (i.e. no carb intolerance) or they are sugar addicts in denial (i.e. they cannot make the transition from real sugar to artificial sugar because they are junkies, so they create a self delusion that it is healthier to eat “natural” sugar). People who completely abstain from sugar when there are metabolically neutral alternatives simply mystify me, but then again, I am not on the the aesthetic/food purifying trip so I suppose I can’t understand the pleasure in it. I will trust the pleasure they get from not eating artificial sugar is similar to the pleasure I get from eating it, since reward ultimately motivates behavior.
I probably wouldn’t have changed my diet, if I wasn’t sick and it hadn’t effected my body. So, for me it’s a matter of finding health again. But I totally agree with you on the taste factor. That’s why I have gone to trying different sugars that are natural to make bake goods that taste good. I have been expermenting with Luo Han Guo, which is a 1000 year old Chinese Sugar. It has an interesting Buttery Carmel kind of taste, and I been mixing it with Erythitol, and I have plans to try Yocan Syrup to since it’s low glycemic. Anyway, I find mixing different natural sugars helps them to work better in bake goods. I’ve also tried these new sugars Sweet Perfection and Just like Sugar, which are made from Chicory Root. They are very different and expensive to use. Just like sugar kind of has an orange flavoring to it that I’m not crazy about. I would imagine in cetain bake goods it would have the right taste. But an Orange taste in brownies was not what I had in mind. Anyway, I like foods that taste good, and even know it’s work to have to start from the beginning and cook and bake my own, it’s worth it. I stopped eating processed foods, from the middle of the grocery store a while ago because of all kinds of chemicals, perservatives and corn syrup, soy, wheat or glutens that is not good personally for my body. So, please don’t lump everyone into some kind of moral or high ground because they have gone back to a more simple diet that one has to make themself. We are all different in are reasons for heating more healthy.
Amen. Also, the whole “Splenda causes cancer because it’s chlorinated sugar!” line of logic is just absurd. It doesn’t mean you’re eating chlorine. I am married to a chemist, and my mother is a chemist, and both of them after researching heavily on the subject, attest to the safety of Splenda, and both of them use Splenda liberally in their own diets.
This is so weird. I just bought some Truvia today for the first time and I go home to your site and poof! So strange.
Itsthewoo,
I personally have nothing against stevia.. i don’t use it myself as I don’t crave the sweetness really but my wife uses it for her coffee. Truvia on the other hand is a processed monstrosity made from stevia. Therefore I say it is bad because it is heavily processed.
The SoG
Itsthewoo,
“I’ve long suspected morals which make one uncomfortable with hedonistic eating motivate pointless “health freak” behavior.”
Your rant is just at the opposite end of the spectrum from the “food moralists” you are deriding. It is like reverse snobbery IMHO.
I’m not sure, but based on your food likes and dislikes it sounds like Mark has found a poster child for the theory of how diet and thoughts impact gene expression.
So Dave, how many forums do you log onto and beat up on other posters?