Sugar in the Raw vs Stevia

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   Blb2692posted 12 years ago

   I am trying to go all natural and I have been using "sugar in the raw" but I keep seeing this "stevia" sugar product, does anyone know anything about it? Would it be better for me than sugar?

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      couturepopcafeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      If you like the taste of sugar, stevia has a completely different taste and might take a bit of getting used to. Stevia is a leaf plant and requires just a teeny tiny bit to sweeten equal to sugar.
      
      Sugar in the raw is still refined and has little nutrition. It still has a high glycemic index. You might be better off with honey but no matter which way you go, ease up on the sweeteners.

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         Blb2692posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for your reply. My husband and I are trying to go organic as much as possible and get away from the chemicals. I love honey, especially in my tea!! I will have to try the stevia, you make sound interesting.
         
         Does Stevia have any calories?

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            Eric Newlandposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Stevia is zero calorie. It contains a non-nutritive compound that trips our sweetness taste buds, more or less like artificial sweeteners except, of course, that it isn't artificial.

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               Blb2692posted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks Eric, I am going to try, I would love the sweetness without the calories!

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                  couturepopcafeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Just be careful. It may still signal the sweetness sensors and even though there are no calories you may trigger other cravings with too much sweeterner. I'm not sure about this so it's worth researching regarding where it stands on the glycemic index.

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      mts1098posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I also use sugar in the raw and have been looking for alternatives...thanks

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   melporposted 12 years ago

   I have been using Stevia for a few months because it is healthier than using sugar in your food. Stevia does not have any calories and does not have the same effect as sugar does on your cardiovascular system. Sugar harms the arteries the same way as alcohol does to it especially in the long term since it is converted to a sugar alcohol during metabolism. Sugar actually causes arteriosclerosis and effects the kidneys if you consume large quantities of it on a regular basis. Stevia is a natural product just like sugar but you do not need to consume so much of it to sense the sweetness from it. Overall, Stevia is a good alternative for sweetness if you do not want to use sugar or some of the popular artificial sweeteners currently available on the market.

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      Blb2692posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you Melpor for this great info. I didn't realize how much damage sugar can do, I will switch to Stevia which will be better & healthier for me.

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   classicalgeekposted 12 years ago

   I've been using Stevia almost exclusively for seven years with no ill effects. Stevia does not affect your glycemic index in the same way as sugar, and so it does not produce the insulin spike. Now I am growing it myself, making a "tea" from the leaves and using that to sweeten things.
   
   The only time I use sugar any more is in baking where certain chemical reactions are needed in order to produce the correct results, and then I use raw organic sugar. I keep a small amount of white sugar around for guests, and some dark brown sugar for certain recipes.

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      couturepopcafeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Growing your own stevia! That's awesome. How do you grow it? Indoor, outdoor (where do you live), lighting, etc.

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