Today we are surrounded with so many options for sweeteners. Some are good and some are bad – really bad, and even believed to be deadly to the body. I’m always surprised that as human beings, we pay little to no attention to what we put in and on our bodies. I guess we think that if it’s sitting on a shelf in the grocery store or gas station or we can order it off a menu – then it must be okay for consumption and use.

This is the furthest thing from the truth.

In the world of sweeteners, we have been taught for decades about the dangers of sugar. These claims are only partially right. Just as the USDA lumps all oils (good and bad) together and calls them bad, they do the same with sugar. We are told that all sugars are bad. Refined, unrefined, honey, maple syrup, molasses – all bad, so the solution is using man-made sweeteners (such as aspartame, saccharin, sucralose aka Splenda, Sweet ‘n Low or those little yellow, blue and pink packets on the restaurant table) that are proving to be so harmful, that people’s lives are adversely affected by them. Some research is even pointing to these artificial substances crossing the blood-brain barrier, which leads to neurological issues. These have also been shown to be addictive.

One of the most recent additions to the sweetener category, although it has been around for quite some time, is Stevia. Stevia is a natural sweetener in the non-sugar category.  Stevia is not unhealthy, toxic or dangerous. In fact, Stevia comes from an herb from the Asteraceae (sunflower) family that is native to Paraguay, the Stevia plant.

What are the benefits of Stevia? According to the International Stevia Council, no Stevia crops are GMO, which is always a good thing. When Stevia, in any of it’s forms, is pure and unadulterated, they will not negatively affect blood sugar levels, since the body does not metabolize the glycosides. This makes it a good alternative for those with type 1 or 2 diabetes as well as those who have issues with low blood sugar (hypoglycemia or reactive hypoglycemia). Other advantages of Stevia, found through research and study, is that it can help lower elevated blood pressure, aids in weight loss or weight management, improved digestion, can lessen the desire for substances such as tobacco and alcoholic beverages and improvement in oral health when used in toothpaste or as a mouthwash.

As we can see, Stevia offers many healthy benefits, when found in quality form. Due to these wonderful findings, many people have abandoned all other sweeteners and have made Stevia their #1 go to for adding sweetness to their drinks and food. My thoughts on this? Although this wonderful herb, which can be up to 400 times sweeter than sugar, has great potential of replacing toxic, artificial sweeteners, I do not believe that it should become a person’s only option when it comes to using sweeteners, especially in baking and cooking. My reasons for this are simple. Stevia contains zero calories – which sounds great – and for the most part is more on the beneficial side. The issue arises when it comes to our bodies natural process of metabolizing and using the foods we eat. When our body receives something sweet, in the form fruit, honey, molasses, refined sugar – any form – it actually expects to receive energy from that source. Most of us realize that our body is all about energy. It’s how we function, so energy is vital, but so is where we get our energy from. When our body eats something sweet, it will expect energy if the form of sugars (the good, natural kind). When consuming zero-calorie sweeteners, you can find that your body will end up getting calories somewhere else. Also, unless you are getting the green powdered version of stevia aka Green Stevia (which means the leaves were dried and ground), then the form you are getting has been processed. As with anything that has been processed, the structure of the food/plant/herb has been altered and can issues in the body. Another issue that needs further study on my part, is the fact that Stevia was originally used as a contraceptive, not as a sweetener, so I need to find out more about those affects on the body and if it will cause fertility issues in men and women alike.

In conclusion, I think it’s a good alternative to use to sweeten drinks, but to use as a sugar substitute in baking, I’d stick with raw, unheated honey, molasses, maple syrup, sucanat (unrefined sugar cane), palm sugar or coconut sugar, and even in some cases, organic cane sugar. These will supply your body with energy along with the sweet and your body won’t look to get calories somewhere else. Besides when it comes to these natural sources of sugar, they provide an abundance of health benefits (if consumed in the rawest state you can find) and will be a good addition to your cabinet to replace white, refined and processed sugar. Again, if you are trying to conceive, I would suggest staying away from any form of Stevia in large amounts since it was originally used as a contraceptive. You don’t want any hassles in trying to become pregnant and even natural items (especially herbs) need to be avoided or used with caution. If you do use Stevia on a regular basis, use it in moderation and stick with the Green Stevia (powdered Stevia leaves) which are unprocessed and contain many health benefits.

Did you ever take time to research Stevia before you started using it or were you under the impression that it was a perfect food because it’s a herb and it has zero calories?