CookingSlim.org

Fans of stevia, an herb well known for its sweetness, were happy to hear that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized a stevia derived sweetener as safe in 2008.  It opened the door for stevia to be marketed as a sweetener and not just a supplement.  However, this seems to be a mixed blessing.

Aside of making food sweeter, the herb helps the body to regulate blood sugar.  Isolating the steviosides and selling them as sweeteners may not be harmful in and of itself, but it can be indirectly.  Overuse of artificial sweeteners of any kind will mess up a person’s ability to tell when they’ve had enough carbohydrates.

Whole herb stevia or stevia extract made from the actual leaf has a failsafe: a horridly nauseating bittersweetness that kicks in once you’ve put too much in your mouth.  Stevia herb is 300 times sweeter than sugar by weight, and if you ever put a piece of the dried leaf in your mouth, you know what I mean.  It will knock you on your butt, and you won’t get used to it.  You will likely never want to experience it again, so you’ll heed the warnings in the future to add only a little at a time until whatever you’re using it in is just sweet enough.

Steviosides without the rest of the herb don’t have this bitterness.  So if you use them, you’re at risk of breaking your brain’s ability to tell you when you’ve had too much sugar, honey, potatoes, rice, or just about anything else sweet.

Rather than use a stevia derived sweetener, stick to steeping the whole leaf, or using the powdered whole herb.  This way you have no risk of overuse, and you’re getting the full benefits of the herb.