What do you use for an artificial sweetener?

[MiddleFingerMom]

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All the hospital has is Sweet-and-Low (BLECHH -- bitter!) I use Splenda -- but it's not very sweet.
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Is stevia "sugary"? How about others?
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[hobbit709]

1. Can't stand the taste of any of them.

I'd rather do without.

[OriginalGeek]

7. Another vote for this

the aftertaste of all of them makes me sick.

Plus I'm just paranoid enough to think they are poison.

My doc made me cut out sugar so I quit drinking soda and I drink tea unsweet (A major accomplishment for a southern boy!) and my coffee black.


And beer.

[jakeXT]

2. Stevia is from a plant, so not that artificial /nt

[Arkansas Granny]

3. I used Splenda for years and have recently switched

to Truvia (Stevia). I only use it in coffee and find it not as sweet as Splenda with no funky aftertaste.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

4. How Vegan Are You?

The Best Natural Sugar Substitutes

Stevia LeafStevia – 50 times sweeter than sugar, no calories, no glycemic index, completely natural, widely used throughout Europe, Japan and South America. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it isn't! It's wonderful for sweetening tea and coffee and I use it in my high protein smoothie every morning! In baking, the stevia sugar substitute can be a bit tricky because it is essentially a liquid and doesn't add volume, but there are several wonderful cookbooks devoted to the art of baking with stevia.


Turbinado SugarSuccanat or Turbinado – this is a great white and brown sugar substitute. It is made by pressing the juice out of the sugar cane plant and then dehydrating it. This means it still contains the molasses and minerals that give brown sugar its richer taste. Sucanat is technically not raw because it is generally dehydrated at temperatures above 115°, however it is certainly a great substitute in baking. I use it in my vegan brownies.


Rapadura – This is the most raw form of sugar available and is considered acceptable by many raw food chefs. It looks and tastes much like Sucanat. Rapadura can be substituted 1:1 for sugar in baking, but it's much better used in raw desserts. Be prepared - the taste and texture will be different, but most people prefer this!


Maple Syrup or Maple Sugar – - Although it is well-known as a natural sugar substitute, it's not as well known that grade B is better to use if you can find it, because the minerals are still in it.


DatesDate Sugar – a great natural sugar substitute made from ground up dehydrated dates, so it still contains all the minerals and fiber of the fruit. This form of sugar is also commonly used in raw food preparation. It is not good in drinks because it doesn't dissolve well, but it works very well in baked goods.


Yacon SyrupYacon Syrup – made from the roots of the Yacon plant, which grows only in the Andes, this rich, thick syrup is very sweet and has no glycemic index. This is a terrific natural sugar substitute - I use it in many of my vegan recipes and it's great with unsweetened or raw almond milk on cereal and oatmeal. Yum!

more at link:
http://www.busy-vegan.com/natural-sugar-substitute.html

[handmade34]

5. xylitol

not 'artificial'---- real stuff but low glycemic... only thing we use in our house

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol

http://www.xylitol.org

[hunter]

10. Xylitol is toxic to dogs.

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/xylitol.asp

We have dogs, so no xylitol.

[winter is coming]

6. Nothing. I wallow in the bitterness of my life. n/t

[RebelOne]

8. Splenda. I haven't had sugar in my house in years. n/t

[davsand]

9. Depends on if you want to remove sugar completely or just cut calories.

If you are Diabetic and sugar is just something you need to control to keep blood sugars in line, then I'd probably say Splenda is your best bet for minimal impact on blood sugar. You just need to play around with them all to make sure what YOUR system reacts to.

If you are just looking to cut calories or be a bit healthier, then I'd say you are on the right track with all the natural stuff suggested in here. Be CAREFUL, however, if you are diabetic and playing in the natural foods aisle. I'd seriously suggest talking to your nutritionist to double check what is allowable for anybody dealing with blood sugar issues.



Laura

[pokerfan]

11. Stevia is a substitute for sugar but it's not artificial

I like to add it to my oatmeal. I don't use a sweeteners in my coffee or anywhere else really. I would be interested in hearing what your doctors have to say about it, MFM.

The plant was used extensively by the Guarani people for more than 1,500 years, and the plant has a long history of medicinal use in Paraguay and Brazil. The leaves have been traditionally used for hundreds of years in Paraguay and Brazil to sweeten local teas, medicines and as a "sweet treat".

For centuries the Guaraní peoples of Paraguay used stevia, which they called ka'a he'ê ("sweet herb&quot , as a sweetener in yerba mate and other foods, and medicinally as a cardiac stimulant, for obesity, hypertension and heartburn, and to help lower uric acid levels. Current research has evaluated its effects on obesity[22] and hypertension. Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, and may even enhance glucose tolerance; it may be useful as a natural sweetener for diabetics and others on carbohydrate-controlled diets.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia

Diabetes: Some developing research suggests that some of the chemicals contained in stevia might lower blood sugar levels and could interfere with blood sugar control. However, other research disagrees. If you have diabetes and take stevia or any of the sweeteners it contains, monitor your blood sugar closely and report your findings to your healthcare provider.

Low blood pressure: There is some evidence, though not conclusive, that some of the chemicals in stevia can lower blood pressure. There is a concern that these chemicals might cause blood pressure to drop too low in people who have low blood pressure. Get your healthcare provider’s advice before taking stevia or the sweeteners it contains, if you have low blood pressure.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-682-stevia.aspx?activeIngredientId=682&activeIngredientName=stevia

[GoCubsGo]

12. Nectresse

It's fairly new. It's made from monkfruit, and comes in pastel orange packaging. Most grocery chains carry it.

I find stevia to have a bitter tinge to it. I don't like it very much.

[DFW]

13. None of them

Both of my parents and ALL of their siblings had cancer, and one of my cousins already died of it at age 41. I have no desire to tip the scales against me any more than they already are.

[tandot]

14. We've been using Kirkland's (Costco) splenda version for years

Mainly to sweeten my coffee in the morning and green tea I drink throughout the day.

They have studies that show using artificial sweeteners like Splenda increases your cravings for sweets. I also heard that you can re-train your taste buds by decreasing the amount of sugar or sugar substitute you are using slowly. I've tried that once but it was just too hard to get used to the coffee not being sweet. Just leaving one pack out made a big difference.

I've tried Stevia but it left a dry feeling in my mouth.