I am using Splenda. I have seen Stevia powder from NuNaturals.

Should I go all Stevia?? I have read that it's much healthy.

I personally choose Splenda over Stevia. To date there have been no 'health dangers' that have come up with Splenda/sucralose, despite substantial testing. On the other hand, the FDA refused to let soda manufacturers use the initial forumlation of stevia in sodas due to health concerns arising from tests on rats. Instead, they will use 'Truvia' which involves using less (and a slightly differently refined version) stevia and supplementing with erithrytol - a sugar alcohol.

It's hard to get a clear picture - when I look, most of the sites are declaring that Stevia is healthy, and the FDA is just in league with the sellers of aspartame, but since I don't like stevia's taste, don't mind Splenda's aftertaste, and Splenda doesn't seem to have any health risks known despite all the testing... I'm good with it.

There's also an interesting page at the Center for Science in the Public Interest which details it's own evaluations of various chemicals and their risk levels at Food Additives ~ CSPI’s Food Safety

I'm not 100% sure it's unbiased, but it doesn't seem to be for any manufacturer, and apparently initially called for more testing on Splenda when it first came out so it seems at least no more biased than any other site.

Everything Jeanette just posted is wrong. I'm sitting in nutrition class right now and we just got done with an entire section on this.

Splenda is made using a chlorination process. Do you think you should eat chlorine? Stevia, is a plant. you can GROW your own stevia and use it.

Do the research yourself, don't listen to uninformed and misinformed crap posted on an internet forum. And don't take ANYTHING the FDA says at face value. The FDA is corrupt and in the pockets of big business.

I agree with the fact that you should do your own research - that's where I've made my decisions.

That said, you can GROW your own hemlock plants! That does not make them safe.

Additionally, the whole "Do you want to eat chlorine???" is pretty much a red herring. Don't want to eat chlorine? Don't eat table salt, since it's Sodium CHLORIDE! Of course, salt occurs naturally, whereas Splenda's chlorides are added by man, but natural doesn't always mean safer.

Also, whether or not the FDA is a corrupt agency, it did in fact refuse to approve Stevia for quite some time, and there have been studies that indicated Stevia caused reproductive issues in hamsters and rats.

But again, I encourage you to do the search for yourself rather than just trusting to uninformed crap on an internet forum

ok, let's all settle down, and not get defensive because someone is questioning our favorite sweetener!

That being said, between splenda and stevia....hum let's see... no contest, STEVIA! What Owl said about the FDA really is true. They are corrupt and the only reason they did not approve stevia sooner as a sweetener is because they knew the product would possibly put aspartame and Splenda out of business because it is a superior product. It was approved as a dietary supplement many years ago.

As far as the reproductive problems that were found in rats, well, I guess I can't speak for the rats, but I can speak for human beings in Japan who have been using stevia in various products for over 25 years. It is documented that stevia "has not had an effect on male or female fertility, nor on the development and state of fetusues." In fact, stevia has been used for centuries in countries in South America and in countries in Asia for decades, and never has there ever been even one report of ANY negative side effects. Not one. Ever. It has even been said that "more studies attest to the safety of stevia than any other substance currently ingested by man."

One thing stevia has that splenda doesn't are many health benefits! SweetLeaf stevia has 0 calories, 0 carbs, and a 0 glycemic index, so it is perfectly safe for diabetics. It also nourishes the pancreas, balances blood sugar levels, and helps decrease the desire for sweets. Artificial sweeteners increase the desire for sweets. You can also put stevia concentrate on the your toothpaste to help teeth and gums, as well as put some on open cuts to help the healing process!

Food for thought: The reason why splenda has chlorine in it is because it was originally used as an insecticide! Now, you can use splenda if you want, but, for me, I'll stay away from anything that was originally used to kill bugs. For me, there's no contest.

So, yes, do your homework. I took the quotes here from the article, "Science Declares Stevia a Safe Sweetener," other than that, I guess you'll just have to trust me.

when it comes right down to it, neither choice is great. The best thing you can do is just to avoid artificial sweetners all together.

So just to be clear, I don't have a 'favorite' sweetener. Nor am I saying that I think Stevia is so dangerous you should avoid it at all costs.

However, I don't really buy the claims that Stevia is somehow healthier than any other non-caloric sweetener out there. I certainly don't dispute that Japanese have been using it for years without issue - of course, the same could be said for saccharin - despite the fact that it was vilified for causing cancer in rats.

I also think it's worth noting that while the South Americans used 'sweet leaf' for generations, they actually used the entire plant. The stevia on the market today is actually a chemical extracted from that plant, and is probably as similar to the stevia leaf as high fructose corn syrup is to corn. That doesn't mean it's unhealthy, but it also means that you shouldn't really compare it to sweet leaf any more than you should HFCF to heritage corn.

In any event, what I was attempting to get across was that I didn't see any evidence that Splenda was riskier or unhealthier than Stevia, and I find it tastes better.

More food for thought - garlic water can be used as an insecticide, and you won't get me to stop eating it because of that HowStuffWorks "Homemade Insecticide with Garlic"

This is true too! I'm down to maybe once or twice a week for 'fake sugar' but it's hard to live in this world without some compromises (Especially when you have insulin resistance issues and the real stuff is probably worse than the fake stuff)

It is true that most stevia brands extract their stevia from the leaf using chemicals, which is why so much stevia doesn't taste good and has that weird aftertaste. SweetLeaf stevia, the only stevia brand I will ever use, is the only brand that is truly 100% natural because only pure water touches the leaves during extraction, so the natural sweet taste of the leaf remains, with no nasty aftertaste. SweetLeaf is also the only stevia brand and the only sweetener on the market with 0 calories, 0 carbs, and a 0 glycemic index! There is also no need to worry about insulin levels. "In its whole-leaf form, stevia nourishes and improves normal pancreatic function, thus, helping people to bring blood sugar levels into proper balance. In its intensely sweet extract (white powder) forms it has no harmful effect upon the pancreas or upon cellular function and mainitains a 0 glycemic index." (Science. . .) SweetLeaf Stevia PLus has added fiber to boot, which is also beneficial to diabetics. "Stevia is excellent for oral hygeine, helping to reduce dental cavities and bacterial caused gum problems. Natural fouride has also been discovered in stevia leaves." (Science. . .) I know at least one person who uses stevia on her toothpaste for this reason. I'm thinking of trying this too! Stevia concentrate can also help cuts on the body heal when applied (This I have done!). As opposed to artificial sweeteners that increase your appetite for sweets, stevia satisfies your sweet tooth by decreasing your appetite for sweets. The health benefits of stevia are well-documented, and franky, there's too much too mention here.

Therefore, there is no comparison between stevia and sugar--they couldn't be more different. Stevia also couldn't be more different from artificial sweeteners. It is certainly not an artificial sweetener, or a "fake sugar."

If you're like me, you want to know what you're puting into your body. Look, I know all this stevia info. sounds too good to be true. If I wasn't knowledgeable about it, I would be skeptical too! But the great thing is, it IS true!! There's a reason why stevia is referred to as the "holy grail" of sweeteners!

I've read that there really have not been too many studies on splenda, that the longest may have been only 3 months and that it has not been studied on pregnant women or children.

But for many of you I know that may not matter, and if after trying SweetLeaf Sweetener (stevia) (which is the best quality of stevia, and really the only brand I would recommend) you still prefer "sugarized chorine," well.... what can I say....to each his/her own!!!

Knowledge is power! Live long and prosper!! SMILE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

( info. in quotations from "Science Declares Stevia a Safe Sweetener")