The following question was submitted by one of my readers for discussion on the blog, "I have diabetes and am wondering about whether stevia is safe for me to use. Could you let me know which sweeteners will not have an effect on my blood sugar and if stevia is ok for me to use?"Stevia (also marketed as "Truvia") is just one of many artificial sweeteners on the market today. Splenda, NutraSweet, and Sweet N Low, are other sugar substitutes used in the same way as Stevia and all have been approved for consumption by the FDA. These sweeteners in particular have little to no calories and carbohydrate so the effect on your blood sugar will be minimal, if at all. As with anything, use in moderation - as the products that these substances are found in are usually less than optimal (i.e. diet soda, snacks).
Stevia comes from a South American plant and it is the leaves that contains compounds that give it sweetness. The Stevia leaves have been described as 10 - 15 times sweeter than sugar so you don't need much to get the sweetening effect. The refined extracts of Stevia called steviosides (a white powder) claim to be 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar which may be too strong for certain people. Some feel that the product has a slight aftertaste. Again, Stevia is okay for use, however I would suggest only in moderation.
Each of the artificial sweeteners is produced differently so they will all have different properties in relation to cooking. Check with the manufacturer's website to see which artificial sweeteners are appropriate to cook with, bake with, or just use in beverages.
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