Let’s Talk About Stevia
Stevia is an herb, like basil, but it’s flavor is sweet.
I have just started using stevia, I’ll use it in baked goods or raw desserts when it is called for, but to be honest, I’m still on the fence about it.
After I shot this episode, I started using stevia in what I call my “Lazy Lemonade” (1/2 lemon squeezed into 8 to 10 ounces of water with 6 to 9 drops of liquid stevia) and after about a week I started noticing that I didn’t feeling so great. I was bloated, off my game and I lost my appetite.
Apparently these side effects of stevia is not uncommon. A quick google search revealed this: “Stevioside — a substance found in stevia — may cause adverse gastrointestinal effects. After consuming stevia, you may experience nausea, bloating or gas. These stomach-related side effects may contribute to a temporary loss of appetite.”- livestrong.com
I don’t know if I was just using and consuming too much stevia in one sitting (most recipes I’ve seen seem to call for at most 15 to 30 drops and that’s spread out over an entire pie) or if I just cannot tolerate it. I haven’t noticed any adverse side effects when I use stevia in baked or raw treats, so I’m going to keep using it when it’s called for, for now. But I have stopped sweetening my beverages with it.
As always, food, and particularly sugar, is very personal. If one kind of sweetener doesn’t work for you, don’t eat it. For instance, I can’t tolerate xylitol. It makes my stomach hurt. Agave nectar, on the other hand, feels good to me, so I continue to eat it. I trust myself. I trust my body to tell me what I need.
I would love to hear any stories from you about stevia in the comments. If you use it and how it works for you.
If you want to hear a great conversation about sugar and how we can manage our cravings better, check out these two short and highly informative conversations that I had with the very impressive Ane Axford:
Sugar Addiction: It’s Physical and Sugar Addiction: Desire & Craving
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Lillian makes other people's allergy friendly (grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, cane sugar-free, & soy-free (at the very least)) recipes for the very first time on camera.Subscribe
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While I haven’t read extensively on the SCD Diet, they don’t recommend Stevia as it doesn’t fit their very specific carbohydrate profile required to heal Celiac, Colitis, Crohn’s, IBS/IBD. You may be reacting as an allergen, using too much or using the wrong kind of carbs for your condition.
When I use Stevia, I combine the sweetness of honey (cut back to about half of whatever the recipe calls for) and about half the stevia (if that option is available).
While I used stevia for decades before it became really popular, the liquid I used was a blend of many herbs with stevia that act as a digestive/spleen qi tonic and sweetener. I may try to recreate that tonic and once again use it for tea, drinks.
That’s really interesting! I should do some reading on that. Thanks!
In the baked goods I’ve been making lately, they do call for honey and then stevia, and it seems to be okay for me that way. I’m not sure if reacting to it when it’s just itself and not reacting to it (or at least not noticing a reaction) means I should avoid completely or what. But I’ll do some reading about the SCD diet and stevia and see what they say.
My mother uses a lot of Stevia because she uses it for tea. I don’t really like it because it tastes slightly bitter to me. I also have you point of view that I like my sweeteners to have calories (because then I know I should eat less). I tend to use honey for a lot of things.
Right? So I’m not the only one! Good. I thought I just had some Northeastern puritanical craziness coming out or something.
Stevia? Blech! Just sayin:)
Ha! Well said, Zoe.
I like Stevia well enough, I just had a peanut butter chocolate smoothie sweetened with Stevia. However, my mom’s allergic to it and she breaks out into a rash whenever she eats it. So be wary.
I agree–Splenda is evil! I’ve heard it has a similar makeup to plastic and my body definitely treats it as such. Blech.
Hi Lillian,
I use stevia very sparingly in baked goods and in one of my “sugar-free” chocolate recipes. Overall in my cooking I try to not overuse any one ingredient. This is why the SCD did not entirely work for me (too many nuts and eggs day after day wreaked havoc on my immune system and health). But this is just one example of how a varied and balanced diet really works best for me. As far as sweeteners, I again seem to do best when they are used equally. I use honey, maple syrup, coconut nectar and coconut sugar (and stevia) in moderation and rotation.
Hope you’re well lovely lady. Have a great Thanksgiving.
Hugs,
–Amber
We’ve used powdered Stevia in our herbal/green tea for years. For the past several months the teas have been our main beverage and we’ve loved having them. Stevia, depending on how it’s processed, can have a bitter aftertaste. I buy ours from Swanson Vitamins and it’s guaranteed to not taste bitter and is organic. I’ve not tried baking with Stevia yet as we are not eating many starches these days and I find I have limited time to do any baking (unfortunately).
Thanks for the tips, Jane! I’ll check out swanson and who knows, maybe that will make a difference for me…
I’ve heard that green stevia is the best kind. So far I’ve found that the only brand of stevia that doesn’t taste terrible is NuNaturals. The rest have a funky aftertaste.
I only use stevia when it is combined with other nutrient dense foods. I don’t want to trick my metabolism into thinking that it is getting some calories that it needs to process if all I’m giving it is a stevia-sweetened beverage. So I don’t use it in drinks, but I will use it sparingly if I’m making a dessert, like chocolate avocado fudge. However, I find that I don’t usually need any sweetener, especially if what I am making has sweet potato or fruit in it.
Green stevia? I don’t know what that is…
I had heard that as well about NuNaturals. That is the brand that I’ve been using.
That’s an interesting take on tricking your metabolism. I hadn’t thought of that. I wonder what that does to you? Do you know?
Man o man. Just tried stevia in my coffee… like = to 1 teaspoon of sugar, in 3 cups of coffee. Within 1 hour, abdominal discomfort, then pain. Then a rush to the bathroom. It got worse and hour later, turning lava to total liquid. Light-headed, fatigue, dehydration, muscle pain and weakness. I am fine now, but NEVER again! Might be great for others, just not for me.
I’ve noticed that I’m totally okay with a little bit of liquid stevia when I combine it with other sweeteners (like honey) in a baked good or a raw pie, but when I use it alone in a beverage I really don’t feel good. Not quite as dramatic as your reaction, but still not something I will do to myself (again) on purpose. Have you tried it in a dessert with other sweeteners or fruit? Or is it always crazy terrible for you?