Stevia / natural sweetener

Hi I'm sure some of you guys know this and might even be using it but thought I might share this if some of you are unaware of Stevia.

Its a herb grown in South America and is 300 times sweeter than sugar. I'm currently using it after reading a book on life extending supplements and lifestyle changes.

Benefits...

-Negligeble effect on blood glucose.
-Enhances Glucose tolerance
-Possible increase in insulin sensitivity
-Possibly reduces blood pressure
-Stabilizes blood sugar levels
-dilates blood vessels
-reduces inlfamation
-help kills bacteria in the mouth that leads to tooth decay

Hope this benefits someone, also if someone has found any reason not to use it let me know..

Some resources and research articles

Wikipedia...
Fantastic Voyage by Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman
The Effect of Stevioside on Blood Pressure and Plasma Catecholamines in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats 1998
Interactions of Stevioside and Steviol with Renal Organic Anion Transporters in S2 Cells and Mouse Renal Cortical Slices 2005
Transport of the Natural Sweetener Stevioside and Its Aglycone Steviol by Human Organic Anion Transporter (hOAT1; SLC22A6) and hOAT3 (SLC22A8) 2005
Rebaudioside A Potently Stimulates Insulin Secretion From Isolated Mouse
Antihyperglycemic Effects of Stevioside in Type 2 Diabetic Subjects 2004
Antihyperglycemic and Blood Pressure-Reducing Effects of Stevioside in the Diabetic Goto-Kakizaki Rat 2003
New Non-Glycosidic Diterpenes from the Leaves of Stevia rebaudiana 2003
Inhibitory Effect of Stevioside on Tumor Promotion by 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in Two-Stage Carcinogenesis in Mouse Skin 2002
Effect of Steviol on para-Aminohippurate Transport by Isolated Perfused Rabbit Renal Proximal Tubule 2001

Do you just get it at a health store cos I've never heard of it? What do you think of the taste?

I bought it from dischem, it was quite expensive compared to normal sugar but you use so little, I think 1 sixth of a teaspoon equals two teaspoons of normal sugar or something. Therefore I'm only half way through a bottle I bought 6 months ago.

Taste wise, I've gotten use to it
I actualy quite enjoy it now. It's got a slight liquorice after taste but I heard that depends on how its extracted. So in the end, for something that is good for you, is seen as having no calories or GI effect it tastes pretty good.

You can slo cook with it but haven't tried that.

Not worried about the cals etc, just that so many of the other sweeteners on the market are carcinogenic and come with other possible side effects later on in life so been looking for an alternative...I think I might check this one out and give it a try

I have seen some articles on carinogenic effects of stevia and none has been found, also worried about that.... Will try to post the research articles I have at home relating to it...

Forget Stevia, has a kak taste, go for XYLITOL...made from the bark of Birch trees...great stuff IMO.

The main reason I was mentioning it was for the health and possible bodybuilding benefits on insulin, bloodglucose, 0 cals and the other possible benefits.

I haven't tried xylitol before but with what liitle I have read on it since you post, it looks pretty good, will try get my hands on it...

Dischem, R70 for 500 grams...should last you a while. You can even bake your protein bars with it.

Xylitol still has cals though, its a sugar alcohol, so its less than normal sugar but not by much

Beesting wrote:

Xylitol still has cals though, its a sugar alcohol, so its less than normal sugar but not by much

My feelings exactly....