Agave Netar

[ShayFL]

Great thread! Like I said...use sparingly. For special treats now and again.

Even breathing damages the body. But we cannot do that sparingly.

We have a choice with what we put into our bodies. Just use common sense. Is it natural? Could I find it in this form in nature? If not, dont eat too much of it (or not at all).

[VioletBlue]

If I remember right, Stevia is not classified in the U.S. as a sweetner. That's one of the reasons you won't find it in the grocery store aisle with sugar. I believe it's classifed and regulated as an food supplement. There was indeed a time when it's import was banned by the FDA.

Fortunately or unfortunately several companies in the U.S. are in the process of trying create a patented zero calorie sweetner derived from Stevia. This would include Coca Cola. Sucks for me because if they're succesful that crap will be in everything soon and I'll have to avoid everything. They call it progress. I have other names for it

Unfortunately there's a lot of ignorance about the dangers of fructose out there. Some of this info is pretty new so it isn't going to filter down to doctors for another 10 years or so.

I have done a lot of research on the topic of sweeteners over the last 5 years. Unfortunately there's a lot of really bad information whose source is the sugar industry. They've done a lot of whisper campaigns over the years to discredit non-caloric sweeteners with things that are just out-and-out untrue. I wish I could remember the name of the sweetener they killed with a PR campaign, it's making a comeback now. I think it's Stevia, now some big agri companies are getting involved in marketing it so I'm sure we'll be hearing more whispering about it causing cancer or some such.

I've compiled a lot of info from several months into Open Original Shared Link about fructose.

[RiceGuy]

Keep in mind with Stevia that is is derived from a plant very closely related to ragweed. Anyone with a ragweed allergy should not use Stevia. Also be carefull when you first start to use Stevia and watch for an allergic reaction. Trust me, the reaction is a doozy.

Well, I'm sure there are some whom can't have Stevia, but not everyone with a ragweed allergy will react to Stevia. In fact, I've read that most do not react to it at all. Also, the purity of the product is very important. Do NOT buy the green one. And most brands aren't as pure as they could be, which means that the amount of impurities could be enough to cause a reaction for some. Those impurities are also responsible for most or all of the aftertaste which some people report.

I use the pure powder, no added anything. It is made in Brazil, not China as most are. The purity is the highest on the market, at over 95%, compared to around 80% for others.

I have no doubt that some react, but it isn't true to say everyone with an allergy to ragweed would react to Stevia.