Keeping Sugar at Bay

by Ester
(Texas)

I have been using stevia for several years now with no apparent side effects. I used a popular celebrity-endorsed sweetener back in the eighties until the controversy as to it's safety began.

I first read about stevia about 6 years ago and I discovered that stevia has been used safely for many years in some European countries, so I went to my grocery store in search of it. I could not find it until I went to my health food store. I did notice no major food manufacturer produced it at that time.

Since I love sweets, I decided against a diet heavy in added-sugar to one using stevia to provide the satisfaction I craved. I use it mostly in coffee, other beverages, cold and hot cereals, salad dressing, yoghurt, home-made spaghetti sauce, etc. I feel fine with no ups-and-downs or sleepiness I might experience with a sugar overload.

I understand the FDA is heavily-lobbied by big corporations and it's disappointing that the government is not ready to give the full approval of something so good and natural; stevia is an excellent food deserving better exposure. I hope more people will begin to enjoy stevia like I have and maybe discover more delicious ways to use it. Thanks very much for the great information!

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Thank you for your open-hearted contribution Ester! Hope you will have fun exploring the site and its recipes. Have a healthy day! - Jo