February 22, 2019 2 min read
Stevia is a very popular and generally safe sugar substitute. Stevia is a 0 calorie sweetener, it's naturally plant based and as much as 200x sweeter than sugar. It's becoming very popular as a food additive and sugar substitute, for fat loss, low calorie cooking, health issues and low carb diets like the Ketogenic Diet.
Studies show there is an extensive list of potential nutritional benefits. There is a hidden danger though in many of the most popular stevia products though. The stevia you are buying in the store or using in restaurants and coffee shops (Especially when in packet form) is likely NOT stevia!
Check your packaging closely, you will likely see that the product you actually have is likely erythritol or dextrose as a base with some stevia extract, with the primary ingredient not being stevia. Even the "X-in-the-raw" brand is NOT raw stevia, it's dextrose with a shot of stevia.
This presents several issues and at the same time exposes a flaw with FDA regulations designed to protect consumers. Lets go over some of the more important ones that you likely may not be aware of.
TIP 1: With ALL foods it's recommended to check product labels and learn about what the information there means. It's not always safe to buy based on packaging or even brand reputation anymore, you have to know how to read and understand product nutritional panels
TIP 2: Don't give up on Stevia, it's truly a great product with many benefits that we'll cover in another article. Instead, check your product ingredients and stick with pure stevia with no additives and always look for Non-GMO labeling.
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