Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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79 of 82 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
misleading as a health product, July 2, 2006
This Swanson brand stevia contains rice maltodextrin. I cut sugar out of my diet for health reasons and so I had to find some suitable replacement so I could still occasionally enjoy sweet things and that is how I found out about stevia. I thought I was doing something good for my health by using the stevia but then I found out that different companies mixed different things in with the stevia. It seems to be difficult to find stevia that is pure and not mixed with anything else whatsoever so you have to check around to find the best type of stevia blend. Most companies mix the stevia with something to add "bulk" and to disguise the natural bitter aftertase of stevia. Swanson mixes the stevia with maltodextrin. I was not familiar with that so I looked it up. Apparently, it is even higher on the glycemic index than pure table sugar. In my opinion that entirely defeats the purpose of even using stevia instead of table sugar when they blend it with the maltodextrin. I use Stevita brand "stevia supreme" instead and they mix theirs with erythritol, which has a glycemic rating of about 2 (pure table sugar is 100) and tastes pretty much the same as the Swanson brand stevia.
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33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
EXCELLENT SUGAR SUBSTITUTE HAS HEALTH BENEFITS + NO WARNINGS, November 18, 2005
This "Swanson Stevia packets" is good stuff and this among the most economical and user-friendly ways to buy Stevia.
WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT:
Sweeter than sugar, that's what Stevia is, but that's not all.
Stevia has been shown to lower blood sugar levels in research involving healthy adults by increasing the secretion of insulin making Stevia useful for diabetics.
It also improves digestion and gastrointestinal function, and is useful for upset stomachs and to reduce gas and stomach acidity. Several recent studies have shown that it may improve the heart's muscle tone and promote the body's water loss. These properties are thought to contribute to lower blood pressure.
Stevia also has antiviral, antimicrobial and antibacterial characteristics. It's used for relieving bleeding gums, sore throats and cold sores in South America and Japan. Stevia has been shown to inhibit plaque formation and bacterial growth causing gum disease and tooth decay, and will not cause cavities. It may even reduce cravings for sweets which coupled with its lack of calories may be helpful in weight loss.
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS EVEN MORE:
There is anecdotal evidence that Stevia is good for skin problems like acne, cold sores, dermatitis and eczema, and may speed up the healing of cuts and scratches. There have even been reports that Stevia may be useful as a contraceptive, but that has not yet been substantiated by research.
FDA APPROVAL TO BE SOLD AS A FOOD SUPPLEMENT -- NOT A SWEETENER
Most of all, Stevia, unlike the artificial sweeteners we put in everything from soda to psyllium does not come with any health warnings from the FDA, and it will probably do you no harm. However, Stevia has not been approved to be sold as a sweetener even though it is a NATURAL SWEETENER LIKE SUGAR. Nevertheless, Stevia has been approved [since 1994] to be sold as a dietary supplement in the United States.
AFTER ALL THE SMOKE HAS CLEARED THIS IS FOOD - USE IT BY EATING IT!
Stevia can be substituted for sugar. It is a bit different tasting if one is use to sugar. I use it on many things where I can eliminate large amounts of honey and/or sugar such as;
1]- Herbal Tea, instead of sugar or honey.
2]- In multi-grain hot cereal, when you need to sweeten it, Stevia saves me a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of sugar per large bowl. In this case I just add about a teaspoon of honey and 1/8 teaspoon of stevia for the same effect. Stevia is much sweeter than sugar so use about 1/10th as much in place of sugar.
3]- Iced Tea.
MEDICINALLY SPEAKING:
A standardized extract of 57 mg. containing 85% "steviocides" in a beverage, is what Doctor James A. Duke, suggests in his famous, "The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook".
ABOUT FORMS AND BRANDS:
I prefer Stevia in powder over the packets, as I can better measure, and use what I need for each individual use. Purchase Stevia in whatever form you are most comfortable using.
This "Swanson" brand Stevia packet is an excellent product and a terrific value. "Planetary Formulas Stevia Powder 3.5 oz." is also excellent and it comes in a liquid as well. "Now" and "Nature's Way" are both excellent too, and have Stevia in powder, liquid and packets for convenient use. Any of the above choices are excellent, and I have used them all at one time or another, over the past 3-4 years on a daily basis.
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43 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
STEVIA NO ILL HEALTH EFFECTS!, March 7, 2005
Unlike Aspartame (Equal/NutraSweet) or Sucralose (Splenda) or Acesulfame-K or any of the other dangerous chemicals that have been put in just about every food and drink nowadays, even GUM and vitamins, STEVIA is the natural extract of a sweet leaf.
Stevia has been used for THOUSANDS of years without ANY bad health or side effects.
Until just recently, Japan had a LAW that no artificial sweetener could be used in ANY food or drink! When you bought a DIET COKE in Japan, it used to have STEVIA in it! Unfortunately, now they too have been forced to put Aspartame in their soft drinks.
Stevia not only is safe for diabetics, but is actually GOOD for diabetics and helps diabetes! It does not promote tooth decay, and even though the FDA admits it is safe enough for it to be on store shelves, they will only allow it so long as Stevia does NOT say it is a sweetener, the US law says Stevia has to be called a "nutritional supplement" to satisfy the big money corperations that make Aspartame and Sucralose that pay good money to make sure the FDA does not allow any competition!
I was researching this for many years when trying to find a sugar substitute for my diabetic family member. I myself don't like the taste of Stevia because it has too much a taste of licorice, and I don't want everything I sweeten to taste like licorice. Other than that, this would be perfect and solve all sugar free problems.
So far, I have found nothing that is as good as sugar, and sugar is all I use, but for people that come over that want sugar free sweeteners, all I offer in my home is Stevia.
Not Equal, Not Sacharin.
You will never see any WARNING labels on Stevia as you do on all the other "sweeteners" that the FDA approves!!
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