I use Truvia all the time. I think it's great.

I thought I saw a commercial somewhere about Stevia being approved? Maybe it was just about the reb A approval?

I'm not a fan of any type of sweetener, natural or not.

i have been using stevia for more than two years. you don't need much to sweeten...i use just a pinch, too much and it gets bitter. my mom uses it in baking and it does a great job! my husband on the other hand does not like it, he continues to use splenda or equal:(

i always see stevia on the shelves at trader joes...
never thought to try it though.

I don't use this junk.

here in canada stevia's been approved for years and i use stevia extract which is exactly like vanilla extract... it really isn't junk or bad it's a plant, the extract is processed the same way as vanilla extract and it has no effect on blood sugar it's awesome and healthy but i'm still not big on pop...

I have been using Stevia for years and it's awesome - I use it just as I would Splenda. It's totally safe and has been used abroad for decades.

I've used truvia. To be honest I don't always know how much I even trust the FDA. They've approved things that obviously shouldn't be approved and have taken to too long to approve somethings they should have years ago. Does anyone actually check up on what the FDA does to make sure things are okay?

I haven't tried this, but I generally don't trust these kinds of artificial sweeteners, like Splenda. I'll take my real sugar, even with the real calories. Maybe this one will be different - have to wait and see.

I have two issues about Truvia. The first being, how so conveniently the FDA has approved stevia/reb A just when Coca-Cola was releasing Truvia and it's products containing it.

Second, I was comparing the ingredients lists of Truvia and several other stevia sweeteners, and Truvia is the only one I saw with 'natural flavors' as in ingredient. Why would one need to add that to a sweetener?? I'll go with the products with less superfluous ingredients.

'as in ingredient' should be 'as an ingredient'.

Sorry!

i would assume that if they are on the shelves then they are FDA approved but i've never really thought about it. i think that we're in a time that everyone wants to find alternatives to the higher cal versions of things because for soooo long we've been less than conscious about what we're eating, and it's just a hard thing. we don't know what the long term affects are of products like this - but to be honest, i'm not sure that there's anything major that they will find that's negative. i'm all for the substitutions.

I haven't seen Truvia at the store yet, but I'd like to try it. I do use Equal in my coffee and tea and I'd like to see if Truvia is the same taste-wise. I've avoided stevia products so far, only because I find that it tastes very licorice-y. But since Truvia is the purified reb-A, maybe it won't taste so weird to me. So yeah, as soon as it comes to the stores here, I'm definitely going to give it a whirl.

Is the natural Rab A mixed with other chemicals? Idk... I think I am sticking with Sugar in the Raw and honey. I would love a calorie-free option but I don't want the chemicals that go with it.

I've been using stevia for about 6 months, after a suggestion from my Chiropractor who informed me that aspartame based sweeteners might be the basis for my headaches. now that I'm avoiding aspartame, I've been headache free, and I haven't noticed any problems with my stevia use (I use it 2-3 times per week in a cup of tea or coffee).

I have been using Stevia for years since they are available in Brazil as a sweetener. I love the pure form.
I have to say that these two brands both add artificial sweeteners to the mix- erythritol and Isomaltulose- which defeat the purpouse of having using an all natural sweetener.

I stick to the pure form, which comes in powder or liquid (sold whole foods and TJoe's).

I live in Germany and they won't approve it here, so that has to mean something. Can anybody tell me what the problem with stevia is?

probably gives you cancer like all artificial sweeteners if you use too much

@ Bella85: It's not approved in Germany? We use it in Switzerland and I'm not really sure what the objection to Stevia is. It's no different than using agave nectar which, as we all know, is the only sweetener people should use.

And to those who are making ludicrous claims that compare Stevia to artificial sweeteners, perhaps you should educate yourself a little more on nutrition. Natural plant-based foods=Generally healthy. Nasty, chemical-based made in a lab crap used to sweeten diet sodas and candy=wouldn't touch that crap (not to mention the taste is horrendous.

All of these scare me. I have an allergy to any artificial sweetener and get migraines even from Splenda. I try to stay away from them and increasingly find it hard because they are replacing natural sweeteners with artificial ones, if it has to be FDA approved, I am skeptical!

I stay away from any artificial sweeteners, and i don't really add sugar to anything. if i'm really wanting something sweet in my oatmeal or plain yogurt, i use a little honey.

I put Stevia drops on my grapefruit. Takes it from inedible to delicious.

I wonder if the soda companies have corrupted stevia. It seems like they may have turned it from something whole and natural to something processed and artificial. "Stevia-derived" reminds me of "corn-derived." It may be like the claims that Splenda is made from real sugar - which it is- by treating it with chlorine. I think I'll just stay away from anything the soda companies make.
Last I heard Stevia wasn't approved by the FDA earlier because of an anonymous complaint- not because of any testing. People have been living on this stuff for years where I lived in Uruguay.

Ugh. For the last time, people need to understand that Stevia is NOT an artificial sweetener. It is sugar that is processed from Asteraceae, which is from the sunflower family of plants.

So please, stop comparing it to Splenda. There are NO similarities between a natural sweetener and something made in a lab. A more appropriate comparison would be Stevia vs. Agave Nectar.

I've been using stevia in the raw. Love how it's not too sweet. I've seen Truvia in the store, but I never wanted to try it.

Stevia is NOT an artificial sweetener!! Like quite a few people have noted, it is a plant and completely natural. I've been using it for years as it has become pretty mainstream in Latin America. I know some people who grow their own, though I would personally buy it at the Sunday farmer's market.

Not sure about the pepsi and coca-cola products, since it appears they mess with the formula. Pure stevia is available in the US though, I know as far back as four years ago I was able to get it at a Vitamin Barn store in liquid form.

I don't understand how the makers of PureVia can claim it is a zero-calorie sweetener: it contains isomaltulose as a second ingredient. Isomaltulose is calorically equivalent to glucose. How do they come up with their calorie count?

Kudos to the folks who posted the accurate commetns about Stevia - I have been using it for years and work in the food industry. The reason the FDA hasnt approved it is because the sugar and artifical sweetner companies are in their backpocket..You should try and look up all the cases for aspartane and the cases brought to the FDA to NOT approve it, the FDA didnt care, they approved it because of the $$ they were getting. Educate yourselves folks

Kudos to the people who understand what Stevia is...it is a natural low calorie sweetener not an artificial sweetener. It HAS been approved by the FDA for sell in the US for several years...but the catch is...its approved as a SUPPLEMENT! not a sugar substitute...GO FIGURE!, when they know EXACTLY what its going to be used for...A SUGAR SUBSITUTE!!,DUH!, it doesn't take a chemist to figure that one out!...that right there proves the deep pockets that Equal and the rest of them have with the FDA...because the REAL truth is that Stevia would put the rest of them out of business...hmmm...lets see, "chemically created" or from a "plant"...which one would you chose??...now there's a no-brainer, no pun intended. Now about these 2 Stevia derived products Truiva and PuraVia...their just that!, derivatives of Stevia, not pure Stevia! I've been using "Pure Stevia Extract" powder-form made by "KAL" for several years after reading an article about it and how it helps regulate blood sugar, I had also read that Japan has been using it in their sodas for years. I've tried several brands, liquid and powder and found KAL powder to be the best, be aware, they are not all-created-equal and if you find it having a licorice taste, you are using too much!...for a half gallon of ice tea, i use 3 1/2 scoops (the tiny scoop comes with the powder), the scoop is probably equivalent to a "pinch"...so you can just imagine how much you would put lets say in a cup of coffee. You can also bake with it.

Thank you for suggesting how much to use with ice tea. I just picked up pure stevia extract powder...WOW! I got it at Trader Joes and it was about $10, the bottle is about the size of my palm but it has over 600 servings in it. A pinch is exactly right, the tiny little scoop that comes with it serves out about a pinch of this stuff but it's very sweet. I'm very excited, I can't wait for tomorrow morning and that first cup of coffee.

I usually avoid all artificial sweeteners (aka - not sugar or honey) because they give me severe stomach cramps and ulcers. Recently I picked up the new Tropicana 50 orange juice and checked the label. I didn't see any of the things that I normally avoid listed, like Splenda or Nutrasweet. I was hoping it was just orange juice without added sugar. I didn't recognize the name "PureVia". When I got it home and tasted it, I did notice the same old... odd sensation or taste... that you get from sweeteners. It wasn't bad, just something you can't describe. I've had a couple of glasses of the juice, and so far, no cramps. I have to say that I'm still undecided, but it's looking like it *MIGHT* be a viable option, so far.

I never post comments, but just had to this time! First, let me say that I love sweets, and have for my entire life. But I always liked things sweetened with regular old (albeit highly refined) white sugar. About two years ago I severely cut back my sugar intake, just as a way to reduce calories and get a little healthier. But orange juice still has to be my favorite drink, and probably my highest intake of sugars these days. So when I saw Tropicana's 50% less sugar orange juice, I very naively thought to myself--great! I'm not sure why I didn't put two-and-two together in the store... As soon as I took my first sip--disgusting! Then I read the side panel: 58% less juice, now sweetened with purevia. This stuff tasted absolutely foul. I'm sure all you lovers of non-sugar sweeteners will disagree, but I'm guessing that your taste buds have been acclimated to this junk, because the taste difference is *not* subtle--it's profound. I definitely would NOT recommend this stuff--and this is based solely on taste--health and safety concerns would be another post

i accidentally bought orange juice with TrueVia and it was disgusting. i had to dump the whole container down the drain. It tasted just like Nutra-sweet.
gross, chemical-tasting. why'd they mess with my oj?

Stevia is natural however, to all of you who keep saying stop comparing stevia to artificial sweeteners. They are not. They are comparing purevia and the like, to artificial sweeteners. Basically they are right They are extracting rab a and ading other ingreidients which in my eyes makes them artificial. Stick with stevia in its most natural form, it is not for everyone, it does require an adjustment to your palate. I do believe it to be safer than any "Artificial sweetener" by far. Agave is good too. But must be raw organic and is high in calories which stevia is not. Please heed this warning, stay away from all the sweeteners created by man, and are not natural.

Comes from a plant = healthy? Are you nuts? Tobacco, containing nicotine, and pot CAN be eaten. That doesn't mean they're doing good things inside your brain over time. Quite the opposite, really.

I have been using Truvia for almost a month and I think its fantastic.
I have used it in coffee and breakfast cereal. I don't notice any difference and with the artificial sweeteners like splenda, less is more.
Soft drinks with Splenda are too sweet. Sweeter than regular soft drinks.

I am looking for recipes where truvia can be used if anyone has some
experience with that I would like to know.

I'm suspicious of all sugar substitutes. I know artificial sweeteners are not the answer to living and eating healthier. However, every morning I like to have a cup of coffee with cream and sugar, probably not the healthiest choice, but it's a small vice I hold, while trying to stave off other unhealthy eating habits. I recently read about Stevia in Paul Chek's "How To Eat Move And Be Healthy" (2004), so I thought I'd give PureVia a try. It's alright, it still tastes a little chemical, but I'll try it out for a few weeks and see how it goes.

Stevia in powder form was OK, but I always wished that it measure and was the consistency of sugar. I recently tried Truvia and I love it. I have giving packets to all of my friends and family and they all love it too. I never could stand the artificial sweeteners out there, except for Agave Nectar and it is was too high in calories for me. I don't miss sugar at all now that I have Truvia. It satisfies my sweet tooth and it is no calories. What a dream come true.

I used Splenda for several years, and generally I have had stomach cramps from time to time, hard to say if it was the sweetner or something else. Then I stopped using Splenda and only used regular sugar. The cramps stopped completely, only occassional sotmach discomfort. Then I saw all the ads for PureVia and decided to give it a shot. I think the taste is fine, but I've noticed over the past couple of weeks, some serious cramping again, usually in the afternoon (I drink it in my 2 cups of coffee in the morning) and I am wondering of it could be from the PureVia. Anyone else have cramping that they can realistically attribute to using PureVia?

I started using Purevia two weeks ago. After a couple of days using maybe three packets through the day, I noticed I had a light case of diarrhea. After three days, I stopped using the Purevia. No more diarrhea. Today, I used Purevia for the first time in a week and guess what? Diarrhea!!!

I have been using stevia extract for a year and never had these issues. Something is in this Purevia that my body doesn't like.

No Purevia for me!!!!

I've been using stevia extracts for years. They are not artificial unless you consider processing artificial that extracts only the sweet components . I also use Lo Han Guo extract, which is harder to find. It has a nicer flavor, no metallic aftertaste, and if you use too much it doesn't get bitter. It just doesn't get any sweeter, so you're simply wasting it if you use too much. Lo Han Guo is a very sweet Chinese fruit. The straight powder from the dried fruit has a strong flavor just like straight, unprocessed stevia does, but not quite as weird. High quality, pure Lo Han Guo extracts are neutral...just sweet. However, the purified Lo Han Guo extract loses its intensity in certain contexts, so I reinforce it with stevia extract that is over 90% rebaudiana A, which is the sweetest of the sweet components of the unprocessed leaf. It has the least bitter aftertaste if you use too much. I use about twice as much Lo Han Guo extract as the stevia rebaudiana A and dilute the combination with powdered erythritol so it's practical to use without a microscopic measuring device. I powder the erythritol in a coffee grinder for a few seconds, so it dissolves easily in liquids. A total of about 2.5 teaspoons of the extract combination in a small jar of erythritol, probably less than half a cup, provides something so sweet you only need about a half teaspoon to sweeten a large bowl of cereal enough to taste as if it has two or three heaping tablespoons of white sugar in it. The two intensive sweeteners balance each other to taste like actual sugar and the amount of erythritol is so low as to be insignificant. It's a natural sugar alcohol found in pears, grapes and other fruits anyway, and has zero calories with no funny digestive effects like xylitol unless used in unnaturally large quantities. There's no chance of that with the approach described here. This works beautifully and research indicates stevia rebaudiana A helps insulin and blood pressure normalize in those with type 2 diabetes.

I've tried STEVIA recomendet by my holistic Doctor,but it gives me a B A D after taste.Therfore I cannot tolerate it
Sorry

I used to be a 'sugar nazi' and would only eat pure cane. Even the processed white sugar was too artificial to me. I would literally cut the cane plant and squeeze the natural sugar out of it. Well, now all I consume are the artificial low calorie sugar substitutes.. And let me tell you, after a while you'll never go back to cane sugar. Your taste buds adjust and now pure cane sugar tastes awful to me!