Are Sugar Sweeteners Good for You?
Ask the Diva: What About Stevia/Sugar Sweeteners?
Ask the Diva: What About Stevia/Sugar Sweeteners?Q. How do you feel about stevia/sugar sweeteners such as Sun Crystals? They’re better than aspartame and other synthetic sweeteners, right? Thanks!
Answer. For those who haven’t come across it yet, Sun Crystals is a product that combines regular sugar and stevia to create a sweetener that’s lower in calories but retains some of the taste and other properties of real sugar—such as sugar’s ability to retain moisture and produce browning in baked goods.
Stevia is certainly more natural than Equal or Splenda, so Sun Crystals might offer a slight advantage over, say, the Splenda/sugar blend. If using the product helps you reduce sugar, I’d say it’s probably a good thing. Just don’t get lulled into thinking that the stevia somehow cancels out the sugar that’s still in there! Personally, I don’t care for the taste of stevia or synthetic sweeteners (to me, they’re very similar), so I’d probably still choose to use real sugar, but less often.
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About the Author
Monica Reinagel is a board-certified licensed nutritionist, author, and the creator of one of iTunes’ most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts. Her advice is regularly featured on the TODAY show, Dr. Oz, NPR, and in the nation’s leading newspapers, magazines, and websites. Do you have a nutrition question? Call the Nutrition Diva listener line at 443-961-6206. Your question could be featured on the show.
