What is the difference between stevia & Xylitol?

[Yael]

I just found out I can get a kosher version of either of these - so bye bye aspartame (yah!)

OK, can somebody tell me what is the difference between these?

[Rouge]

Stevia is more natural than Xylitol. Xylitol has more chemical components and is considered an artificial sweetener as it is made from sugar alcohols, TBH I think it's as "bad" (even though I don't mind aspartame) as aspartame. They both have slight metallic tastes, but it really depends on what you prefer taste wise. Unlike Splenda/Nutra Sweet you don't need as much. My understanding is they have managed to form a type of Stevia that is minus the bitterness which can often be the offending after taste with other natural sweeteners.

[Maruschke]

We use Xylitol in our cooking all the time. I thought it was from fruit, shame on me. But it's great and we've never looked back.

[Rouge]

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol made from lots of different things. Not actually from sugar iykwim. Where as Stevia is a natural sweetener made from the natural sweetness found in the leaves of the Stevia plant.

[Yael]

I am trying to go fructose free (so no sugar for me) and I think Xylitol might be out, I will have to go check with sweet poison book.

I don't like aspartame (I mean taste wise I don't notice it, but I only have Hermasetas gold, if I have the regular one I do notice it), but theoretically I don't think it is good and there is more research coming out to link it to neurological conditions - like early onset parkinsons... part of me is curious if there is a link between mothers consumption in pregnancy and ASD in children?

So I've been waiting for it to be kosher for a while so I can get off it. I think at this stage only the naturally sweet Stevia not the slightly modified Stevia is kosher, but hopefully that will change in the future. Going to stop in at the health food store on the way to pick up today

[AnyDream]

Xylitol has been shown to have a positive effect on dental health (something to do with inhibiting a specific type of bacteria) whereas stevia does not. I think stevia is a little more bitter. We use a product from the supermarket which is very finely raw sugar combined with just enough of the stevia to double its sweetness - so you're more than halving the sugar intake without the bitterness and you still get that nice raw sugar fragrance too.

[organic-girl]

Have you tried agave or coconut sugar? We use raw agave and even raw honey.


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Leah and Dan
Lucy 5
Minnie 2
Pippi due 29 sept

[Yael]

I am avoiding fructose - so agave, coconut & honey are out

[organic-girl]

Oh yeah I forgot they were, we use to be on no fructose, that was ages ago no corn, pear or apples either!


---------
Leah and Dan
Lucy 5
Minnie 2
Pippi due 29 sept