Stevia - The New "Green" Sweetener?

Sugar lovers want to have their cake ... but they want it to be calorie-fee, too. Despite the fact that sugar's back in fashion -- namely for its "all-natural status" -- the hunt continues for a sweetener that tastes good and is calorie-free.

Some think stevia might just be that. Stevia comes from the plant of the same name (it's sometimes called the sugarleaf plant), and its extract is 300 times sweeter than sugar. Because it comes from a plant, it can be marketed as "all-natural." Truvia, one of the brand names stevia is sold under, even comes in a pretty little green packet that screams "natural," especially when placed next to Sweet 'N Low's pepto pink.

Stevia's been around a while -- it's been heavily used in Japan for years -- but was only approved by the FDA for use as a sweetener late last year. Now it's poised to go up against other no-calorie superstars like Splenda, Equal and Sweet N' Low. The competition is tough, but given stevia's "all-natural" claims, it's poised to find a niche in the market. Truvia and Purevia, two brand names, are showing up in cleverly-named products like Sprite Green and Trop50 (orange juice, water and stevia).

While stevia does come from a plant -- rather than a laboratory like its competitors -- consumers shouldn't be fooled by that particular selling point. Sugar's all natural too, after all, derived from cane or beet. And stevia has to go through processing just like sugar does. Some users complain of gas, bloating and allergic reactions, and if it's not processed right, it can taste of licorice or menthol. Early studies questioned stevia's safety, but the FDA has labeled it GRAS, or "generally regarded as safe."

I think that GRAS is a great way to look at all sweeteners. They're probably not smoking guns, but neither are they the holy grail. But consider this: Unless you're a diabetic, if you need a no-calorie sugar substitute to feed your sweet tooth, maybe you're eating or drinking too many sweets to begin with. Using a teaspoon of two of stevia or Splenda or Equal or, heck, even sugar here and there, probably isn't going to hurt you, but when you drink two or three or four sodas a day, you're getting far more than a teaspoon worth. Why not retrain your body to like fruit instead?

Recent studies suggest that no-calorie sweeteners don't really prevent weight gain in the first place. The idea, I think, shouldn't be to come up with a sweetener that doesn't make us fat, but instead to come up with a diet that doesn't include so many sweet and processed foods.

Have you tried stevia? Did you like the flavor? And what to you think about these "sugar wars?"