Zero Calorie Stevia Sweeteners

Review of Truvia, PureVia and SweetLeaf Herb Based Sweeteners

Dec 17, 2008
Lynn Smythe

SweetLeaf Sweetener - Wisdom Natural Brands

Herb based stevia sweeteners can safely be used by people with diabetes. The three brands of sweeteners mentioned in this article all have a glycemic index of zero.

These natural, herb derived sugar substitutes have no effect on blood sugar levels. In the 2001 edition of The Herb Society of America New Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses, Deni Bown mentions that Stevia rebaudiana, AKA sweet herb of Paraguay, is a herb that is native to South America. Bown also discuses that stevia has been used as an all natural sweetener for over 200 years by Paraguay natives.

Overview of Stevia Sweeteners

Stevia sweeteners are now available in the United States from a variety of companies. Truvia, PureVia and SweetLeaf brands of stevia sweetener were sampled for this article. Each brand comes packaged in individual packets, with a sweeteness equal to two teaspoons of sugar. Stevia sweeteners can be used to sweeten a variety of items including tea, coffee and fresh fruit. All three brands of stevia sweetener have zero calories and are easily dissolved in either hot or cold liquids.

Truvia Brand Stevia Sweetener

Truvia is a natural, zero calorie sweetener which is made with rebiana. Rebiana is derived from the stevia leaf. Truvia is distributed by Cargill, Incorporated and is available in single serving cartons of either 40, 80 or 140 packets per box. The 40 packet carton has a suggested retail price of $3.99. The Truvia website also includes recipes, for items such as pumpkin pie, cheesecake and cranberry sauce, which use Truvia in place of sugar. Truvia contains zero calories, zero grams of fat and 3 grams of carbohydrates per serving. Truvia is also kosher certified.

Truvia Ingredients

erythritol
rebiana
natural flavors

Erythritol is a natural sweetener which is found in fruits such as pears and grapes.

PureVia Brand Stevia Sweetener

PureVia, which is distributed by the Whole Earth Sweetener Compnay, is available in either 40 count or 80 count cartons of single serving packets. Natural, PureVia contains zero calories, zero grams of fat and 2 grams of carbohydrates per serving. PureVia is also certified kosher dairy.

PureVia Ingredients

erythritol
isomaltulose
Reb A, AKA stevia extract
cellulose powder
natural flavors

SweetLeaf Brand Stevia Sweetener

SweetLeaf is distributed by Wisdom Natural Brands and is available in either 50 count or 100 count cartons of individual packets. The 50 count box has a suggested retail price of $6.99. SweetLeaf contains zero calories, zero grams of fat and zero grams of carbohydrate. SweetLeaf is also kosher certified. The SweetLeaf website contains over 14 recipes using their product, including holiday yams and apple walnut cake.

SweetLeaf Ingredients

inulin soluble fiber
stevia leaf extract

Stevia Sweetener Taste Test

In an informal taste test conducted by the author, 3 out of 4 people couldn't tell any difference in taste between the 3 brands. The fourth person thought the hot tea, which was sweetened with Truvia, was just a bit sweeter than the teas which had been sweetened with PureVia and SweetLeaf.

Stevia sweeteners can also be used to sweeten hot or iced coffee, iced tea, lemonade and other beverages. The Truvia and PureVia brands of stevia sweetener look a bit like coarse sugar, while the SweetLeaf brand has a finer, powdery consistancy.

Diabetics, and people looking to control their weight, might want to try incorporating one or more of these natural, herb derived sugar substitutes into their diet.

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer Lynn Smythe, Heather Smythe

Lynn Smythe - ABOUT THE WRITER Born and raised in Rochester, New York, freelance writer Lynn Smythe obtained her bachelor's degree in Geology from ...

PureVia Sweetener - Whole Earth Sweetener Company

24 Comments

Comments

Dec 17, 2008 7:37 PM

Guest :

I think people should know that Truvia is made my Coke and PureVia by Pepsi. Sweetleaf is made my Wisdom Natural Products in Arizona. I'm not a fan of supporting huge multinational corporations, so I stick with Sweetleaf.

Dec 18, 2008 5:56 AM

Lynn Smythe :

I added a blog post right after I wrote this article, which gave a little more detail about the 3 brands. The blog included the fact that Truvia is associated with Cocoa-Cola and PureVia is associated with Pepsi. Only allowed 400-600 words per article, so that's why I posted the blog to go along with the article: http://www.suite101.com/blog/herbwitch/herb_derived_sugar_substitutes.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe

Dec 21, 2008 2:06 PM

Guest :

Any product containing erythritol like Truvia, PurVia or Zerose has a down side that hasn't been included in the articles I have been reading. You might want to read an article about it at Natural Health News as they inlcude a lot of the science. These new products are artifical sweeteners and are not stevia as bnet states.

Jan 7, 2009 6:39 PM

Guest :

I have used both Sweet Leaf and Truvia and though I like the texture of Truvia, I don't like the "additonal" ingredients and the fact that it is associated with Coke...The only way the FDA would approve it, I'm sure. I like the fiber in the Sweet Leaf, and while Truvia is made from Stevia, it actually does have 3g of carbohydrates per serving, where Sweet Leaf does not. But as for an alternative to sugar, these are MUCH better choices than Artificial Sweeteners such as aspertame and sucurlose.

Jan 12, 2009 6:16 AM

Guest :

I thought that Truvia had a odd taste like cotton candy. Sweetlife did not have that taste. Both were very sweet. I have also tasted pure erythritol. I did not notice that cotton candy like taste with that either.

Jan 12, 2009 9:20 AM

Lynn Smythe :

My mom, who has never been a fan of artificial sweeteners, tried out the Sweet Leaf, Truvia & PureVia, while she was visiting for the holidays. She said she thought they all tasted the same. I sent her home with all 3 boxes of sweetener. I like the stevia based sweeteners in tea, but I drink coffee 95% of the time, so I didn't think I would be using the stevia sweeteners that often. My mom drinks around 4-6 cups of tea a day. She was pleased as punch to receive free samples. :)

Jan 28, 2009 9:31 AM

Guest :

Oh no. Not Coke and Pepsi. I can't eat something healthy for me made by a company that employs tens of thousands of people worldwide and makes a product that it a national institution. Because Coke is BAD! ICKY! And causes obesity (in pigs with no self control) and cavities! What a bunch of granolas!! Get over it with your corporation hating already. Not everybody can work at the local food co-op to feed their famlilies. Lord.

Feb 7, 2009 5:55 PM

Guest :

Truvia is not made my Coke, it is an ingredient that Coke is using. Truvia is made by Cargill.

Feb 21, 2009 11:38 AM

Guest :

sweetleaf is the safest imo. the other two have added crap that we don't need. sweatleaf is closest to the pure leaf when talking about these 3

Feb 25, 2009 4:47 PM

Guest :

please taste the sweetleaf tabs. It is the perfect product.

Mar 9, 2009 8:57 AM

Guest :

There is also another nee Stevia product in the market. It is called Stevia Extract in the Raw. Since the compamny does not have deep marketing pockets for it you don't see it advertised as much as Purevia and Truvia. I have been using ot for the last 6 months and love it. It tastes very silmiliar to Truvia but does not contain the sugar alcohol. In fact it is a lot cheaper than the other brands on the market. Check it out at www.steviaextractintheraw.com

Mar 25, 2009 8:58 AM

Guest :

There are many other brands of stevia available besides Sweetleaf, such as NOW Foods, Nu Naturals, Steviva. We use Erba Dolce Stevia, which is less expensive.
Why use a knock-off when you can have the original?

Apr 4, 2009 7:10 PM

Guest :

Privately-held Cargill Inc, is in partnership with the Coca-Cola Company. :) Regards, myqute

Apr 8, 2009 1:08 PM

Guest :

Check out Stevita. It's made from the stevia leaf and comes in at least 3 powder forms. I buy alot of the liquid Stevita and use it in my ice tea when I go out to eat. My doctor is an immunotoxicologist, so I can't have artificial sweeteners. Also sugar feeds cancer. Salt effects cancer growth, but not as much as sugar. So I'm glad you all are using this herb. I heard, that in Europe, there are ice creams made with stevia. Also heard that the sugar lobbyists in the U.S. kept stevia out of ice cream here. I don't know if that's true. But I'd like to try ice cream and other desserts sweetened with this great herb. Stevita Co., Inc is located in Arlington, Texas

Apr 9, 2009 1:43 PM

Guest :

I finally received the 2 free Sweetleaf packets in the mail (see their site for the offer), and sad to say, it tasted just horrible. The pungent licorice taste and strong aftertaste made me dump my tea halfway through. And to top it all off, it gave me a headache. I was extremely disappointed only because healthwise Sweetleaf sounded like a better choice since they don't add other 'natural' flavors or use mystical extraction processes like Pepsi and Coke do in order to make it patentable. And the fact that Pepsi & Coke (with the help of the FDA - which is the Washington corporate bureaus of these 2 behemoths) continue to add Aspartame (& Sucralose) to their products, knowing how dangerous those chemicals are to human health, just makes me distrust Pepsi's PureVia (made by the same company that make Equal [Aspartame] or Coke's Truvia.

But until independent research is done to find out what exactly is in these 2 patented concoctions, I will continue to use Truvia since it tastes pretty good (and is the only one available easily at any supermarket near me in NYC), as long as I do so in moderation.

Apr 20, 2009 10:11 AM

Guest :

Another product that has been around longer than Truvia and PurVia, is called "NuStevia", and is manufactured in several forms, including the pure form without the additives that some of the other comments refer to. Also, IMHO, NuStevia is better tasting than Sweetleaf brand. I am surprised that this was not included in your comparison, because I have been buying NuStevia for many years.

May 11, 2009 12:21 PM

Guest :

I have used stevia on and off for a number of years. I am glad it is finally being recognized by the FDA but am saddened they would only do so once a major company would create a product with it that is much more expensive than the natural form which is much cheaper! I will try to stick to the natural form as much as possible but I will buy it in whatever form is used to reduce calories in my soft drinks and tea so I can avoid the OTHER artificial sweeteners and chemicals.

May 14, 2009 7:29 AM

Lynn Smythe :

Thank you everyone for your great comments on the stevia article. Due to space limitations, I could only review 3 stevia products in the article. I might be doing a follow up article in the future. Online writing isn't like writing for a magazine, we have to get our point across in 400-600 words. Not a lot of room for multiple product comparison.

Jul 22, 2009 6:25 PM

Guest :

I've heard disturbing things about PureVia and TrueVia regarding the "Natural Ingredients". As many of you know, you cannot patent a natural product. "Natural Ingredients" can mean anything. And, since the FDA has approved both products, I'm very suspicious.
I've heard that both products were analyzed by an independent lab and were found to contain 10-15 additional chemicals.
I don't know about Sweetleaf but I know you can get pure Stevia in both powdered and liquid form from most health food stores.
I'm looking into it but I'd be cautious if I were you.

Sep 1, 2009 3:13 PM

Guest :

I just purchased Sweetleaf clear liquid - the added ingredient is grape fruit seed extract. That is why I selected it over other choices. Some said "natural" flavorings which could be almost anything. Another had 20% alcohol! Various brands had alcohol based sugars added. Stevia is so sweet that as a practical matter it must be diluted to sell commercially. I can't imagine trying to figure out 1/200 of a tbls! However, I would think that is where the problems and odd tastes enter the picture.
Everyone's taste buds are a little different - but I find the taste "straight from the bottle" strong but not unpleasant. My goal is to further reduce my blood glucose levels and avoid medication. Stevia will make it easier for me to include flour that is not refined white & other things in my diet while meeting that goal.
I may be more willing than some to adjust my taste. If we are trying to replicate traditional sweet goodies we will have to make adjustments. My intention is to also explore new foods such as almond flour, etc. So I will avoid the new flavors like root beer : )
Chris

Oct 1, 2009 5:31 PM

Guest :

I use SweetLeaf stevia. This brand has no aftertaste naturally because it is the only stevia brand that uses only pure water during extraction. This is why Sweetleaf is the only truly 100% natural brand of stevia. Most other brands use chemicals during extraction, which changes the natural taste of the leaf and results in that aftertaste. Today some brands are adding things in their stevia to mask the aftertaste, but SweetLeaf never needs to! It also has NO calories, NO carbs, and a 0 glycemic index--the only stevia brand or sweetener on the market with all three of these properties! It was the first in the U.S. as well. In fact, SweetLeaf's founder and CEO was the first person to bring stevia into the United States. So, if you want the original(for the U.S.), you should try SweetLeaf!

Oct 14, 2009 2:12 PM

Guest :

I like truvia and purvia, but why doesn't Delight get any press. Seriously the best zero calorie sweetener that's all natural out there. Why can't these types of great products be compared with those made by the multi-billion dollar corporations? Anyway...it's really worth checking out. Doctor Grandma's is one of my favs, not only for their Delight, but their whole wheat mixes are out of this world and BTW...made with Delight too, so it's perfect for me and my diabetic family members.

Jan 18, 2010 5:15 PM

Guest :

I just tried SweetLeaf as well as a Now Stevia extract liquid. I was very excited to try them after reading all the good reviews but the after taste was something I couldn't deal with.

Jan 29, 2010 8:23 PM

Guest :

I appreciate the comments from additional users. The issue I might have as a chef is what accounts for some reviewers saying the product often leaves a bad aftertaste? ..Coffee cake being very different from say chocolate chip cookies or lemon-yogurt granola bars?

24 Comments