Submitted By: Matt Saberon, San Diego, CA

Does the sugar substitute stevia produce an insulin spike that I should be concerned with?

Stevia has little or no effect on insulin levels. It is avoided by those who mind the slightly bitter aftertaste. The fact that stevia is approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar means it has approximately 1/200th as much carbohydrate per serving. But this difference in bulk presents a problem when trying to determine portion size, with a teaspoon of sugar translating to a speck of stevia. The impracticalities of stevia along with its uninspiring taste make it a no go for most chefs, while the average person seeking to reduce carbohydrate consumption may find it serves well their needs.

Xylitol works better in recipes because it is of comparable sweetness intensity to sugar, but has less active carbohydrate and the carbs contained are released more slowly into the bloodstream. It also measures up to sugar in most taste tests, with many people unable to distinguish between them and some preferring the hint-of-mint aftertaste of xylitol. Digestive tolerance is better for xylitol and erythritol than for other sugar alcohols, and in moderate amounts present no problem for most people. In higher amounts, xylitol or erythritol can cause stomach upset.

For cooking and in terms of dissolvability and texture sugar is unsurpassed and represents the standard by which sweetness is judged. But sugar has definite drawbacks for folks trying to lose fat. One alternative to pure sugar is to cut it with one of the products mentioned, in order to decrease carb content and the glycemic response. Another option, suggested by Warren Cochrane, gourmet low-carb chef and president of Beyond a Century Nutrition, is to combine xylitol or erythritol with stevia. I recommend experimenting to find what works best for you.