Sugar Free for Diabetics

Is there a certain thing as “sugar free”? This is the question you can hear from people who has diabetes. My answer is YES! What I am trying to say is that, there are artificial sweeteners as replacement for sugar. (Well, at first, drinking coffee without sugar is really gross, but my tongue accepts now the taste of unsweetened coffee.) But I read an article that there’s a research that these “artificial sweeteners” (I won’t mention the names for they might sue me hehehe) can harm us.

Studies have shown that Aspartame, an artificial sweetener commonly put into processed foods and diet soft drinks has a very dangerous chemical. This chemical converts to formic acid (formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants), which in turn causes metabolic acidosis when heated above 86F. The methanol toxicity mimics other conditions such as multiple sclerosis, tinnitus and systemic lupus, especially among diet soft drink drinkers. If you take aspartame you might suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, headaches, joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss.

There’s also a research that there is one alternative that maybe step above all the rest. This is a NATURAL herb called Stevia. Stevia is derived from a South American shrub (Stevia rebaudiana). A good quality leaf is estimated to be 300 times sweeter than cane sugar, or sucrose. Also known as honey leaf and yerba dulce, stevia is not absorbed through the digestive tract, and is therefore non-caloric. This is a huge find for a person with diabetes. Stevia is not only a natural substitute for sugar but it also carries medicinal properties. Preliminary evidence suggests that it may lower blood pressure, prevent or reverse diabetes and possess anti-viral properties.

Why I haven’t heard of this herb before. Guess I have to research more on this for this is very beneficial to me. Do you know anything about this herb? Please let me know.