Anyone get stalled by Stevia?

[Juliana]

I was just reading some other threads and thinking maybe this is why I have been staying at the same 5lb range for a couple of months. I workout regularly, eat clean...with some "refeed" days. But I use Stevia everyday and drinks lots of iced tea. Perhaps I need to drink more water and lay off the stevia? Any ideas about that?

[iamcrazy]

I havent tried yet but if it's stalling you maybe you should go a couple of days without it and see if it makes a difference. I know i stall with splenda so i try and stay away from that if possible

[MarblesLongGone]

Read Carb Addicts. They FORBID non-caloric sweeteners. I wrote a synopsis of it ages ago, rather than reinvent the wheel, I'll quote me. (I hope that I don't sue me...)

The effect of Artificial sweeteners on the body
Read Carb Addicts. They would rather that you eat real sugar than fake. They have a really good explanation of how it works. I have my own explanation, but it is rather unscientific and casual.

Here's my explanation:
The Effect of Artificial Sweeteners on the Body
(a short play, acted out by your body)
Written by Sandi Jones copyright 2001 all rights reserved
Performance rights granted to your body, publication rights denied.


The body ingests an artificially sweetened food.

The tongue says to the brain, "Sweet stuff, incoming!"

The Brain tells the Pancreas, "Sweet stuff, incoming! Secrete insulin!"

The ever obedient Pancreas secretes insulin to deal with the sugar that is going out into the blood stream.
Well, since what you ate was not REAL sugar, there is no excess sugar for the insulin to act upon, and it starts storing away the small amount of sugar that is supposed to be circulating through your body to feed your tissues. Your blood sugar levels crash! This situation is perceived by, I forgot what system, (Sorry, I am a blonde, cut me some slack....) and the body decides that this low blood sugar situation needs to be corrected. The body then gains a greater appetite, or get's the munchies.
{The play is over, the brain, the tongue and the pancreas come out and take bows. The tongue laps up the praise!}

A low carb controversy
Digestion starts in the mouth. Amalyse in the saliva breaks down simple starches into sugars before they make it out of your mouth! (Did you ever do that experiment in school that had you chew a soda cracker, and keep it in your mouth, and taste the cracker get sweet as it sat in your mouth? This is the amalyse in action.) Taste buds serve a purpose. With the forewarning of the taste buds, the digestive tract doesn't have to waste precious enzymes to digest foods, by just mixing all of the available chemicals. Your taste buds' job is basic analysis to decide what is needed. Digestion would take even longer if it had to wait until the food was in your stomach to start digestion. The body is built to be efficient, it will not waste things by nature. Ever smell food, and feel your stomach gurgle? Gee, your nose told your brain, mmm, get ready for this! and voila! the stomach acid starts churning because it knows that you are going to eat.

What did you think taste buds were for? simple entertainment?

[iamcrazy]

Wow, very interesting

[MarblesLongGone]

When I was really strict, I maintained Atkins induction, or near induction carb levels, and in doing it after taking a side step from CA, I was still following the NO SWEETENERS rule, and I DIDN'T get cravings for junk. I stayed grain free, sweetener free for a few years, save drinking diet soda at my in-laws on Christmas and Easter, as their water was not drinkable.

[Juliana]

<throws the Stevia out with the dieter's tea>

[Juliana]

Although, it doesn't make me eat more...in fact I seem to eat less when drinking iced tea all day. I don't crave from having it, however....I do use a lot of it. Also, it was my understanding that Stevia was not an artificial sweetener and was made by crushing a stevia leaf, thus the price on just one bottle.

[lisabinil]

Could it possibly be your "refeed" days and not the stevia?

[MarblesLongGone]

Shelve it. It MAY, or may NOT make a difference. (And I'm cheap, and don't pitch things easily..) Buy a blood sugar meter at a drug store. The meters are cheap, the strips are steep. Do some self experimentation. See what impact the same menu with sweeter has on your blood sugar readings after eating, and test another week without a sweetener. See if there IS a significant difference. (Says she who did her own glucose tolerance test with a Walmart meter....I had my books, and many diabetic friends, and a few nurses read my results!)

[Juliana]

The refeed days are about twice a month. It is possible, but it is when I do those that I gain for two days and then drop again to the same weight. Was trying to change things up and see what happened. I know the fat is coming off, as my clothes are getting smaller...slowly...but the number is driving me nuts. Can someone please just tell the Whoosh Fairy where I live??

[MarblesLongGone]

Originally Posted by Juliana

Although, it doesn't make me eat more...in fact I seem to eat less when drinking iced tea all day. I don't crave from having it, however....I do use a lot of it. Also, it was my understanding that Stevia was not an artificial sweetener and was made by crushing a stevia leaf, thus the price on just one bottle.

I know that my article is about artificial sweeteners, but Stevia IS a NON-CALORIC sweetener, it is NOT a sugar, and if YOUR BODY is interpreting it as a sugar, you excrete insulin, which is the "saving hormone", which blocks the excretion of glucogen, "the spending hormone". It could be a simple insulin reaction. All controlled carb plans are about INSULIN CONTROL!

[iamcrazy]

Hopefully the wooshie faerie knows where i am too

[lisabinil]

Originally Posted by Juliana

The refeed days are about twice a month. It is possible, but it is when I do those that I gain for two days and then drop again to the same weight. Was trying to change things up and see what happened. I know the fat is coming off, as my clothes are getting smaller...slowly...but the number is driving me nuts. Can someone please just tell the Whoosh Fairy where I live??

Stop it for a week and see what happens. Post back with your results-this is very interesting.

[Juliana]

I am stopping the Stevia as of right now. For one week! (at least) ...and I will not have a "refeed" day. Just to be clear, that is usually only one meal and not a whole day. Two days ago it was actually an accident LOL. My coworker ordered wings for us and halfway through them I realized they were breaded slightly. I could have cried right there! I was very dissapointed as I hadn't "cheated" or anything in a couple weeks. It wasn't really a planned "refeed" and it didn't last all day. I am back in ketosis now so it's a good starting day for dropping the Stevia. Can I even be in ketosis if my insulin resistance is off?? I know clean is the way to go. And I always excercise. And numbers don't count, only how my clothes fit. Ok, I'm set. Let's see what happens in 7 days.

[iamcrazy]

juliana let me know how you feel in 7 days and if you dont seem to be stalling anymore

[MarblesLongGone]

Even if you are staying on Atkins, hit the library, or a thrift store and READ some Carbohydrate Addicts books. They bring up some other rules, and WHY they work. As most people never READ a self help book, at least not past chapter one, the diet books in a thrift store are usually in mint condition! LOL! You can also pick up used ones on Amazon for just change, plus shipping.

[MarblesLongGone]

Originally Posted by iamcrazy

juliana let me know how you feel in 7 days and if you dont seem to be stalling anymore

Juliana, this sounds like time to BLOG your story!

[Alison Jean 71]

Originally Posted by Juliana

I was just reading some other threads and thinking maybe this is why I have been staying at the same 5lb range for a couple of months. I workout regularly, eat clean...with some "refeed" days. But I use Stevia everyday and drinks lots of iced tea. Perhaps I need to drink more water and lay off the stevia? Any ideas about that?

I am having the same issue. It is funny you brought this up. I was analyzing my diet and what I have been doing differently and Stevia came to my mind. Then I thought I might be nuts but maybe not. I am going to stop for a week also and see what gives.

I have actually gained a few lbs. since I switched to Stevia. I cannot figure it out - I had been maintaing for at least a year. I have even cut my nut and PB consumption considerably and cannot drop the few extra lbs. I really like stevia so if this is related, it stinks.

[MarblesLongGone]

If you REALLY don't want to totally give up your stevia, experiment with only using it when you are consuming food, in other words, don't just suck down a sweet tea with no food. See if THAT makes a difference.

[Diana]

Originally Posted by Juliana

Although, it doesn't make me eat more...in fact I seem to eat less when drinking iced tea all day. I don't crave from having it, however....I do use a lot of it. Also, it was my understanding that Stevia was not an artificial sweetener and was made by crushing a stevia leaf, thus the price on just one bottle.

Originally Posted by MarblesLongGone

I know that my article is about artificial sweeteners, but Stevia IS a NON-CALORIC sweetener, it is NOT a sugar, and if YOUR BODY is interpreting it as a sugar, you excrete insulin, which is the "saving hormone", which blocks the excretion of glucogen, "the spending hormone". It could be a simple insulin reaction. All controlled carb plans are about INSULIN CONTROL!

Stevia is not an AS. It will not raise blood sugars... or get stored in the Liver.

I HIGHLY doubt it is your Stevia!

studies have shown stevia improves insulin sensitivity in rats and may even promote additional insulin production, helping to reverse diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Preliminary human studies show stevia can help reduce hypertension although another study has shown it has no effect on hypertension. Despite these more recent studies establishing the safety of stevia
In 1991, Dr. M.S. Melis, from the Department of Biology at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, gave a one-time high dose injection of stevioside to rats and found that it caused a reduction in blood pressure as well as an increased elimination of sodium (Melis, 1991). A slight diuretic effect also occurred. The effect was additive when stevia was combined with verapamil (a medicine used to lower blood pressure in humans who have high blood pressure).
Dr. Melis repeated a similar study in 1995. This time, he administered extracts of stevia to rats for 20, 40, and 60 days. After 20 days, there were no changes in the stevia-treated rats compared to the control group (the ones that didn't receive the extracts). However, after 40 or 60 days of administering the extract, there was a lowering of blood pressure, a diuretic effect was noted along with loss of sodium. The amount of blood going to the kidneys was increased.

[Juliana]

I miss my tea!!!!!! Didn't have any yesterday. Weigh the same today, so at least I'm not up. Was easier to go to sleep last night, I'll admit. Although I stayed up way late and the baby was with Grandma hehe. Very hard to give up tea AND Diet Coke. Good thing I'm working with a short group today cuz my brain is sleepy!

[NancyH58]

Originally Posted by Juliana

I was just reading some other threads and thinking maybe this is why I have been staying at the same 5lb range for a couple of months. I workout regularly, eat clean...with some "refeed" days. But I use Stevia everyday and drinks lots of iced tea. Perhaps I need to drink more water and lay off the stevia? Any ideas about that?

Stevia makes the pancreas secrete insulin. Switch to another artificial sweetener like splenda or erythritol (both of which are safe and taste way better than stevia... aspartame is a bit iffy but still better than stevia).

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by Juliana

I am stopping the Stevia as of right now. For one week! (at least) ...and I will not have a "refeed" day. Just to be clear, that is usually only one meal and not a whole day. Two days ago it was actually an accident LOL. My coworker ordered wings for us and halfway through them I realized they were breaded slightly. I could have cried right there! I was very dissapointed as I hadn't "cheated" or anything in a couple weeks. It wasn't really a planned "refeed" and it didn't last all day. I am back in ketosis now so it's a good starting day for dropping the Stevia. Can I even be in ketosis if my insulin resistance is off?? I know clean is the way to go. And I always excercise. And numbers don't count, only how my clothes fit. Ok, I'm set. Let's see what happens in 7 days.

No, please don't do it this way. If you stop more than one thing & start losing you'll have no idea which it was. When attempting to determine the cause of a stall one should change only ONE thing for a week. I suggest giving up EITHER stevia OR the refeed but not both.

[Jean@125]

I don't know which kind of stevia you are using or how much. But if it's the packet kind with the fillers I think they are probably 1 carb per packet.

[MountainGirl]

Originally Posted by Diana

Stevia is not an AS. It will not raise blood sugars... or get stored in the Liver.

I HIGHLY doubt it is your Stevia!

studies have shown stevia improves insulin sensitivity in rats and may even promote additional insulin production, helping to reverse diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Preliminary human studies show stevia can help reduce hypertension although another study has shown it has no effect on hypertension. Despite these more recent studies establishing the safety of stevia
In 1991, Dr. M.S. Melis, from the Department of Biology at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, gave a one-time high dose injection of stevioside to rats and found that it caused a reduction in blood pressure as well as an increased elimination of sodium (Melis, 1991). A slight diuretic effect also occurred. The effect was additive when stevia was combined with verapamil (a medicine used to lower blood pressure in humans who have high blood pressure).
Dr. Melis repeated a similar study in 1995. This time, he administered extracts of stevia to rats for 20, 40, and 60 days. After 20 days, there were no changes in the stevia-treated rats compared to the control group (the ones that didn't receive the extracts). However, after 40 or 60 days of administering the extract, there was a lowering of blood pressure, a diuretic effect was noted along with loss of sodium. The amount of blood going to the kidneys was increased.

Exactly.
If you are stalling, I really doubt it could be the stevia.
And stevia is not an artificial sweetener.

BTW, Carb Addicts is only one viewpoint, it's not the only way to LC.