Many years ago, there were very few options for sweetening food; there was only honey and table sugar. These days, the market is full of different types of artificial sweeteners and natural sugar replacements. It's confusing for many consumers to find out which sweetener is healthiest. This is because there have been safety controversies regarding some of the artificial sweeteners once thought of as safe. Splenda and Stevia are two alternatives to natural sugar. They are very different in the way they are made, yet each has benefits and drawbacks.
Step 1
Compare the sweeteners' sources and how they are made. According to the women's health website Women to Women, Splenda was actually discovered by scientists who were trying to create a new pesticide. While its molecular structure is similar to sugar's, Splenda has chlorine atoms in place of hydroxyl atoms, according to Women to Women.
The diabetes section of the Health Central website says Stevia is natural because instead of being chemically synthesized, it comes from a plant. Stevia is actually an herb, originally grown in Paraguay, according to Health Central.
Step 2
Consider the possible side effects of using Stevia and Splenda. According to Nurse Practitioner Marcelle Pick, Splenda is thought of as being safe, but as of 2010, there is no scientific proof either that it is or isn't safe. She tells Women to Women that for some people, Splenda may trigger migraines. Other people have reported cramps and diarrhea after using Splenda. Pick also says that while there are no known safety precautions or side effects regarding Stevia, long-term research is needed.
Step 3
Decide whether or not FDA-approval is important to you when you look for a sweetener. Women to Women says that while Splenda, chemical name sucralose, is FDA-approved as a food additive, Stevia is only approved by the FDA as a dietary supplement and not as a food additive. Pick explains that while Stevia has been used in other countries safely for hundreds of years, there has not been enough research in the United States for the FDA to approve its use as a food additive.
Step 4
Taste a bland food twice, with Stevia and Splenda on it, to determine which you prefer. For example, you can dish out one cup of plain yogurt and split it in half. On the first half-cup of yogurt, put two teaspoons of Splenda and stir. On the second half-cup, use 2 teaspoons of Stevia. Decide which tastes better to you and use that in part of your overall analysis of Stevia and Splenda.
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