Isolation, identification and antimicrobial activity of ombuoside from Stevia triflora.

In relationship to sweeteners, the specific conditioned reflex is called a Cephalic Phase Insulin Release (CPIR)- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WB2-4SGD4KP-1&_use...



The sensation of a sweet taste causes the body to store blood glucose in anticipation of more glucose coming into the body. This leads to low blood sugar, hypoglycemia, which then sets into a motion other body responses. Hypoglycemia can suppress the immune system of the gut, affect hormones, the adrenals, and the nervous system. The main affect that is best to avoid is immune system suppression, as this facilitates candida growth.

How one measures success on the Plan may not necessarily reflect true effectiveness. If you reduce toxicity and inflammation and create other changes to a certain degree, you may see improvement of symptoms, but not elimination of the underlying causes. Eating bread can feed candida, as bread is a simple carbohydrate regardless of the source. Nuts are high in fungus and can lead to excess mucous production which will act like a biofilm for candida. Nut butters can produce the same type of result. Excess mucous can create a lot of congestion within the body and this may contribute to constipation, acne and other problems associated with congestion. Stevia can initiate the CPIR mentioned above and all that goes with it.

Sweetners have lowered my blood sugar in the past.

 Many people cannot stand the sour taste of stevia, but I would prefer the stevia to Xylitol. 

The bitterness of stevia comes from an alkaloid in the stem, not the leaf.  Higher quality stevia made with almost pure leaf does not have that overly bitter taste.  And the powdered extracts with 90-99% stevioside also have no bitter aftertaste.  

But these higher grades only require tiny amounts for use.  Generally a 1/4 teaspoon will replace a cup of sugar.  But this makes it hard to spread such a small amount over something like cereal, and it will not hold moisture like sugar.  So additives are often combined with stevia extracts such as maltodextrin, FOS, lactose or erythritol as flow agents and in some cases to help retain moisture.