Hi Janice — That was a tough read, but it was worth it. Now, what’s the scientific story on stevia?

I agree with Amy, it was over my head. But the concluding remarks: “relatively low amounts of Splenda may cause weight gain and Splenda at moderate levels has adverse effects on your gut, affecting both levels of gut flora and proteins” helped me come to my conclusion. I too am curious about Stevia!
I did a little research on Saccharin (the pink envelopes, Sweet’n Low) and found it was discovered in 1879, so it has been studied for a long time. In the late 1970s FDA and National Toxicology Program (NCI) and other health groups, including the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, and the American Dietetic Association, agree that saccharin use is acceptable in moderation.

That was interesting, but I lost 20 pounds despite putting Splenda in my coffee and the occasional diet soda that had Splenda in it. I would like to point out that when I drink Nutrasweet-laden sodas, I get a headache if I drink more than 8-12 oz. so I don’t think Splenda necessarily makes one gain and I plan to keep using it occasionally.
My main tools for losing the weight were writing down what I eat, watching portions and exercise (mild–mainly walking.) And I did so SLOWLY–over more than a year. And I have discovered new vegetables I enjoy–I love baby brussel sprouts!
And I don’t deprive myself. If I want some onion rings, I’ll eat onion rings–but every couple of months for something like that is different from eating calorie dense things regularly.
Thanks for the “food for thought”.

Part of the reason they say Splenda, or any artificial sweetner causees you to gain weight is because some people use sweetners “It’s okay to eat a burger and fries if I drink a diet soda with it.”