topic Re: Stevia Soda Pop in Recipes

Stevia Soda Pop

Jackhound Mom — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 14:02:52 GMT

I Googled this after a Dr. OZ show and the price to order was high ($20+)!!! Zevia was available at our Army commisary so I got a 6-pack for $3. The cola flavor is clear and the first can tasted pretty good. The second day, second can gave me heartburn which I never get.

Has anyone else tried these? 2 other brands are IZZE & GURU which I have not found in any of our stores here.

Re: Stevia Soda Pop

SharkE — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 14:39:25 GMT

Is it caffeine free?

Re: Stevia Soda Pop

PINKdogWOOD — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 14:55:31 GMT

@SharkE There is apparently a caffeine free stevia cola made but don't forget stevia continues to be considered an artificial sweetner none of which is good for our health. Soda producers tout zero calories (more than likely due to sugars) still use artificial sweeteners like stevia so they are not sugar free. Diet sodas are the same. None of these are good to drink.

@Jackhound Mom The other 2 brands you mentioned are pretty much readily available in many stores.

Re: Stevia Soda Pop

loriqvc — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 16:25:04 GMT

@Jackhound Mom - The Izze drinks taste good and are widely available in my area, but I have acid reflux and can only drink them once in awhile because the citrus juices and citric acid in them are so sour/tart—it sounds like you may have a similar issue.

Note: Stevia is actually a natural sweetener, not an artificial one, but it is often combined with other sweeteners in commercially produced items like beverages. This has made it difficult to regulate over the years, and there are currently versions of it that are approved for use in food products and versions that are not. Because it is so much sweeter than other natural sweeteners, such as sugar, it also takes the body some time to adjust to it, and the reason it is used in "diet" applications is because the body doesn't process all of it. You can easily perform an Internet search to learn more, and if you're going to use stevia regularly, I definitely recommend that you become well informed about it.

(ETA: I have learned a LOT about sweeteners over the years since I discovered that I'm severely allergic to sucralose/Splenda, so if you have other questions about sweeteners, I can likely provide some answers.)

Re: Stevia Soda Pop

Icegoddess — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 16:38:14 GMT

@loriqvc, my biggest problem with stevia is in knowing how much to use in a recipe, even one that calls for it since all the stevias are different. I use Truvia which is a combination in my daily morning hot tea.

I make my own "sodas" at home using a SodaStream or a Drink Mate. I have both mainly because my husband won't give up the SodaStream, but I prefer the Drink Mate because you can carbonate almost anything in it. I would use syrup concentrates which are meant for diluting to make shave ice flavors. I tried using stevia, but it just never worked. It was always bitter. So, I ended up using sucralose instead. I haven't been doing that in awhile though as I have found my favorite combination is a bottle of Sobe Water with some added MM 25 calorie lemonade and a little water to fill the bottle to max and carbonate that. I'm not concerned with the adverse health claims of whatever artifical sweeteners are being used. My husband would be pickled by now if they were all true.

Re: Stevia Soda Pop

lexiee — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 17:20:15 GMT

Hi! I drink it and like it but I don't like the cola flavor. I have to try a totally diffenrt flavor as it does taste different. I usually gofor the grape ) XOXOXO

Re: Stevia Soda Pop

Alison Wonderland — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 17:47:43 GMT

@Jackhound Mom wrote:
I Googled this after a Dr. OZ show and the price to order was high ($20+)!!! Zevia was available at our Army commisary so I got a 6-pack for $3. The cola flavor is clear and the first can tasted pretty good. The second day, second can gave me heartburn which I never get.

Has anyone else tried these? 2 other brands are IZZE & GURU which I have not found in any of our stores here.

I only recently learned that carbonated beverges are some of the worst triggers for heartburn and acid reflux. I had no idea, but a few months ago I went on a La Croix binge and had some of the worst acid reflux of my life. I'd been avoiding other known triggers and couldn't figure out why I was having such awful symtpoms when I was eating right and avoiding so many things.

I don't normally drink a lot of sodas and have never had issues with the few sodas I drink, so I never thought the La Croix could be a cause. I normally don't drink more than one a two sodas a month and I was drinking 2-3 La Croix drinks a day, so it really did a number on me. Now I drink fewer than one a week.

From WebMD:
Heartburn and Carbonated Beverages
"Carbonated beverages cause gastric distension," Mausner says. And if your stomach is distended, this increases pressure on the esophageal sphincter, promoting reflux." He tells WebMD that people with heartburn may be wise to steer clear of pop and other carbonated beverages.

Source: https://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/features/top-10-heartburn-foods#1

Re: Stevia Soda Pop

Jackhound Mom — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 23:31:29 GMT

@lexieeHello again,

I forgot to welcome you here to the boards! Have fun and thanks again for your answer.

Cathy