Artificial Sweeteners (Truvia) and Round Up

by Rita
(Spokane, Wa.)

Currently we use truvia as an artificial sweetener. Is this healthy? Are there any healthy sweeteners?

Also, my husband is trying to grow an organic garden. Can Round Up be used to control weeds around the perimeter without compromising the organic quality of the vegetables?

Michelle says: Thanks for your question about Rita. From what I’ve read, Truvia is made from stevia, an herb that happens to be naturally sweet. In its natural, unrefined state, stevia tends to have a slightly bitter aftertaste. Some people do not like using it for that reason.

Truvia is essentially stevia with that aftertaste removed. It’s a new on the market and not a lot of research or long term studies have been done on it at this point in time.

Because it’s made from a natural herbal sweetener, it is probably not as unhealthy or damaging to your health as an artificial sweetener like aspartame would be.

However, it is refined – something is taken out of it. More than likely, nutrients get lost during processing. Your body may not recognize the end product the same way it would recognize stevia in its natural state.

My guess is that Truvia is not as healthy as using stevia in it’s natural state. It’s probably just an okay option. Better than refined sugar... better than aspartame, but definitely not as healthy as using sweeteners that have not been processed or refined.

In my opinion, it’s better to stick with foods in their most natural state rather than relying on processing to make it “better.”

Fortunately there are many healthy sweeteners that exist. Here’s a quick guide to natural sweeteners...

Each natural sweetener has its own unique taste and texture. Some are milder in flavor than others. It’s a great idea to have several different natural sweeteners on hand. That way, you can use the one that compliments your dish perfectly. This is something that you will learn over time as you experiment with the different flavors.

Now to answer your question about Round Up...

I think it would be better to use a non-chemical method to get the weeds out. Chemicals can easily spread in the soil when it rains or when you water your garden.

You could always do a quick search on Google to see what natural methods work best for the particular weeds that surround your garden.

Hope that helps!

Michelle