- Sweeteners

Many folks can enjoy a cup of herbal tea without adding any sweetener at all. I’m not one of them. I’ve yet to find a sweetener that really appeals to me. I’ve done some research, and here’s a bit of information on some of the current popular artificial and natural sweeteners on the market. Which are “good” or “bad”? I encourage each individual to decide for themselves.

In 2001 the FDA lifted a serious warning off of Sweet-n-Low. Its main ingredient is saccharin and currently the FDA deems it safe to consume. I’ve tried it in tea and the taste is extremely artificial. The aftertaste is... well, haunting.

You’ve certainly heard of NutraSweet. Also known as aspartame, it’s used in diet sodas and it’s the main ingredient in Equal. I’ve tried Equal in tea and found it to be less artificial tasting than Sweet-n-Low. I also experienced a very slight aftertaste.

Sucralose is a breakdown of table sugar and it’s commonly known as Splenda. It is promoted to be an excellent substitute for white sugar when baking, and it’s said to have no artificial taste or after taste. I’ve tried it in tea and did not experience any aftertaste.

You may not have heard of Stevioside (Steiva). It’s supposed to be over 200x sweeter than while table sugar and while it’s not approved as a sweetener by the FDA, folks into all natural foods support its use. It comes from the stevia plant of South America. It’s used a great deal in Japan and is approved by the government there. I’ve not tried it, but I’ve heard that it has a very bitter aftertaste.

Traditional white table sugar is considered natural, but many have reasons for not wanting to consume too much - or any of it. Brown sugar has a very different taste than white table sugar due to it containing a good deal of molassas. This actually makes brown sugar a source of iron and a table spoon of if has more iron than a cup of cooked spinach. It tastes fine in tea, but I had to use two packets to taste any sweetness at all. Very mild sweetness. No aftertaste.

There are many more sweeteners out there that I've not mentioned. This overview hopefully helps you can understand that if you do use a sweetener, choosing which to use is a lifestyle decision. Which ingredients will work or not work for you and your family? Enjoy doing your own research, and I'd like to know if you decide to make a switch and why.


One way to sweeten up your life is to get walking on a regular basis? Get walking!