I was looking at an ad today for a raw protein bar (I'm not a big fan of gimmick foods, but sometimes based on my schedule and appetite, they can be convenient and a change of pace) when I noticed they were marketing: "No wheat! No soy! No stevia!" Now I've been aware of the wheat belly diet (see here for WebMD's review); I modestly use whole wheat products like sandwich thins and tortillas, stemming from my low-carb period of 2003-4--there are often in the range of 4-15 net carbs a serving (after netting out fiber grams). As someone with underactive thyroid issues, I normally try to stay away from soy. But stevia?
In short, there are no panaceas when it comes to weight loss. It does seem, at least in the short term, stevia does not have the dysfunctional metabolic effects sometimes seen with artificial sweeteners:
A 2004 study in rats found low-calorie sweeteners led the animals to overeat, possibly because of a mismatch between the perceived sweetness and the expected calories from sugar, according to the paper in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders. The author of that study later argued that people who use artificial sweeteners may suffer health problems associated with excess sugar, including metabolic syndrome, which can be a precursor to diabetes.The same effect does not occur with stevia:
"A number of studies suggest people who regularly consume ASB [artificially sweetened beverages] are at increased riskcompared with those that do not consume ASB," Dr. Susan E. Swithers said in a 2013 opinion letter in the journal Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism.
A 2010 study in the journal Appetite tested several artificial sweeteners against sugar and each other in 19 lean people and 12 obese people.The study found people did not overeat after consuming a meal made with stevia instead of sugar. Their blood sugar was lower after a meal made with stevia than after eating a meal with sugar, and eating food with stevia resulted in lower insulin levels than eating either sucrose and aspartame.I know I've mentioned this incident in my political blog and probably also in this blog that I was active in a Yahoo low carb group forum about a dozen years back. I was dealing with Atkins fundamentalists with a wolf pack mentality on anyone deviating from orthodoxy. I was more liberal in terms of dietary restrictions (in particular case, this one woman who complained that she wasn't losing weight and posted her menu (I think which came from a nutritionist). Almost immediately the fundamentalists fixated on the corn kernels in her mixed veggies; I rolled my eyes and said, "Give me a break." I asked the woman, "What exercises are you doing?" The woman responded, "What exercise? I'm wheelchair-bound..." Others then joined in the discussion with suggestions.) The forum, which generally consisted of otherwise healthy people with weight issues,was a sinkhole of time. Near the end of my tenure, I got blasted by some mother, whose child is epileptic and found that a low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet had worked wonders for her child, irrationally accusing me of attempting to dispense medical advice without a license. The Atkins fundamentalists gave the mother high-fives for putting me into my place.
So let me say for the record that while I do have applied research skills, I haven't done original research in the nutrition or related disciplines; I do know how to evaluate experimental design, measure validity, statistical power, and limitations on inferences from results. I haven't been trained in the health/medical sector and realize that people with serious physical conditions--e.g., organ disease, diabetes, disabilities, etc.--may have nuanced dietary restrictions. Not to mention there are something like 4B prescriptions written a year and it's very possible that dietary changes could offset or confound one's condition or medicines.
Let me give a couple of examples from stevia. There has been a limited number of studies which suggest that stevia may have moderating effects on hypertension and diabetes; some forms of stevia have been traditionally used for contraceptive purposes. So obviously if you are taking related medicines (e.g., hypertension) or fertility treatments, you need to check with your physician, e.g., to ensure any stevia use doesn't exacerbate dosage issues and result in dangerous low blood pressure or other issues.
The interested reader may want to read this response to various Internet fearmongers on the safety of stevia. NOTE: I have purchased several kilograms of stevia powder over the past 5 years, almost all of which has been used to sweeten beverages, principally iced tea.
Finally: The October Staircase Whoosh
My earlier posts this month voiced frustration I seemed to be zigzagging the same 6-pound range for weeks when I finally broke through over the past few days, dropping 5 lbs. below my range floor to a new diet low yesterday. I did have a couple of readings below my official recorded weight (my current digital scale readings tend to vary; I require a confirmatory weight reading), suggesting up to 3 more lbs. possible in this whoosh--only to weigh in this morning 4 lbs. higher. Sigh. I know my diet was rigorous yesterday; this is likely what I've termed in the past as a dead cat bounce. It wouldn't surprise me if I quickly lose 3 of those back by Friday; who knows? Maybe this bounce ends up lower on the staircase. All things considered, a 5-lb. drop over a month is a respectable 1-1.5 lb/week pace. I seemed to drop twice as much 12 years back, but my exercise regimen was more rigorous back then.
