Not all stevia sweeteners are created equal—some taste identical to regular sugar, while others leave a bitter aftertaste. The good news is that there are ways to determine which brands offer the best–tasting organic stevia.
As promised, here’s an in-depth guide to selecting the best sweetener brand on the market. We made sure to include all the essential information about this natural sugar alternative in the following sections and about who can benefit from it.
We understand that the range of stevia brands is gigantic, and it is difficult to find a suitable product. Luckily, we performed a thorough analysis to hunt down the best brands and help you get the most bang for your buck.
With the help of this guide, you’ll find out what features and qualities of these products a comprehensive stevia brands comparison has to take into account.
Stevia Sweetener Ingredients
One major misconception is that every part of the stevia plant is used when making a sugar substitute. In reality, steviol glycosides, purified compounds extracted from the plant’s leaves, are the main ingredient in most stevia products on the market.
This natural sugar substitute is around 100–300 times sweeter than regular white sugar, but without the unnecessary calories, artificial ingredients, and carbohydrates.
Some stevia brands may include other ingredients such as flavoring agents (for instance, vanilla extract). Our reviews have included both neutral and flavored options for our readers who want to switch it up.
Another common ingredient that many stevia-based sweeteners contain is erythritol, a sugar substitute that is believed to hide stevia’s bitter taste. Although erythritol is not a “bad” ingredient, we decided to only include a couple of stevia products that contain it because it’s only partially digested by the body, which is why some people try to avoid it.
Stevia Sweetener Types
We get asked one common question: Which form of stevia is the best? Let us answer this for you.
There are three main types of stevia sweeteners—powders, liquids, and whole plant leaves.
- Stevia in powder form is the most popular because it resembles table sugar the most. Although powdered stevia is the most processed form of the sweetener, it is simple to use. Also, it has the closest texture and sweetness to regular white sugar.
- Stevia in liquid form is a favorite among people who like to sweeten up beverages like tea or coffee without adding calories. Best organic liquid stevia products are not only easy to use and incorporate in drinks, but they also typically come in a wide array of fun flavors: tropical, chocolate, vanilla, caramel, etc.
- The stevia plant’s whole leaves are the most natural form of the three. Users can grind the leaves up to create a powder and add it to smoothies, coffee, or anything else. The downside of whole leaves is that they take time to prepare and are not travel-friendly.
Ultimately, the question of what’s the best form of stevia comes down to your preferences. Do you have extra time to prepare stevia? If so, go for whole plant leaves. If you value convenience, you are better off with stevia in powder or liquid form.
Who Can Benefit from Stevia?
It’s no secret that stevia is one of the healthiest sugar alternatives you can find. But, who is stevia for?
You can benefit from the products made by the best stevia brands if you have one of the following health conditions:
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Cancer (potentially beneficial due to antioxidant content)
- Poor oral health (including gingivitis and cavities)
- Poor skin health (including dermatitis and eczema)
- Osteoporosis
Also, stevia products have other possible benefits, including being:
- Diuretic
- Anti-diarrheal
- Anti-hyperglycemic
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antihypertensive
How to Choose the Best Stevia Brand for You?
Here are the main factors to think about when choosing the right brand of stevia for you and your loved ones.
Ingredients
Naturally, we recommend choosing the best stevia brand that features stevia as the main ingredient. Remember that nowadays, the market is full of stevia sweeteners containing artificial ingredients or added natural flavoring agents.
The wisest choice is to go for pure products and stay away from sugar substitutes that claim to be “stevia sweeteners” but only contain a small percentage of the extract.
Special Dietary Needs and Preferences
Another thing to consider is whether the stevia sweetener is suitable for your specific lifestyle and dietary requirements. For instance, our vegan or vegetarian readers should pay close attention to the product label—the same goes for our readers with gluten or other food intolerances.
To make life easier, we have included this necessary information in our detailed stevia reviews.
Overall Quality
Stevia sweeteners are not required to be FDA-approved since they are believed to be safe for human consumption. For this reason, it is critical that a stevia sweetener follows Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and is third-party lab-tested for purity and safety.
Another thing to consider when looking for the best brand of stevia is whether the product is manufactured in an FDA-approved and regulated facility. Remember, the market’s best products are compliant with these rigid standards.
Price
The final cost is one of the most important criteria when making a purchase. Hence, you should always carry out a detailed search to find a suitable stevia supplement with the best quality-to-price ratio.
Our stevia reviews include details about the prices, ongoing deals/discounts, and any other additional costs you may come across, such as shipping fees.