Truvia vs Stevia: What's the Difference?

Stevia is a natural sugar replacement made from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant. This plant is a low-growing bush that grows naturally and is cultivated in South America and Asia. 

Steviol glycosides, which largely consist of stevioside and rebaudioside, are the active chemical components of stevia. These chemical compounds have a sweet flavor that is up to 150 times sweeter than sugar. Additionally, they do not ferment and are stable across a wide range of temperatures.

• Stevia is the perfect ingredient for the creation of sugar-free or diet-friendly food products because stevioside does not cause an increase in blood sugar levels after consumption.
• Conditions such as tooth decay and gum disease are not brought on by stevia.
• Because stevia cannot be metabolized by the body, it is a nonnutritive sweetener that does not affect calorie content.
• Stevia has no glycemic index and does not cause blood sugar levels to increase. 
• Additionally, it is not metabolized by the human body through the use of insulin.

The FDA and European Food Safety Authority have both approved stevia.

A stevia-based sugar substitute is called Truvia. It is advertised as both a food ingredient and a trivia tabletop sweetener. The Coca-Cola Company and Cargill jointly created it.

Stevia, rebiana, erythritol, and natural tastes are chemically combined to create Truvia. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that is used as a bulking agent and is obtained from fruits such as melons, pears, grapes, mushrooms, and fermented foods (cheese, soy sauce, and wine).

This natural sweetener, which was released in 2008, is now the second most popular sugar substitute in the United States.

The same health advantages of stevia are thought to apply to Truvia.

The following categories can be used to group the differences between stevia and Truvia:

Chemical compounds

• Stevia is mostly composed of stevioside and rebaudioside. Stevia may contain additional minerals such as ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, protein, and zinc.
• Truvia is mostly composed of stevia. However, it contains the chemical erythritol. Because erythritol gives Truvia more volume and texture, this chemical is added to the stevia leaf extract to act as a bulking agent.

Production

• Stevia is made without the use of additional chemicals from the plant's extract. The chemical extraction procedure for stevia is quicker and less complex than that for Truvia.
• Truvia ingredients that are extracted and purified are used to make Truvia. Rebiana, also known as rebaudioside A, is a purified component of stevia leaf extract that is combined with erythritol to create Truvia.

Sweetness

• Stevia (liquid extract) is thought to be 15 to 30 times sweeter than table sugar. Stevia powder is considered 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar.
• Truvia can be much sweeter than stevia.

Use as a sweetener

• Stevia leaves have been used as sweet tea for many years, particularly in Latin America and Asia. Stevia is commercially used in the manufacturing of sugar-free beverages and delicious sweets.
• Truvia is mostly used as a tabletop sweetener and in sugar-free beverages.

Finally, Truvia and stevia are both promoted as natural alternatives to table sugar, which has a lot of calories. They are thought to be healthier alternatives than artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, neotame, and acesulfame potassium.

Several websites owned and authored by people with diabetes appear to favor stevia over Truvia despite the lack of much data on the subject. Stevia is the sweetener of choice for Diabetes Strong because they believe it won't cause blood sugar levels to increase.

Vitagene likewise claims "Stevia has been proven to lower blood sugar levels and has no glycemic effects. Additionally, it lowers insulin sensitivity." Both stevia and Truvia are nonnutritive sweeteners, and according to Everyday Health, nonnutritive sweeteners, in general, have little to no effect on blood sugar. However, similar comments and reviews from people with diabetes using Truvia are less common, which may imply that stevia is a somewhat better option.

If you have diabetes and are unsure, you could try both options to see if you prefer one over the other because the taste can differ significantly, and you can check to see if you have reactions before purchasing in large quantities.

You should choose the artificial sweetener that tastes closest to sugar if you're using it in baking or your coffee. The Daily Meal conducted an internal test and discovered that Truvia was the artificial sweetener that tasted the most like sugar. It should be noted, however, that plain stevia was not tested in this study.

Another article on the website Very Well Fit asked different dietitians if they preferred Truvia or stevia for their personal use. All four of the dietitians who were consulted stated that they preferred stevia over Truvia as a sugar substitute. According to studies, "Truvia is a little more processed and has additional components such as erythritol and natural sweeteners." They continued by saying that there aren't many differences between the two in terms of other aspects.

There is still little research on whether Truvia or plain stevia more closely resembles sugar, so completing a personal taste test before committing to replacing sugar with one of these sweeteners may be a good idea.

Truvia and stevia are both sweeteners.

Truvia is composed of stevia and erythritol, whereas stevia is composed of stevia leaf extracts and stevioside.

Truvia does not affect blood glucose or blood pressure although stevia is believed to have side effects.

Truvia is sweet, but stevia is flavorful of licorice in addition to sweetness.