Zevia: Aspartame Free Soda
… I think I am killing myself.
I drink and eat aspartame like it’s water. My sweet tooth just can’t get enough of this stuff and sugar has never cut it for me.
Aspartame is defined as “an artificial sweetener made from aspartic acid; used as a calorie-free sweetener.” In 1976 FDA approved aspartame in the use of foods, and later discovered that the researcher who submitted the work, “had cut out tumors in animals that had been fed aspartame and neglected to report all of them or check for cancer. Also, animals that were “reported as dead, were later reported alive again” In fact, I have discovered that people can get aspartame toxicity from this deadly chemical… not just from several cans of diet coke. Reports have shown that people have gotten aspartame toxicity through one single piece of sugar-free gum.
Symptoms include:
Eyes
- Blindness in one or both eyes decreases vision and other eye problems such as blurred vision, bright flashes, squiggly lines, tunnel vision, decreased night vision, pain in one or both eyes, decreased tears, trouble with contact lenses, and bulging eyes.
Ears
- Tinnitus: ringing or buzzing in ears, severe intolerance to noice, marked hearing impairment.
Neurological
- Epileptic seizures, headaches, migraines, dizziness, unsteadiness, confusion, memory loss, severe drowsiness, sleepiness paresthesia, numbness in limbs, severe slurring of speech, hyperactivity and restless leg syndrome, and severe tremors.
Psychological/Psychiatric
- Severe depression, irritability, aggression, anxiety, personality changes, chest palpitations, tachycardia, shortness of breath, high blood pressure.
Gastrointestinal
- Nausea, diarrhea, sometimes with blood in stools, abdominal pain
Endocrine and Metabolic
- Loss of control of diabetes, mentrual changes, marked thinning or loss of hair, marked weight loss, gradual weight gain, aggravated low blood sugar, severe PMS.
Ok, so now that I have scared you into never picking up a diet coke for the rest of your life, I am pleased to present to you stevia! Stevia is a natural sweetener found in a herbal plant in South America.
Having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, this sweetener is sure to meet your sweet tooth. Careful though, no one warned me about this and I poured in the same amount as that of Splenda. One small pinch of this stuff and you are good to go.
Now for you Diet Coke addicts like me, Zevia is a new calorie free coke made from stevia… Hints the name!
ZEVIA is all-natural, has zero calories, zero net carbs, zero fat, and little or no sodium. Flavors range from Zevia natura coke, Zevia ginger ale, Zevia root beer, Zevia natural twist, Zevia orange, and Zevia black cherry. I have had the pleasure of trying all of these flavors and I must say that I enjoyed all of them, but my favorite is black cherry and orange.
But don’t take my word for it… check out some of these stores to try a few out: Whole Foods Market, Henry’s, Albertsons, or Vitamin City. Check out HERE for a local store near you.
Question
Have you ever tried Stevia? What did you think about it?
What Zevia flavor would you like to try?
Tags: Artificial Sweeteners, Aspartame, Aspartame Side Effects, Diet Coke, Natural Sweetener, Soda, Stevia, Stevia Sweetener, Sugar, Sweetener, Zevia, Zevia Flavors, Zevia Soda, Zevia store locations
September 21st, 2009 at 4:23 am
I recently gave up my Diet Dr. Pepper because of all the chemicals. I found what I’m really after is the carbonation, so I switched to sparkling water. So far, it does the trick!
September 21st, 2009 at 5:07 am
I just got a huge box of Zevia in the mail from another blogger. At first I was skeptical, but I’ve been drinking one everyday! I love them. The Root beer and Twist are my favorites so far. I have many more to try!
September 21st, 2009 at 6:52 am
I am so hesitant, I generally don’t like anything artificially sweetened but I think I might try one.
September 21st, 2009 at 7:40 am
I drink WAY to much Crystal Light
September 21st, 2009 at 9:54 am
I’ve tried Stevia…I thought it was pretty good. It was very sweet so a little goes a long way. For me, the only downside was a slight bitter aftertaste. Being all-natural is such a plus though. I will definitely look for Zevia!
September 21st, 2009 at 10:04 am
I’ve been so overwhelmed by this whole sugar vs artificial sweetener thing. I have tried everything but finally settled on using sugar in the raw. I’ve never tried that soda though…. I’ll have to check it out. Do you suggest a certain flavor??
-A
September 21st, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Thanks for visiting my blog! The zevia sounds great, I have been trying to cut back on DC because of the caffeine, but this is an even better reason. Scary!
September 21st, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I used Stevia at least a year ago & it wreaked havoc with my stomach. I could not tolerate it.. bloated me like crazy so I went back to Splenda. I also read an article with conflicting results although it writes a good & bad side to it. Here it is from my blog post if you want to check it out:
http://truth2beingfit.com/2009/04/24/veggie-popsicles–other-interesting-stuff.aspx This is the Stevia one.
and
http://truth2beingfit.com/2009/04/28/more-info-on-sugar-substitutes–other-health-info-too.aspx This covers some other alternatives.
September 21st, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Zevia is a miracle! xo
September 21st, 2009 at 2:30 pm
I’ve tried Stevia. It definitely needs to be used sparingly! I don’t drink diet drinks often. Maybe twice a year! It was one thing I really made a conscious decision to get rid of.
September 21st, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Oh my, those are some SCARY side effects!! I’ve tried Stevia – I’ve purchased Truvia packets for things like coffee, and have also tried stevia in its liquid form. I like it, but there is a slightly bitter aftertaste that I’m not a huge fan of. I think it would be a great alternative to the artificial sweeteners for you, for sure!
September 21st, 2009 at 3:31 pm
ahhhhhhhh! You def have scared me! I have tried Stevia…its OK- sort of a strange flavor. I think I’d prefer to just stick with just a bit of regular sugar in the raw…
September 21st, 2009 at 9:18 pm
I have tried the Cola Zevia, and it really didnt do it for me, especially for how much they cost.
I have tried Stevia before, and it’s just meh. I really dont have too much of a sweet tooth, but I am a straight up, hardcore, Diet Soda addict. It’s horrible. Even these shocking facts (some of which I have seen before) dont scare me enough to quit.
I need help.
September 21st, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Oh, no. I love Crystal Light mixes. I gave up diet sodas a while back and use a lot of Splenda. Is Splenda bad, too? I put it in my coffee.
I bought some Stevia drops a couple of years ago. I didn’t like how it tasted in my coffee at all. It had some vanilla in it, too, I think. Maybe that’s what made it taste awful?
I would like to try Zevia Twist or Ginger Ale. I’ll be looking for it now at the store. Thanks for telling us about it.
September 22nd, 2009 at 4:15 am
I bought some Stevia in the Raw a few weeks ago at the grocery store, to replace my Splenda packets, and I really like it. Not only is it so much cheaper than Splenda, it tastes just as sweet.
September 22nd, 2009 at 11:59 am
scary…. i’ve never tried stevia… I have a diet coke a day and love Crystal Light. Boo.
September 22nd, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Stevia bloated my stomach big time. I wanted to use something more natural but this was not to be. I also have read conflicting info on Stevia so might want to do some research too before using & also if you have tummy probs in general, take it easy on stevia at first to see if you react to it.
September 22nd, 2009 at 5:32 pm
I am an aspartame addict. Sad but true! It hasn’t killed me yet, and there is worse things out there–like Big Macs!! I have seen Zevia but it’s a tad bit expensive for me, when I’d just as soon drink diet sodas.
September 22nd, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Oh yeah, I definitely had a diet coke today . . . I used to drink them a lot more, but now I only have one maybe once a month.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:29 am
Does this Zevia have any calories? I am assuming not because it seems marketed as a diet drink. I am looking foward to checking out Whole foods (or one of those types of stores) to trying it at least once.
September 25th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Zevia, first time that I heard of this product…should give a try
September 29th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
I’m not a big fan of this zevia thing, I’m a bit wary of it, but I agree that it looks as though it’s better than aspartame!
October 3rd, 2009 at 11:27 am
hmmm… zicia, sound interesting… and your right, after reading that you couldn’t pay me to drink me to drink another diet coke. (ok maybe you could but come on, people paying you to drink diet coke? to good to be true!)
-kaunis.wordpress.com
October 5th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
those sound super yummy. I’m thinking, I’d like to try the cola, black cherry and ginger ale flavor. Couldn’t pick just one.
October 11th, 2009 at 5:14 am
I finally got the chance to try Zevia yesterday — the ginger ale. I thought it was wonderful! I am with you on decreasing aspartame…I actually quit drinking all diet beverages for several months, but it’s tough! Even when you love water!
Of the stevia products, I enjoy most the Truvia. I love the granular shape and feel it has. Just my opinion, though!
Great post!
December 14th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
You know, I bought one of these cans but never tried it cause I was wondering WTF… Erythritol is! And oh lookie lookie, it’s a sugar alcohol that will probably give me intestinal problems like aspartame… OH BUT WHO AM I KIDDING – I chew sugar free gum like it’s my JOB so just like you I am “killing myself”… ha ha! I really need to pop open the can I bought PRONTO though – cause it’s so much healthier than other crap out there (not that I drink soda to begin with though!)
January 24th, 2010 at 10:54 am
I used to drink diet sodas, ate snacks with artificial sweeteners … until my Dr. yelled at me & told me I was probably causing most (if not all) of my health issues. I’ve suffered from a lot of the side effects you mention in this blog post. The toxicity may look bad in ink but it’s MUCH worse in real life. I hope this post changed a LOT of lives!!!
I just stumbled on to your blog & am hooked. I look forward to reading more!