Many people wonder about the difference between artificial and stevia-based sweeteners—and why they might choose one over another. Stevia-based sweeteners can be distinguished from artificial sweeteners because their sweetness derives from a plant. Many feel good about plant-based sweeteners because of the origin of their sweetness. Numerous global authorities have determined that there are no safety issues with the consumption of authorized artificial sweeteners that are used as intended with local regulations. The decision to use a stevia-based sweetener vs. an artificial sweetener really comes down to preference on taste and if you care about where the ingredients in the product are sourced.
Taste is inherently subjective—everyone’s taste palate is different. As a result, there is no objective measure—no proof—that can validate stevia-based sweeteners as better tasting than artificial sweeteners, or vice versa. We can, however, differentiate based on where ingredients in a particular sweetener come from. The origin of the sweetness in stevia-based sweeteners comes from a plant, while sweetness in artificial sweeteners does not.
The sweetness in stevia-based sweeteners comes from the very sweetest parts of the stevia plant. The sweetness is extracted from the leaves and then further purified to produce a stevia leaf extract that is 95% pure.
If you are interested in using products that have plant based origins, then a stevia-based sweetener may be for you. Otherwise, it really comes down to taste preference.