Probably not that great for us humans, either, then.  Thanks for the warning. I’ve been using a xylitol toothpaste and xylitol gum.

Yes, due to differing metabolism, some substances safe for humans should not be consumed by pets (like chocolate). Xylitol has some health benefits such as discouraging tooth decay, which is why you find it in some gums and toothpastes (much better options than saccharin or other artificial sweeteners so commonly used). In excess xylitol can cause digestive discomfort, but occasional use is okay for most people. The preferred sweeteners for brain and body health are stevia and erithrytol, but again, in moderation.

I just joined Brain Fit Life and I was looking for any posting about Stevia to ask questions. This seemed to be the right forum because you mentioned that Stevia and Erithrytol are good in moderation.
I also believed this and I have a wide range of different Stevia sweeteners at home to help my husband and I with our new clean diet.
Then I bought the book “The Obesity Code” by Jason Fung MD because I read a review that suggested the book was good to understand why people get obese despite all dieting. I really got puzzled when the writer explains why ALL non-nutritional sweeteners (including Stevia) are bad for our health/weight management because they play a big role in insulin resistance (as much as sucrose does).
The fact that it does not raise blood sugar (which is great for diabetes prevention) does not mean it promotes weight loss (or at least no weight gain!). Also, it seems that Stevia “confuses” the adrenal glands which as soon as “sweet” enters our mouth or GIT, the glands prepare the body to deal with the promised glucose but receives none.
This is my interpretation of what I read and I wonder if my next move is to throw all the Stevia in the garbage, as I did with chips, cookies, jams, etc.
What are your thoughts about this? 
Thank you.

Lots of information out there to confuse things, so thanks for your comment and question. Stevia is a plant, and in it’s “pure” form (liquid, or just the leaves straight from the plant), not stevia combined with dextrose (as in the powdered form), has not been shown in research to have any negative effects on insulin or weight. However, everything can be misused or overused, causing problems for many reasons.

Certainly in our recommendation, we are encouraging use of pure stevia as an alternative to sugar to be used sparingly, not regularly. If you overdo it, there is a risk of adverse effects both because of the reliant on the taste of sweet as the only pleasurable taste, and because eating too much of anything means you are not getting enough of a balance in your diet. Additionally, different bodies react differently to foods, so if you find that any sweetened food, even in moderation, creates sugar cravings, then you might avoid them altogether. There are many elements to cravings, both physical and emotional, so a wider scope of inquiry for your self may be necessary, despite what any book says. Hope that helps! -Coach Zoe