Nancy Dell: Artificial sweeteners and probiotics

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) -  

1. I like to bake but I want to reduce the sugar.  What is the best way for me to do that without artificial sweeteners? 

Kathy, Internet.

You can try reducing the sugar in the recipe by just one quarter but you may have better results using a new product with a mixture of sugar and stevia.  Stevia is a leaf of a plant so it is not an artificial sweetener. It is 300 times sweeter than sugar so you need very little to get a sweet taste and as a result you get almost no calories from it.  One popular brand name of stevia is Truvia. 

There is a new product called Truvia Baking Blend.  It has 75 percent fewer calories than sugar. To use this you replace the sugar in your recipe with half the amount of Truvia Baking Blend. So if your recipe calls for a cup of sugar, use just a half cup of the baking blend.  It bakes and browns like sugar but it is best in recipes that have a cake-like texture like cakes, quick breads, and muffins.

It won't make a real chewy brownie or cookie.  If you do use it for cookies, you will want to flatten the cookie with a spatula since it won't spread and flatten on its own.  I suggest you try it first with recipes they have developed which you can find on their web site.

2. I want to avoid getting a cold this holiday season.  Do probiotics help? 

Jason, Internet.

On average, adults get 3 colds a year and the holiday season does expose us to many germs. Probiotics in the form of a supplement or a food like yogurt, kefir and buttermilk can help. Researchers in England looked at 10 studies on colds and probiotics.

They found that probiotics that include lactobacillus can reduce the risk of respiratory infections and gastrointestinal infections. In fact people taking probiotics were 42 percent less likely to get a cold compared to those taking a placebo.