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[uknortherner]

To me its got a fruity taste to it, but that opinion varies from person to person. Nobody knows whats in it as its been brewed in secret for 100 years and the ingredients list is very vague because of that.

Here's a link about it: http://www.irn-bru.co.uk/our-drinks.html - only two people know the recipie and what the 32 flavourings they use are.

And I'm drinking a glass as we speak

I find it odd that despite growing up on Irn Bru's hilarious TV adverts, and the fact that the stuff can be bought just about anywhere in the UK, I've never actually tried it.

[Zazazu]

But I never said it was lethal, just it was bad for you.  Thing is, I've reached the conclusion in 40-something...I mean 36 years that artificial foods are bad for me, in general.  Stevia has been told to me by many nutritionists to either lower blood sugar, or at least not raise it - its also more environmentally friendly and -tastes- better.

I don't think stevia tastes better, but to each their own. I always try to eat whole, unprocessed foods as much as possible. Frankly, sugar is poison to me because I'm hypoglycemic...it makes me pass out. Hypoglycemia is a precursor to Diabetes. If I eat anything that contains sugar or too many carbohydrates (which metabolize as sugar in the body) I'm setting up my system to crash and burn. Most of what I eat isn't sweet, artificially or naturally, so the scant amount of sweetener I ingest now I'm not too worried about.

I have found a better solution to this: keep eating sweets. Mainline them. Sure, you'll develop diabetes earlier and your toes will fall off, but you'll have more fun.

Seriously, though, I'm hypoglycemic, as are about half of my cousins. I used to have major issues with it back in high school. Sugars do not make me pass out. I try to control how many sweets that I have only because I would eat nothing but sweets if left to my own devices. I've found that hypoglycemia is easy to control as long as I'm careful to get plenty of protein (already a concern for my partial-vegetarianism) and deal with my stress. Stress causes my blood sugar to plummet. An egg in the morning and I'm energized and feeling balanced for the whole day.

I'm not familiar with Stevia. We have Splenda, which is coming into question. I hate it. It's absolutely disgusting and has an awful edge to it to me, while others say it tastes just like sugar. Now, I prefer Sweet & Low, but I do use sugar when baking and with coffee at home. It does not taste like sugar.

[neriana]

I hate every artificial sweetener too. They taste disgusting -- why on earth would I eat a cookie that tastes gross? If I want to eat something I don't like, it may as well be something that's good for me. When I want something sweet and tasty, I'll have sugar or honey, thanks.

[ChaosInAMinor]

I've taken to using honey instead of sugar on stuff where I only need a small quantity. I prefer the taste of honey.

[SnarkyShark]

For tea, I've moved from honey to agave nectar. I've found that just a little of the stuff goes a long, long way. Cost-wise, I'm actually spending less on it than I was on honey. Be warned though, it contains massive levels of fructose (you almost have to use it sparingly).

[SoggyFox]

Honey is supposed to be really good for you though, and like stevia, is a renewable resource.  Which is to say, no plants are destroyed in the process.  I don't know about Agave syrup though, but its good to hear about a little going a long way - I'd hate to think how sweet a pecan pie made with that would be if I substituted one for one.

[Bloody Vane]

I've taken to using honey instead of sugar on stuff where I only need a small quantity. I prefer the taste of honey.

Ugh! I hate honey! I wish I liked it, but then I know I am weird about sugar. For example, I hate frosting. Even when I was a kid, I would scrape all the frosting off my cake and just eat the cake.

[CJane]

Honey is supposed to be really good for you though, and like stevia, is a renewable resource.  Which is to say, no plants are destroyed in the process.  I don't know about Agave syrup though, but its good to hear about a little going a long way - I'd hate to think how sweet a pecan pie made with that would be if I substituted one for one.

I just hope someone figures out the reason for Colony Collapse Disorder with the honey bees.

Honey off the grocers shelves isn't as good for you as raw honey. I love this stuff. It's not heated to high temps like the honey in the grocery store, so it still maintains all of its good enzymes and antibiotic properties.

I never liked honey before I tried the raw honey. I can't get it all the time because I'll eat the whole damn jar and be in a sugar coma!

ETA: Okay, I evidently don't know how to hyperlink on this phorum...sorry.

ETA2: I phail, dusdeedawn for the WIN! Thanks, mate.

[dusdeedawn]

ETA: Okay, I evidently don't know how to hyperlink on this phorum...sorry.

I found this thing here to be fairly handy. 

[Paden]

Sadly, honey may not be so renewable a source if what they say about the honey bees dying out is true.

[SoggyFox]

I get my honey from a local apiary.  And that would be awful.  Is it because of the 'killer' bees?

[CJane]

I get my honey from a local apiary.  And that would be awful.  Is it because of the 'killer' bees?

That would be a good place to get honey as well. Is it raw? I'd love to find a local apiary...not any very close to me, unfortunately.

No, I don't think it's related to the killer bees. They aren't sure what might be causing it, but the bee population has been drastically reduced. Whole hives...vanishing.

[MinervaMac]

De-lurks

A while ago I heard that mobile phones may have a role in the declining numbers of honey bees, something to do with the radiation emitted by mobile phones interfering with the bees navigation system. 

[Alexia]

One could also assume that dramatic changes in the climate might have contributed to the decrease in numbers of honey bees. In my specific region, which was once famous for it's wild thyme honey, honey producers are practically destroyed. In the past you could get homegrown honey just about everywhere. These days, due to the decline in local production and big companies mustling in, you need to have connection to buy the really good stuff.
(Plus in an effort to stop a little tax-evation on homegrown-homesold products, the idiots who rule my country have gone on an advertising campain warning that home produced honey and oil can be dangerous. If only they had spent the ad money on something worth while, like a better health care system or a better education system. Rant over  )

[CJane]

Naw, it's not cell phones. I guess they've discovered that it's a sort of fungus.