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Stevia Frequently Asked
Questions
Answers:
Why isn't stevia more widely
used?
The widespread commercial use of stevia in America and Europe has
been blocked by two forces. First, the financial and thus political
strength of the sugar and artificial sweetener industries enable them to
successfully lobby against the classification of stevia as a
"sweetener". The FDA in the United States of America and Health Canada
both recognize stevia as a dietary supplement, but not a sweetener. What
does this mean? Stevia can be bought and consumed in its raw form, but
it cannot be added to a product and subsequently labeled as a sweetener.
The second force blocking the widespread use of stevia is the packaged
goods industry. Driven primarily by profit margins, the packaged goods
industry embraces the most cost effective method of sweetening its
products.
Is Stevia Safe?
Stevia has been used since
pre-Colombian times with no reports of ill side affects. Stevia has also
withstood years of research that has proven Stevia to be safe for human
and animal consumption.
- I have heard that stevia has side effects?
- Toxic? – No. Stevia has been used in Japan
since 1970 and there have been no reports of toxicity or other
side effects.
- Mutagenic? – No. The Japanese Food and
Drug Safety Center has found stevia not to be mutagenic. Only
one study has shown stevia to be potentially a mutagenic and
this study has been criticized for errors in procedure.
Scientist in Great Britain said that according to the study’s
formula, distilled water is mutagenic.
- A contraceptive? Two studies showed
stevia to have a contraceptive effect. The first study was done
in Uruguay over 30 years ago and since then no one has been able
to reproduce the results. The second study was done by a
graduate student in Rio de Janeiro and the results and methods
have been questionable. Multiple other studies have shown that
stevia has no contraceptive effect.
- Is Stevia Safe?
Absolutely. Stevia has been used around the world with NO
reports of stevia overdose or toxicity to humans in the past
forty years.
What are the
benefits of Using Stevia?
Studies have shown the following benefits from using Stevia in
one's diet. These benefits have not been approved or confirmed by the
FDA.
- Sugarless with no calories
- Will not effect blood sugar levels like sugar does.
- 100% Natural
- 250 to 300 times sweeter than sugar
- Heat stable to 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Non-fermentable
- Flavor enhancer
- Plaque retardant Anti-caries (prevents cavities)
- Recommended for diabetics
- Non-toxic Extensively tested in animals
and Extensively used by humans with no adverse effects.
Where
is Stevia Grown?
Originally stevia grew wild in the highland region of
Northern Paraguay and Southern Brazil. It was later cultivated for use
as a sweetener until the introduction of sugar cane by the Spanish and
Portuguese. Today Stevia is grown around the world from China, Japan and
other Asian countries to South America, Europe, India, the Ukraine and
even North America.
Does Stevia have the same qualities as sugar in cooking recipes?
No! The molecular structures of sucrose and Stevioside are
completely different. Sucrose (Sugar) when heated will caramelize making
such delights as cookies, fudge and ... caramel, a possibility. Stevia
will not. Some sweets, like caramel, is not possible, yet, but other
sweets like cookies and fudge are possible if you can figure out how.
Will Stevia break down at high temperatures like saccrines or aspartame?
No! The fact that stevia is heat stable is one of the real great
properties of Stevia. Stevioside is heat stable to about 200 degrees
Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit). So it can be used in almost any
recipe.
How come diet soft drinks are not sweetened with Stevia?
Pepsi, Cargill are starting to use stevia in Canada
(read more). The diet soft drink market is
HUGH, worth billions of dollars and the manufacturer of Nutrasweet is
not about to share that market. So the armies of lobbyist were called in
to make sure the FDA did not allow the use of Stevia as a food
ingredient thereby protecting their market. Nutrasweet has a patent on
aspartame and that patent guarantees big profits where Stevia is a
natural plant that can be grown by anyone and everyone.
Does
Stevia have any effect on hypoglycemia?
According to the report Effect of the Stevioside and of the
aqueous extract of Stevia Rebaudiana (BERT) Bertoni on the glycemia of
normal and diabetic rats By: Professor Carlos Eduardo Pinheiro,
Presented to the II Brazilian Convention on Stevia rebaudiana (Bert)
Bertoni - September 1982, they found that the use of Stevia did not
produce any significant glycemic effects in normal or diabetic rats. In
other words, stevia does not add sugar to the blood stream as sugar or
even fruit can do. This allows the body to regulate the blood's sugar
levels naturally. Of course if you drink tea with stevia with a twinkie,
all bets are off but if you are careful with your diet, stevia is a
wonderful way to satisfy your cravings for sweets without sugar.
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