Many people today have consumed the sweetener stevia, both knowingly and unknowingly, but what is stevia? Stevia is a plant derived sweetener that is gaining popularity in the US. Stevia is many times sweater than regular sugar, has a glycemic index of 0, with 0 calories, and for most people does not have any after taste. Stevia can be purchased as a liquid, powder (often used for cooking and baking), or in its raw form. Stevia products are sometimes highly purified steviol glycosides, which is extracted from the sweetest part of the plant. In Japan, stevia represents about 40% of the low calorie sweetener market. The use of stevia can be traced back centuries in some cultures.
Stevia is a herb in the Asteraceae family, sunflower family, which is grown in tropical climates such as Brazil and Paraguay. However, stevia can be grown in other places throughout North and South America, including parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. There are more than 100 different species of stevia but only one variety is known for its sweetness; Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni sometimes called candyleaf.
Despite being widely used throughout the world, stevia had a controversial history entering into the US food market. Some claim the sugar, and artificial sweetener, industry was pressuring the US government to ban stevia using research, or lack of research, as the reason. In 1991 stevia was banned in the US after early studies suggested the sweetener was correlated to cancer. Follow up studies, in 1995, refuted these initial studies and stevia was allowed to be imported and sold as a food supplement, but not as a sweetener. In 2008, the US government approved stevia to not only be a supplement, but as a food additive. Now stevia can be found in many processed foods such as yogurt, sports drinks, sodas, chewing gum, and candy. Stevia is also available in convenient packets for tea and coffee drinkers.
Some studies suggest stevia may: lower blood pressure, improve insulin resistance, possibly promote additional insulin production, and doesn’t promote tooth decay or cavities like other sweeteners.
Reported side effects have been: bloating, nausea, dizziness, muscle pain, numbness, allergic reaction, and medication interactions.
In summary, it is my opinion that stevia is a preferred added sweetener at this time. However I am curious to see how stevia plays out over the coming years as I am reminded of the old saying that “if it sounds to good to be true it probably is”. Be careful when purchasing stevia. Look for cleaner products that do not contain added chemicals, preservatives, or food coloring. Truth be told we should not be sweetening things unless we have to. Americans have a sugar addiction, which is expressing itself with our diabetes problem. Remember that stevia is sweeter than sugar, so a little bit goes a long way. Also with anything sweeter than sugar, consumption on a regular basis seems to lessen our taste for natures sweetness; like apples, pears, and other fruit.