Stevia Supplement and benefit of Stevia sweetener products by Ray Sahelian, M.D. The Stevia Cookbook contains many sugar free stevia recipes

Benefits of Stevia - What if there were a natural sweetener that:

Brief History and safety of stevia
Stevia rebaudiana has been used as a sweetening ingredient in foods and drinks by South American natives for many centuries, and there is no report of any plant toxicity to the consumers. Stevia has been added to a number of food products in Japan since the mid 1970s. No indications of any significant side effects have yet been reported after more than 20 years of use. Similarly, no reports of any adverse reactions to stevia have been reported in the United States. Donna (co-author of The Stevia Cookbook) and her family have been using stevia since 1990 without any health problems. I have used stevia daily in my morning tea, and to sweeten cocoa powder, since 1997 without any health problems. There are no indications at this point from any source that stevia has shown toxicity in humans.

 

Stevia Clear Liquid Extract 2 ounce bottle
Stevia extract pure liquid
Dietary Supplement

NuNaturals uses a stevia extract which has been laboratory tested and certified to contain a minimum 90% of the steviosides, the active ingredient of Stevia while retaining the other beneficial components. Because of this, you can be assured that you are indeed buying a true stevia extract and that it will be consistent in quality. This is a highly concentrated stevia extract and should not be confused with less potent tinctures or extracts.

Stevia Clear Liquid Supplement Facts
Amount Per Milliliter
Stevia extract 140 mg
     Stevia rebaudiana (20:1)

Click here to buy Stevia Clear Liquid or for more information. You will also find stevia powder, stevia packets, stevia chewing gum, stevia lime flavored drink packets, and other stevia products. Plus: sign up to a Free supplement science newsletter
Sign up to a FREE Supplement Research Update newsletter. Twice a month you will receive an email with a review of several studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics, including sugar free stevia recipes and new stevia scientific studies, and their practical interpretation by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

 

Stevia is a natural sweetener with the following benefit:
Stevia is 300 times sweeter than regular sugar, with minimal aftertaste. Stevia extract has no calories. Stevia extract is suitable for diabetics and those with high blood pressure. Children can use stevia without health concerns. Stevia does not cause tooth cavities. Stevia is heat stable and thus could be used for cooking and baking. Stevia extract is a great alternative to synthetic sweeteners. Can be easily blended with other sweeteners, such as honey. Stevia is already widely and safely consumed in many countries around the world for decades.

   This remarkable, no-calorie sweetener called stevia is, unfortunately, not a household name. It should be. I believe that eventually stevia will be one of the most popular and widely used no-calorie sweeteners in the world. With the availability of stevia extract there seems to be little reason to use artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin.


Stevia Leaf Liquid Concentrate
2 fl oz (59.14 ml)
Planetary Formulas

Stevia Liquid Concentrate is made from the WHOLE stevia leaves, and is concentrated in a base of purified water. This stevia liquid is dark colored and contains all the nutrients within the stevia leaf. This stevia liquid is not as sweet as the clear liquid stevia extract and may have a slight bitter aftertaste.

Stevia Whole Leaf Supplement Facts
Serving Size:  5 drops (Approx. 0.14 ml)
Servings Per Container:  422
Stevia Leaf Liquid Concentrate -  0.14ml


See Stevia above in blue

Stevia Powder
Planetary Formulas

Stevia Powder Supplement Facts
Serving size: 1/8 teaspoon (316 mg)
Servings per Container: 313
 
Amount Per Serving:
Stevia Leaf - 316 mg*

Suggested Use: 1/8 teaspoon or as desired in cooking or baking.
Stevia powder: see below for stevia packets

Click on the Stevia clear liquid link above in blue


Stevia Extract, 100 packets
Stevita, Simply Stevia

Stevia extract Supplement Facts:
Serving Size 1 Packet - Stevia extract 96 percent steviosides.
Servings Per Container:100


Suggested Use: 1 stevia extract packet with tea, coffee, beverage or as desired in cooking or baking.
 

The Stevita Simply Stevia packets are smaller than regular packets for sugar or artificial sweeteners. You can take them along on trips or while at a restaurant to use instead in your tea or coffee.

Click Stevia extract a few paragraphs above in blue


The Stevia Cookbook


The Stevia Cookbook by Ray Sahelian, M.D. (bio) and Donna Gates explains the history of stevia, dealings with the FDA, safety of stevia extract, use by children, diabetics, for weight loss, and includes numerous recipes. The Stevia Cookbook has had positive reviews in a number of magazines, including Foreword, Booklist, and Library Journal. "The authors bring a wealth of credentials to this well-prepared compendium.... The Stevia Cookook offers sweet and healthy alternatives," says Foreword. "Recipes are easy to follow," adds Booklist. "The Stevia Cookbook contains all you need to know about the safety of various sweeteners and the political and economic controversy surrounding stevia. Best of all is the authors' knowledgeable writing, sweetened with hefty dose of humor," says Taste For Life.
 

Table of Contents of The Stevia Cookbook with sugar free stevia recipes
Part I, History of Stevia and Reseach

1. Donna's Story -- Dealings with the FDA
    The Envelope with the White Powder
    The No-Calorie Miracle
    FDA Ruling Sours Sweet Stevia Story
    Sweet Revenge--The Dietary Supplement Law of 1994
    Stevia Citizenship Reinstated: Will Sugar Industry Now Hobble on Cane?

2. The Super Sweetener
    Characteristics of Stevia and stevia extract
    God's Gift to the Guarani
    Cultivation and Growing Pains
    The Sweet Stevia Rediscovery
    Sayonara Saccharin
    Stevia Goes Global
    Sweetening the Palm?
    Pass Me That Legal White Powder
    Déjà vu in 1998—the FDA and Fahrenheit 451?

3. How Safe Are Sweeteners?
    Artificial Sweeteners
    Saccharin
    Aspartame
    Acesulfame K
    Neotame
    Stevia Safety
    Our Daily Stevia Dose
    Animal Studies
    Latest Safety Studies with stevia and stevia extract
 
4. The Many Faces of Stevia
    Fresh Stevia Leaves
    Dried Stevia Leaves
    Green Stevia Powder
    White Stevia Extract
    Stevia Liquid Concentrates

5. Staying Healthy the Stevia Way
    Stevia and Diabetes
    Stevia and Weight Loss
    Stevia and Tooth Decay
    Stevia and High Blood Pressure--stevia helps lower blood pressure
    Stevia and Pregnancy
   
6. Cooking with Stevia and stevia extract - stevia recipes
    Advantages
    Stevia is Not Perfect
    Practical Tips and Suggestions
    Baking with Stevia extract
    Stevia Conversion Rate
    Time to Get Started

Part II Stevia Recipes
7. Stevia Sunrise Breakfasts recipe
8. Stevia Salads and Dressings recipe
9. Satisfying Stevia Entrees and Side Dishes
10. Sauces, Frostings, and Other Toppings
11. Heavenly Cakes and Pies stevia recipe
12. Homestyle Cookies, Candy, and Ice Cream with stevia recipe
13. Luscious Custards, Puddings, and Fruit Treats stevia recipe - sensational stevia dessert
14. Sweet Stevia Drinks Are Made of These

 

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Excerpt from the book The Stevia Cookbook by Ray Sahelian, M.D. and Donna Gates

 

FIVE DROPS IN A GLASS OF WATER

 "What would you like to drink?" asked the waiter. I flipped the menu to examine the choices listed on the back. The options were herbal teas, vegetable juices, and fruit juices. I was about to open my mouth and ask what kind of herbal tea they had when I was interrupted.

 

"Bring him a glass of water with lemon on the side," said Donna, who was sitting across from me.

I was a little taken back by her assertiveness. We happened to be at a natural food restaurant, called Inaka, located in Los Angeles. I had been introduced to Donna through a friend, who has known her for many years. This was my very first time meeting her. Donna is a nutritionist who normally lives in Atlanta, Georgia, but was in Los Angeles to visit her daughter.

 

"I want you to try a natural sweetener called stevia," added Donna.

I had heard about stevia (pronounced with a long "e," steeevia) a year earlier. It was touted as a natural alternative to the synthetic sweeteners currently marketed, and also as an alternative to table sugar. I hadn't paid much attention to these claims because I couldn't imagine a natural sweetener to be as powerful as a synthetic one like saccharin. At most, it perhaps had similar sweetening potential as did honey, but I couldn't imagine it being more potent.

The waiter brought the glass of water and placed it on the table. Next to it he put a small plate with two pieces of cut lemon.

 

"Now squeeze the lemon in the water," advised Donna.

I followed her instructions and squeezed the lemon, first making sure I removed the seeds with a fork.

"Now add five drops of this stevia liquid extract," she added, as she handed me a small bottle the size of an eye dropper bottle you would wet your eyes with.

 

Before I added the drops, I took a sip from the glass. It now definitely had a lemon flavor. I added five drops and saw them make their way to the bottom of the glass, partially dissolving along the way. I took a sip.

 

"How is it?" asked Donna.

"I was expecting it to be sweeter," I replied. Frankly, I was disappointed. Just as I expected, it couldn't be that sweet. Being familiar with the synthetic sweeteners, I knew a natural substance couldn't compete. The claims about Stevia were obviously hyped.

"Did you stir it?"

 

I hadn't. I took the glass and swirled the water around a few times. Now it appeared that the Stevia had migrated to all parts of the glass. I took another sip.      

 

"Wow! I can't believe it. It tastes as sweet as if I had put a couple of teaspoons of sugar in the glass," I said excited. "This may just be my imagination, Donna, but the lemon flavor seems more enhanced."

"It does bring out some flavors," she informed.

"Where do you buy this stuff?"

"It's available in most health food stores. With time I think it will become available in many other retail stores. I carry a small bottle of it with me when I go to restaurants."

"Does it have many calories?"

"Minimal or none. In my opinion, Stevia is the ideal no-calorie sweetener. It's too bad much of the American public doesn't know about it. It originated from South America and they've been using it in Japan in soy products, soft drinks, and other foods since the 1970s."

"Why isn't it more broadly available in the States?'

"The FDA banned the import of stevia products to the United States in 1991."

"Why, is there something wrong with stevia?"

"I think it's very safe."

"How is it that it's available now?"

"They allowed it to come back on the market in 1995."

"It doesn't make sense."

"I've read the studies on stevia, and tests have shown this herb to be very safe. The Japanese have been using it for 20 years. Currently the FDA allows it to be sold as a dietary supplement but doesn't allow anyone selling the product to make the claim that stevia is a sweetener."

"It's allowed as a dietary supplement, but not as a sweetener?"

"That's right."

"I don't get it... But, anyway, have you personally used stevia for a long time?

"For many years now. I love it, so does my family. Over the years we've created many delicious recipes with Stevia."

 

            By now I had finished my glass and asked for a refill. The second piece of lemon was squeezed into the glass and this time I added four drops. It was still sweet, and delicious. As good as sugared lemonade. The second glass was soon gone and the waiter filled it again and brought another dish of cut lemon pieces. This time I added three drops and it still was adequate. I don't remember how many glasses of stevia-sweetened lemon water I drank that evening.

            Towards the end of a very enjoyable dinner with great conversation, I became more and more convinced that there was something special about stevia. I wanted to find out everything I could about this natural sweetener. I got very motivated to do a thorough evaluation of the scientific studies published on it and determine how it worked, what was in it, and what influence it had on the body. I also wanted to find out more about the FDA's concerns or motivation in banning the import of stevia in 1991. And the most important question had to be determined: Was stevia safe for long-term human consumption?

            I took my last sip from the glass.

 

"I can't believe a natural sweetener that works so well is so little known, and used, in this country. Sooner or later, Stevia is going to be big news," I pondered aloud.

"I agree with you," replied Donna. "Eventually everyone will know about it."

"There's a possibility that this could replace artificial sweeteners, or, at least, be extremely widely used. After all, almost everybody daily adds either artificial sweeteners to their drinks, ingests them in certain liquids and foods, or consumes refined sugars."

"I agree with you."

"The makers of artificial sweeteners are not going to like the fact that stevia can be used as an alternative to their patented products." I remarked.

"They could soon be shedding some sweet tears."

There was a pause for a few seconds. My mind was on overdrive--racing with several ideas.

 

"And diabetics could take advantage of it," I proposed.

"That's right."

"Perhaps even children could use it instead of those high-calorie sugared drinks, or instead of the possibly harmful synthetic sweeteners."

"Most likely."

"What about people who want to lose weight but currently use regular table sugar, or don't like the taste of artificial sweeteners, or are concerned about some of the potential risks with their use. Could they substitute stevia?"

"Why not?"

"Does it cause tooth cavities?"

"At least one study has shown it not to. Stevia could be used in candy, chewing gum, mouthwash, and even in toothpaste."

 

I looked at her in the eyes. She had a gentle gaze with a serene smile. I had little doubt that she genuinely believed in the potential benefits of stevia as an excellent alternative to currently available sweeteners.

 

"Donna, I have a proposal for you." I said.

"What's that?"

"How would you like to spread the stevia story with me?"

 

 

CHAPTER One The Stevia Cookbook - DONNA'S STORY

Many years ago I became interested in developing and promoting a more natural lifestyle incorporating whole foods along with sensitivity to our environment. However, early on, it became clear that I was missing one of the key ingredients of this diet: a healthy sugar substitute. I was uncomfortable with many of the artificial sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin) and thus began my search for a natural alternative.

            I first heard about stevia in 1990 from a multilevel marketing firm that was promoting it as a component of a facemask. A green-colored stevia syrup (derived from stevia leaves) was packaged with a small bottle of clay. The instructions recommended that the clay be blended with the stevia syrup and applied to the face. But it was the syrup's potential as a sweetener that interested me. I tried it. It was intensely sweet with a strong licorice-like aftertaste. Later I learned that I had taken far too much, a common mistake made by first-time users. Fortunately, a much more flavorful version of stevia came my way.

 

The Envelope with the White Powder

I now live in Atlanta, Georgia, and work as a nutritional consultant. During the time I was living in Washington, D.C., I knew some friends who worked at the Chinese Embassy. One night I had dinner with two of them and mentioned my frustration in finding an adequate sugar substitute. Several weeks later, to my surprise, my friends presented me with an envelope containing a white powder that they had requested from a Chinese University. I was now holding a sample of stevioside crystals (one of the main sweet ingredients from the stevia plant). These crystals were extracted from Chinese-grown stevia plants using award-winning Japanese technology. In a joint venture with the Chinese, the Japanese had developed a special technology to extract stevia's super-sweet crystals from the plant, leaving behind the licorice-tasting residue and creating a concentrated powder that, by weight, is 300 times sweeter than sugar.

 

The No-Calorie Miracle!

I was thrilled! Here was a widely used, totally natural sweetener that had virtually no calories. I immediately began experimenting with it--baking with it, adding it to beverages and making Stevia-flavored desserts. Many clients that I counsel as a nutritionist began to use it in place of sugar. They could now enjoy a sweet taste and avoid the harmful consequences of excessive sugar intake. Soon thereafter, I arranged for delivery of a large amount of stevia, both for my personal use and to make available to clients.

 

FDA Ruling Sours Sweet Stevia Story

In 1991, a curious thing happened. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeled stevia an "Unsafe food additive" and issued an alert blocking the importation of stevia into the United States. This seemed to be a really peculiar development. After all, not that many people knew about stevia and it was sold almost solely in health food stores. As the months rolled by, I noticed that the health food stores, knowing of the ban, continued to sell stevia quite openly. It moved quickly off the shelves as loyal customers bought the last available supplies. Then it was gone.

       During this time, I did an enormous amount of research. First, I used a Freedom of Information Act request to ensure that I had all the information on stevia then in the hands of the FDA. No indication of any ill effects in humans appeared anywhere in any of the literature, nor in other reports that I found independently. Plus, I was using it regularly, as were many people I knew. No one had noticed any adverse effects. Everyone loved it.

       It was at about this time that I moved to Atlanta and decided to take a stand. The FDA had, by then, succeeded in stonewalling the marketing of stevia by refusing to consider petitions that sought to have it officially placed on the "generally recognized as safe," or "GRAS" list. I found this peculiar since animal studies had indicated saccharin to be cancer causing, yet it was being widely sold. In fact, the SWEET-N-LOW package clearly mentions this concern. Why was saccharin available, yet Stevia, a natural sweetener used for centuries in South America, wasn't?

       The ban on stevia put supporters in a classic "Catch-22" position. In order to prove that stevia was safe for human consumption, millions of dollars (and years of effort) would be required to move this herb through the FDA approval process as an accepted food additive. However, whoever invested all this money would not be able to recoup the full benefits since they could not patent this product. A number of manufacturers could start importing it and marketing it. That's because, unlike aspartame, stevia is an herb and not a synthetic creation by a pharmaceutical company. Economists call this a "free rider." One person or company pays the costs of obtaining the approval and then everyone else rides along for free.

 

Sweet Revenge--The Dietary Supplement Law of 1994

During 1993, the FDA miscalculated. It attempted to take control of dietary supplements and herbal products and limit their availability to the public. To everyone's surprise, a massive grassroots movement started objecting to this intrusion into each person's right to self-medicate with dietary supplements. Various natural food industry groups organized to respond to this threat. A few senators and members of Congress rallied behind them. Orrin Hatch, the Senator from Utah, was instrumental in solidifying the movement's opposition. Ads were taken on television. I remember seeing a television ad of Mel Gibson in his kitchen opening a vitamin C bottle and about to pop one in his mouth when FDA agents burst into his house and handcuffed him, dragging him out of his house for prosecution. Of course, this was quite an exaggeration, but it made the point. The public rallied, afraid to have their multivitamin bottle snatched away from them.

       Based on the continued pressure from the public, the natural foods industry, and from the American Herbal Products Association, Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act in fall of 1994. This law eased restrictions on a number of dietary supplements for sale to the public. The FDA could no longer classify supplements as food additives, hence they did not be subjected to intensive safety testing before their introduction to the American consumer. You may recall that the hormones melatonin and DHEA became available to the public as a consequence of this law. And, as a result of a vitamin company notifying the FDA of its intention to market stevia, The FDA lifted its ban on stevia in 1995.

 

Stevia Citizenship Reinstated: Will Sugar Industry Now Hobble on Cane?

So stevia began to flow back into the United States. Not, mind you, as a sweetener, but only when labeled as dietary supplement. Its natural sweetening qualities, the FDA warned, would still be considered a "technical effect," and thus should not be mentioned. While the natural foods industry was encouraged by the lifting of the import ban, few had wanted to attract the attention of the FDA by including stevia in their products and advertising it for what it is--a sweetener. Because stevia remains in legal limbo, food manufacturers are nervous to use it in products.

       I've always wondered whether the FDA was pressured from any giant sugar or artificial industry to ban the import of stevia. After all, if stevia can be imported and sold by anyone, it could be a major economic threat to various companies.

 

       I know all this must sound difficult to believe. Yet it's true. As this book goes to press, a natural, practically no-calorie, safe-for-diabetics, non-pharmaceutical sweetener already widely used in other countries, including Japan (whose Ministry of Health is notoriously more strict than the FDA), cannot be openly sold as a sweetener in this country.

 

What is Stevia?

Known by the official taxonomy name of Stevia rebaudiana, stevia is a plant of the daisy family that grows naturally in South America. The plant, at its full maturity, reaches a height of close to three feet. The green leaves of this plant contain large amounts (up to 5 percent of dry weight) of stevioside, a sweetener estimated to be 300 times as sweet as table sugar (Isima, 1976).

       At least 150 species of Stevia are believed to exist in North and South America. In a study done in 1982, more than 110 species of Stevia were tested for their sweetness. Stevia rebaudiana was found to be the sweetest, although 18 other species were found to also exhibit a sweet taste (Soejarto, 1982). It's quite possible that other species in the future could be found to have chemicals that are as sweet as Stevia rebaudiana.

       The researchers in the above study mention an interesting observation. They found fragments of a 62 year-old leaf that exhibited potent sweetness. This indicates that the chemicals within this herb are very stable and have the ability to withstand time and drying.

 

How Does It Taste?

Stevia, of course, is very sweet, and it only has a minimal aftertaste. A study done in 1977 indicates that the quality of sweetness of stevia is preferable to that of aspartame or saccharin (Abe, 1977).

       A study conducted in Japan in 1976 found that pure stevia extract was 300 times as sweet as sucrose (or table sugar) at 0.4 percent sucrose concentration, and 100 times sweeter when compared to a 10 percent concentration.

 

What's in Stevia?

There are normally hundreds of chemicals present within any herbal product or extract. It's sometimes very difficult to identify every single component of an herb. Preliminary studies with stevia have shown that it contains certain chemicals that provide a sweet taste including stevioside, and rebaudioside A (Kinghorn, 1984). As mentioned earlier, stevioside makes up about five percent of the dry weight, while rebaudioside makes up two percent. Hence, rebaudioside A is found at a lower concentration than stevioside, but is apparently a more pleasant-tasting sweet substance (Crammer, 1987). Additionally, the oily part of stevia contains a number of sterols including stigmasterol (46 percent), beta-sitosterol (39 percent) and campesterol (13 percent) (D'Agostino, 1984). The compounds within stevia are very stable and can last for decades. They are resistant to heat and time.

CHEMICAL STRUCTURE OF STEVIOSIDE - A diterpenic carboxylic alcohol, with three glucose molecules C38 H60 O18 (Mosettig, 1955)

 

God's Gift to the Guarani

Certain Indian tribes in South America have used stevia for hundreds of years, possibly even before Columbus landed there (Lee, 1979). Since the natural habitat of this plant is in northeastern Paraguay near the Brazilian border, certain Indians of the region, particularly the Guarani and Matto Grosso tribes, were the first to take advantage of its sweet properties. They called it kaa he-e, a native term which translates as "sweet herb." These natives were aware that the leaves of the wild stevia shrub had a sweetening power unlike anything else. They commonly used the leaves to enhance the taste of bitter maté (a tea-like beverage). They also used it in medicinal potions, or simply chewed them for their sweet taste. The widespread native use of stevia was chronicled by the Spaniards in historical documents preserved in the Paraguayan National Archives in Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay. As the settlers moved into the region, they learned of this shrub and starting using it. By the 1800s, daily stevia consumption had become well entrenched throughout the region-- not just in Paraguay, but also in the neighboring countries of Brazil and Argentina.

       The credit for the discovery of stevia by a Westerner goes to an Italian botanist with the name of Bertoni. He first learned of what he described as, "this very strange plant" from Indian guides while exploring Paraguay's eastern forests in 1887. It was 12 years later when he was presented with tangible evidence-- a packet of stevia fragments and broken leaves received from a friend who had gotten them from maté plantations. Bertoni named this variety of stevia genus in honor of a Paraguayan chemist named Rebaudi who subsequently became the first to extract the plant's sweet constituent. (One of the chemicals responsible for stevia's sweetness is named rebaudioside, after Rebaudi). Bertoni was quite excited about his discovery, "In placing in the mouth the smallest particle of any portion of the leaf or twig," he wrote, "one is surprised at the strange and extreme sweetness contained therein. A fragment of the leaf only a few millimeters in size suffices to keep the mouth sweet for an hour; a few small leaves are sufficient to sweeten a strong cup of coffee or tea." In 1903 Bertoni discovered the live plant, which allowed him to make a full study. It wasn't until 1905, though, that he published his results and assigned this plant to the genus stevia.

 

Cultivation and Growing Pains

Bertoni's "discovery" was a turning point for stevia in one very real sense (other than being identified, analyzed and given a name). Whereas prior to 1900 it had grown only in the wild, with consumption limited to those having access to its natural habitat, it now became ripe for cultivation. In 1908, a ton of dried leaves was harvested, the very first stevia crop. Before long, stevia plantations began springing up, a development that corresponded with a marked reduction in the plant's natural growth area due to the clearing of forests by timber interests and, to an extent, the removal of thousands of stevia plants for transplantation (Soejarto, 1983). (The growing of stevia from seed is very difficult.) Consequently, its use began to increase dramatically, both in and beyond Latin America.

       As word of this unique herb began to spread, so, too, did interest in its potential as a marketable commodity. Stevia was first brought to the attention of the US government in 1918 by a botanist for the US Department of Agriculture who said he had learned about stevia while drinking maté and tasted it years later, finding it to have a "remarkable sweetness."

       Stevia was presented to the USDA in 1921 by American Trade Commissioner George Brady as a "new sugar plant with great commercial possibilities." Brady took note of its non-toxicity and its ability to be used in its natural state, with only drying and grinding required. He also conveyed the claims that it was "an ideal and safe sugar for diabetics." In a memo to the Latin American Division of the USDA, Brady further stated that he was "desirous of seeing it placed before any American companies liable to be interested, as it is very probable that it will be of great commercial importance."

 

The Sweetest Rediscovery

While nothing came of this early show of interest in the United States, an event occurred in France in 1931 that would later prove significant. Two chemists isolated the most prevalent of several compounds that gives the stevia leaf its sweet taste, a pure white crystalline extract they named stevioside (Bridel, 1931). One US government researcher, Dr. Hewitt G. Fletcher, described this extract as "The sweetest natural product yet found." Although he mistakenly added, "It is natural to ask, 'of what use is stevioside?' The answer at this point is 'none'."

       The Japanese, though, didn't take the opinion of a US government researcher too seriously.

 

Sayonara Saccharin

Consistent with a popular movement in Japan in the 1960s to move away from allowing chemicals in the food supply, the Japanese government partially restricted the use of artificial sweeteners. Originally introduced to Japan in the mid 1970s by a consortium of food-product manufacturers, stevioside and other stevia products quickly caught on. By 1988, they reportedly represented approximately 41 percent of the market share of potently sweet substances consumed in Japan (Kinghorn, 1992). In addition to widespread use as a table-top sweetener, like the packets of saccharin (Sweet'N Low) and aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet), commonly found in the United States, stevia was also used by the Japanese to sweeten a variety of food products, including ice cream, bread, candies, pickles, seafood, vegetables, and soft drinks. Stevia was even added to chewing gum.

       Japan's experience proved several other significant facts about this phenomenal plant: its adaptability and its safety. Adaptability was proven through the discovery that the plant could be grown throughout most of this temperate island nation, albeit under special hothouse conditions. A whole industry has started in Japan, Brazil, and other countries dedicated to the extraction and purification of sweeteners from the stevia plant for commercial purposes (Ishii, 1987).

 

Stevia Goes Global

The spread of stevia was not limited to Japan. Today it is also grown and used in a number of other countries outside of South America. This plant is now grown on a commercial scale in most parts of Japan, Thailand, China, and South Korea, as well as in Paraguay and Brazil (Yodyingyuad, 1991). Other countries reported to cultivate stevia include Germany, Malaysia, and Israel.

        By the mid-1980s, stevia's reputation had finally sparked the interest of various US companies, including that were becoming aware of its potential commercial value. Celestial Seasonings had begun using crushed and powdered stevia leaves to create herbal teas that were sweet yet noncaloric. No side effects were reported during this brief period of stevia use. With the addition of stevia to a number of popular brands of herbal tea (as a sweetener and flavor enhancer), the remarkable ancient sweet herb of the Guarani Indians was at last poised to make a delayed debut in the American marketplace.         

                                               

Sweet to the Tongue, Bitter to the Pocketbook

By this time, however, powerful market forces were at work. A gigantic artificial sweetener industry was noticing the potential threat by the appearance of a sweetener that was natural, virtually non-caloric and safe, and that could be cultivated and sold by anyone. No sooner had stevia been introduced to the US herbal scene and growing in market share, that the FDA, just as quickly, launched an aggressive campaign to nip it in the bud. In 1987, the FDA began notifying companies selling herbal products that they could not market stevia because it was not an approved food additive.

           

The FDA versus Forty Boxes of that South American White Powder

Yes, your federal agents are hard at work, protecting you from the dangers of white powders imported from South America. However, this particular white powder is not snorted, it's added to your breakfast tea, or your lemonade.

       Linda Bonvie and Bill Bonvie, a brother and sister writer team, published an excellent article in the January/February 1996 issue of New Age Journal (see web site www.newage.com/Journal/wf/wf11.html for full text). They investigated the possible behind-the-scenes motivation of the FDA's import ban. They start their article with the big-time "drug bust" that occurred in Texas shortly after the stevia import ban took effect.

 

       It took place on a summer day in 1991, when a bevy of armed federal marshals raided the Arlington, Texas, warehouse of businessman Oscar Rodes, served him with a warrant, and proceeded to seize his most recent shipment. "They didn't give me any advance notice or anything, Rodes recalls. "They came in my office in the warehouse, and that's when they showed me the papers" and "took everything away."

       Rodes himself was not taken into custody. The arrest warrant was for the boxes he had just imported from South America, which contained some dried leaves and a white powder extracted from them. "They just asked me to open the warehouse door, and they backed up the truck and loaded it up," he recalls. "They said they were going to burn it. I was surprised--all the marshals, ready to go and take away my teas."

 

       A search on the internet at the FDA web site (www.fda.org) reveals this alert posted on 12/19/95 to guide FDA agents in the field:

 

Subject

Automatic detention of stevia leaves, extract of stevia leaves, and foods containing stevia, unless explicitly labeled as a dietary supplement.

 

Problem

Unsafe food additive.

 

Reason for Alert

Stevioside, the extract of stevia, has reportedly been approved for use in foods in Brazil and Japan. The product is used in these countries as a table top sweetener in virtually all food commodities and as a flavor enhancer in such products as teas.

With regard to its use in foods, stevia is not an approved food additive nor affirmed as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) in the United States. Available toxicological information on stevia is inadequate to demonstrate its safety as a food additive. However, with regard to its use in dietary supplements, stevia is not subject to food additive regulations.

Stevia leaves and stevioside have been offered for entry both in bulk and in finished products. Examples of products detained because of stevia include teas, drinks, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and candies.

 

Guidance:

Districts may detain without physical examination all products identified on the attachment to this alert. If review of the labeling or import paperwork reveals stevia leaves, stevioside, or products containing stevioside, districts may detain these items without physical examination, unless explicitly labeled as a dietary supplement, or for use solely as a dietary ingredient in the manufacture of a dietary supplement product. For questions or issues concerning science, policy, sample collection, or analysis, contact the FDA, Division of Field Science at 301-443-3320. For the full report, see web site www.fda.gov//ora/fiars/ora_import_ia4506.html.

 

Sweetening the Palm?

Just what prompted the FDA to intervene in the marketing of stevia is difficult to fully unravel. Rumors persist that the catalyst was a "trade complaint" from a company that did not want stevia made available to consumers. As of this writing, no such complaint has yet surfaced that dates back to the launching of the FDA's campaign against stevia. However, an "anonymous" trade complaint submitted some time later is indeed on record, one that resulted in Celestial Seasonings, a Boulder, Colorado-based tea company, being forced to suspend its use of stevia in its popular line of herbal teas. Was the trade complaint filed by the NutraSweet Company, the maker of aspartame? Richard Nelson, vice president of public affairs for NutraSweet, a company, previously owned by G.D. Searle and now a Monsanto subsidiary, denies that his company had anything to do with the FDA's ban of stevia (Fresno Bee, Aug 27, 1996).

       Despite presentations to the FDA of substantial historical and scientific data of stevia safety in petitions submitted in 1992 by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), an association of companies that manufacture and distribute herbal products, and the Thomas J. Lipton Company, seeking GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status for stevia, the FDA refused to consider filing the petitions. (When particular herbs or natural products have been historically in use for a long time, the FDA generally allows them a GRAS status.) In fact, a review of the correspondence between the FDA and representatives from the AHPA, reveals a number of unreasonable requests made by the FDA and delays that appeared to be of a stalling nature. The web site of Guarani Botanicals, www.tiac.net/users/mgold/sweet/stv-petition.txt, has a fascinating account of the full details of this correspondence.

       Rob McCaleb, president of the Herb Research Foundation, summarizes, "Basically stevia was made illegal because it is unpatentable, and no one can profit from putting it through the FDA's red tape. The fact that this benefits large corporations like NutraSweet is probably not a coincidence. Intended to ensure consumer safety, the FDA had instead become a means for the makers of more expensive chemical products to prevent competition from less expensive natural products."

By denying it official GRAS status, the FDA was able to place stevia in the "food additive" category, which requires that it undergo substantial scientific study prior to marketing. The fact that stevia is a sweetener complicates the matter further, since the FDA tends to view any "new" sweetener as an additive with a particularly high potential for mass consumption, necessitating special scrutiny.

            In 1994, however, passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act created an opportunity for stevia to enter the US market despite the FDA's opposition. Under this legislation, various vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals not considered conventional foods or the sole item in a meal or diet may be marketed in the form of capsules, tablets, liquids, powders, or soft gels provided they are labeled "dietary supplements." Such supplements can no longer be classified by the FDA as "food additives" and need not be subjected to intensive safety testing.

            The following year, in the fall of 1995, stevia did indeed gain status as a dietary supplement after a 75-day "pre-market notification" was submitted to the FDA. The agency could have challenged that, too (and still can, for that matter) by claiming that there is inadequate safety information. Had it done so, however, the FDA would have borne the burden of proof for such a claim. It chose not to pick a fight.

 

Pass Me That Legal White Powder

At long last stevia is legally available in the United States-- but only in its limited form as a dietary supplement. Any other use (such as in teas or processed foods) continues to be prohibited. Stevia "supplements" cannot be labeled as sweeteners, or in any way described as having sweetening power. This is ironic since other supplements can feature certain health claims as long as the label states, "These claims have not been evaluated by the FDA."

           

            The FDA does have a great burden on their shoulders. After all, they have the responsibility to make sure food products don't have the potential to harm the public. But was their ban on the import of stevia into this country, and the subsequent rigid enforcement, justified by the published scientific studies, or were there... ehem.. how should we say...  non-scientific reasons involved?

 

CHAPTER Three of The Stevia Cook Book

SWEET'N LOW EQUALS SACCHARIN:

Say, Are Synthetic Sweeteners Safe? 

Patent a synthetic sweetener, do some toxicity studies in animals that show it to be safe, send the results to the FDA, get their stamp of approval, and you're instantly a billionaire. It's that easy. Actually, even if this artificial sweetener is suspected of causing cancer in animals, and you happen to have a great lobbying team, you can still make your billions. But, if you happen to want to sell a natural product as a sweetener that's been used for centuries and has not shown to cause toxicity in animals and humans, good luck.

            There are three major artificial sweeteners sold in this country, saccharin, aspartame and acesulfame K. Let's briefly review their safety.           

Saccharin (Sweet 'N Low) is a zero-calorie granulated sugar substitute discovered in 1879 and up to 200 to 400 times sweeter than cane sugar. One packet contains the sweetness of two teaspoons of sugar. It is often added to soft drinks, gum, toothpaste, and foods such as dietetic canned fruits and salad dressings. It comes in a highly recognized pink packet with the very reassuring warning written in tiny letters that requires a high-resolution magnifier to read:

            "USE OF THIS PRODUCT MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH. THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS SACCHARIN WHICH HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO CAUSE CANCER IN LABORATORY ANIMALS."

            Since 1981, saccharin has been listed in the US government's "Report on Carcinogens," after a Canadian study indicated it caused bladder cancer in laboratory animals. On October 31, 1997, the National Institute of Environmental Health, a government advisory panel, recommended that products containing this sweetener should continue to carry a warning label. An industry group called Calorie Control Council, which had sought a review of the warning, was not happy with this decision. They argued that the studies done on rats were not comparable to human use.

            In January of 1998, National Cancer Institute researchers announced that eating saccharin does not cause bladder cancer in monkeys. They tested 20 monkeys for as long as 24 years, giving them 25 mg per kg of body weight of saccharin five days a week. This dose was about five times of that allowed in humans. They were compared to a group of 16 monkeys who got no saccharin. Urine testing in the last two years showed no evidence of bladder cancer.

            It is still unknown whether long-term saccharin ingestion influences human tumor formation or whether it has any other long-term health consequences. For practical purposes, the ingestion of small amounts of this artificial sweetener should not be of concern.

Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal) was approved by the FDA in 1981 and allowed in diet sodas in 1983. It has no warnings on the packet other than regarding its use by anyone with phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare inherited condition that afflicts one in 15,000 Americans. Uninformed consumers assume that they can use it with impunity, ingesting it directly or as a sweetener in hundreds of products. NutraSweet's parent company was the pharmaceutical giant Searle, which was later purchased by Monsanto.

            Discovered in 1965 in the course of ulcer-drug research, aspartame is comprised of phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol, or wood alcohol (which, when ingested, breaks down into formaldehyde). Aspartame has been the prime suspect for a variety of symptoms chronicled in thousands of consumer complaints to the FDA and the Dallas-based Aspartame Consumer Safety Network (see Resources). These include gastrointestinal symptoms, headaches, rashes, depression, seizures, memory loss, blurred vision, slurred speech, and other neurological disorders. Of course, just because a person feels a particular symptom in relation to timing of the ingestion of a particular substance doesn't automatically make this substance the culprit. It could just be coincidence.

            It's very difficult to pinpoint aspartame ingestion with symptoms of diseases since there are so many other chemicals, additives, foods, drinks, hormones, and other substances people ingest on a regular basis. However, the scientific community is starting to raise some concerns that aspartame may not be as benign as some would have us believe.

            At least two such scientists are Drs. John Olney and Nuri Farber, from the Department of Psychiatry at the Washington University Medical School in St. Louis, Missouri. In an article published in the November, 1996 issue of the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology, they say, "In the past two decades, brain tumor rates have risen in several industrialized countries, including the United States... Compared to other environmental factors putatively linked to brain tumors, the artificial sweetener aspartame is a promising candidate to explain the recent increase in incidence and degree of malignancy of brain tumors. Evidence potentially implicating aspartame includes an early animal study revealing an exceedingly high incidence of brain tumors in aspartame-fed rats compared to no brain tumors in concurrent controls, the recent finding that the aspartame molecule has mutagenic potential, and the close temporal association (aspartame was introduced into US food and beverage markets several years prior to the sharp increase in brain tumor incidence and malignancy). We conclude that there is need for reassessing the carcinogenic potential of aspartame." (Olney, Farber, 1996)

            We called Dr. Farber in August of 1997 and he reaffirmed his position, "We have not changed our minds and still stand by our conclusions that the carcinogenic potential of aspartame needs to be reassessed."

            The FDA issued a statement regarding aspartame in November of 1996. The agency said, "A recently published medical journal article raises the question whether any increased incidence in the number of persons with brain tumors in the United States is associated with the marketing of aspartame.

            "Analysis of the National Cancer Institute's public data base on cancer incidence in the United States does not support an association between the use of aspartame and increased incidence of brain tumors.

            "The FDA stands behind its original approval decision, but the Agency remains ready to act if credible scientific evidence is presented to it."

            Aspartame, though, does have some advantages. In rat studies it has been found to not cause tooth cavities (Das, 1997), and its use as a substitute to sugar has lead to better weight control (Blackburn, 1997). However, similar benefits could potentially be obtained from stevia.

            In our opinion, the jury on aspartame is still out.

Acesulfame K (K stands for potassium) is known by the brand names of Sweet One, Swiss Sweet, and Sunette. It is contained in a few products including non-dairy creamers, instant coffee and tea, Jell-O sugar-free puddings and gelatins, Trident Sugarless Gum, Wrigley's Freedent, Diet Coke, and Diet Pepsi. Approved by the FDA is 1988, it is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Acesulfame K is a derivative of aceoacetic acid, a synthetic chemical, and is probably not metabolized by the body.

            Neither a health warning nor an information label is required for acesulfame K. The benefits or harms of the long-term use of this artificial sweetener in humans is currently not known.

Neotame, claimed to be 8,000 times sweeter than sugar, is a synthetic sweetener developed by the Monsanto Company, maker of aspartame. In 1998, the Monsanto Company applied to the FDA to market the product as a tabletop sweetener and as a sweetening ingredient in foods and beverages. The FDA approval process is expected to last two to three years.

            If approved, neotame could replace NutraSweet (Monsanto's brand of aspartame) which has faced intense price competition in major markets because patents that once covered it have expired.

Summary

The currently available artificial sweeteners have not been proven to be completely safe, nor have they been proven to be clearly harmful. We believe that partially, or mostly, substituting stevia for saccharin, acesulfame K, and aspartame, is a reasonable and prudent option for the consumer.

 

CHAPTER four of The Stevia Cook Book

 

The many faces of stevia

WHOLE LEAF, POWDER, EXTRACT, or LIQUID?

With stevia now permitted on the market as a dietary supplement, and poised to become an extremely popular product, there are quite a variety of different forms and extracts being marketed (even if none of them can officially be called a sweetener). Which stevia products you want to use will probably depend on the amount of sweetness required by the recipe and the degree to which the particular recipe or beverage will benefit from the licorice-like taste that accompanies its less refined forms.

       If you shop at a health food or grocery store, you will generally find the several forms of stevia from a number of different manufacturers. Each product may taste slightly different. Don't give up on stevia if you expect it to have the exact sweetness of sugar. It doesn't. However, when you consider the wonderful benefits it provides, you may accept its imperfections. For some people, appreciating stevia, just like wine, is an acquired taste.

 

Fresh leaves

This form of stevia is the herb in its most natural, unrefined state. It is possible to grow a stevia plant in your house or backyard (see the resources section for companies that sell stevia cuttings). Just one word of caution. If you own a cat, you may not have too many stevia leaves left on the plant. They love to chew on it.

For many centuries the Guarani Indians in South America used the leaves of stevia to sweeten their drinks. A leaf picked from a stevia plant and chewed will impart an extremely sweet taste sensation reminiscent of licorice that lasts for quite a while. In Bertoni's first official description of the stevia plant, he noted that "A fragment of the leaf suffices to keep the mouth sweet for an hour."

 

Dried Leaves

You can find the whole dried leaf of stevia in health food stores. For more of the flavor and sweet constituents of the stevia leaf to be released, drying and crushing are necessary. A dried leaf is considerably sweeter than a fresh one, and is the form of stevia used in brewing herbal tea. When added to herbal tea blends, amounts can be adjusted to provide more or less of a sweet taste. Finely powdered or pulverized stevia leaf can be found both in bulk form and in tea bags. Several companies add stevia in tea bags with other herbs but do not mention that the stevia is for sweetening purposes since they are not allowed by the FDA to do so. These companies will instead call the stevia a dietary supplement. Most of these products are currently found in health foods stores. 

Stevia leaves have a greenish color and can be used as flavor enhancers or sweeteners in a wide variety of foods and beverages such as vegetables, coffee, applesauce, and hot cereals. However, in this form, expect stevia to have a more noticeable licorice-type aftertaste.

If you are interested in extracting the sweetening agents from the leaves, bring two cups of purified water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add one half ounce of crushed or powdered dried stevia leaves. Cover and boil for three minutes. Remove the covered pot from the heat and steep the herb until cool. Strain the water through a cheese cloth and refrigerate it in a covered container. The resulting liquid concentrate should be greenish black in color.

As a rule, about 10 percent of the leaves contain stevioside and rebaudioside, the actual sweet glycosides of stevia. Although stevia leaves contain various vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, the amounts consumed are generally so minimal that the nutritional value will be negligible.

            Generally two to four leaves are sufficient to sweeten a cup of tea or coffee. For stevia to have a more practical application as a tea or sweetener, the leaves must be dried or put through an extraction process, which makes the sweet taste even more potent.

 

Green stevia powder

When the dried leaves are ground, they turn into a fine green powder which is generally about 10 to 20 times as sweet as sugar. You can convert this powder into syrup by dissolving 1 teaspoon of the powder into 2 cups of filtered or distilled water. Then simmer this down into a thicker syrup then put it in a small bottle and refrigerate it to increase its shelf life.

            As a rule, the green powder is not very popular due to its aftertaste. However, it is widely available in health food stores. The majority of recipes call for stevia extract as opposed to the green powder so double-check your recipe and make sure you have the right form.

                       

White stevia extract

This is the form most commonly used in Japan, and generally contains 85 to 95 percent of the sweet glycosides. In this form, it is close to 300 times sweeter than sugar. A teaspoon of this extract has sweetening power equivalent to 2 to 4 cups of sugar. The sugar-type stevia packets found in many Japanese restaurants are bulked up with another substance (such as maltodextrin) since a much smaller amount of the extract itself is needed. One company in the US has also started marketing stevia in small packets, similarly adding maltodextrin. Could stevia ever become so popular in the US that practically every restaurant in the country would offer packets of this sweetener alongside the pink packets of Sweet' N Low and blue packets of Equal?

            There are hundreds of patents for stevia extraction processes existing around the world. Japan, itself, has over 150. Canadian researchers are hard at work to make a pure extraction process that they hope may completely eliminate the aftertaste. The type of extraction would influence the concentration of the various sweet glycosides, such as stevioside and rebaudioside, and could therefore influence its aftertaste. Thus, not all stevia powders are the same.

            Since extracted white stevia powder is so intensely sweet, we recommend that it be mixed with water and the solution used by the drop. You can dissolve 1 teaspoon of the powder with 3 tablespoons of filtered or sterile water. Once mixed, this solution should be stored in the refrigerator. You can then use it whenever you need a splash of sweetening when cooking. Generally one teaspoonful of this liquid solution, also called a 'working solution,' is roughly equivalent to one cup of sugar.

 

Stevia Liquid concentrates
These come in two distinctly different forms. One is a black, syrupy concentrate and the other is clear.

·         The black, syrup-like concentrate is made by boiling the dried leaves in water. Traditionally, the Guarani Indians thought this crude liquid had medicinal benefits. It has a delicious taste that adds to the flavor of many foods, particularly hot beverages. A dropper-style bottle is the most common way that this form of stevia is found in stores.

·         The clear type of liquid concentrate is made by mixing a large amount of the white powder in distilled water or grain alcohol. Some of these liquid preparations contain other ingredients such as chrysanthemum flowers.

         All types of liquid extract concentrates are available in health food stores or some retail outlets. They come in various sizes ranging from a third of an ounce to four ounce bottles. Generally a few drops of this concentrate is enough to sweeten a glass of tea, coffee or your favorite drink. With time, it's likely that stevia will appear on the shelves of grocery stores and pharmacies nationwide.

 

In Japan, and other countries that are familiar with the use of stevia, manufacturers have included this sweetener in several non-food products. These include toothpaste, gum and mouthwash. We hope that stevia will eventually be similarly used in this country.

 

CHAPTER five from the Stevia Cookbook

IS STEVIA SAFE?

Stevia has been used as a sweetening ingredient in foods and drinks by South American natives for many centuries, and there is no report of any plant toxicity to the consumers (Suttajit, 1993). Stevia has been added to a number of food products in Japan since the mid 1970s. No indications of any significant side effects have yet been reported after more than 20 years of use. Similarly, no reports of any adverse reactions to stevia have been reported in the United States. Donna and her family have been using stevia since 1990 without any health problems. There are no indications at this point from any source that stevia has shown toxicity in humans. However, it is still important that we review the available safety studies done thus far.

 

Our Daily Stevia Dose

It has been estimated that sugar consumption in Japan is about 80 grams a day while in the US and Europe it is between 120 to 140 g a day (Akashi). Assuming we substitute stevia for sugar, what would be our daily consumption?      

For the sake of simplicity, let's say we consume about 100 grams of sugar a day. Since the sweetness of stevioside is 300 times that of sugar, the maximum daily consumption of stevia would be 100 grams divided by 300, or a third of a gram (roughly 330 mg). Actually, Chinese researchers have already estimated that the daily human consumption of stevioside would be about 2 mg per kilogram of body weight (Xili, 1992). This is a very small amount and we should keep this in mind when we evaluate the toxicity studies with Stevia done in animals. Another point to keep in mind is that most people would only partially substitute stevia for sugar and other sweeteners. Therefore, the intake of stevia on a daily basis would even be less than 330 mg.

There have been a number of studies performed in rodents and other laboratory animals to determine whether stevia has any toxicity. In many of these studies, stevia was provided in extremely high dosages, sometimes up to 5 percent of the weight of their food. Let's compare this to humans. Assuming we eat about two kilograms of food a day, and we ingest 200 mg of Stevia, the proportion of Stevia to our daily food intake would be about 0.01 percent; a very small amount, indeed.

Let's examine a few studies done over the past two decades with stevia.

 

Animal Studies

Whenever researchers want to test the dangers of a substance they give it to laboratory animals such as mice or rats. They give progressively higher doses of the substance until a lethal dose (LD) is reached where 50 percent of the test animals die. This level is called the LD 50. Back in the 1970s, several research groups attempted to find the lethal dose of stevia (Kinghorn, 1985). They discovered that, on average, a dose of 8,000 milligrams or more per kilogram of body weight was necessary to achieve this LD 50. In human terms, this would be equivalent to a 70 kg male ingesting more than 480,000 milligrams (or two pounds) of the extract. In most cases, a glass of water can be sweetened by less than 5 drops, an extremely minimal amount. As can be expected, no human has ever died from stevia overdose.

            In a study published in Japan in 1985, researchers determined that giving rats 550 mg/kg of body weight every day of stevioside for 2 years did not cause any abnormalities. However, could the ingestion of stevia cause abnormalities in the offspring? 

In 1991, an excellent study was done by researchers at the Chulalongkorn University Primate Research Center in Bangkok, Thailand (Yodyingyuad, 1991). The researchers wanted to study the consequences of daily ingestion of stevioside in hamsters and the effects on two subsequent generations. (You may recall that stevioside is the main active sweetening agent in the stevia plant.) Three groups of 20 one-month-old hamsters (10 males and 10 females) were force-fed daily with stevioside, while the fourth group stayed as the controls; they did not get any stevioside. The first group was given 500 mg per kilogram of body weight; the second group got a higher dose at 1,000 mg per kilogram of body weight, and the third group got the highest dose at 2,500 mg per kilogram of body weight. The experiment was started with 80 one-month-old hamsters, 40 of each sex, each weighing between 30 and 50 grams. The 2,500 mg per kg of body weight would be equivalent to a human ingesting 150,000 mg. The likely amount most humans would ingest from sweetening their drinks and certain foods is often less than 500 mg.

In the first generation, the average growth of the hamsters receiving various doses of stevioside did not differ significantly between each group. In the second generation, no significant difference in body weight was observed among groups of males receiving various doses of stevioside until 90 days of age. Thereafter, growth of males in the group receiving stevioside at 500 mg/kg of body weight was significantly higher than in the other groups. Nevertheless, male hamsters in the second and third groups grew the same amount as did the control group.

In the third generation, at 120 days of age, no significant differences in body weights were observed in all groups of male and female animals. As to the mating performance, all three generations performed the same no matter what dose of stevioside they received. Their performance was equal to the controls.

Microscopic examination of reproductive tissues from all experimental groups, both male and female, did not differ from the control group. The production of sperm was normal, even in the males who received the highest dose of stevioside. In the females, the ovaries of all the animals were perfectly normal.

In summary, no abnormalities were found in growth and fertility in both sexes. All males mated females efficiently and successfully. Females became pregnant after mating. The duration of pregnancy, number of fetuses, as well as number of young delivered each time from females in the experimental groups were not significantly different from those in the control group. The researchers say, "The results of this study are astonishing. Stevioside at a dose as high as 2,500 mg /kg of body weight did not do any harm to these animals. We conclude that stevioside at a dose as high as 2.5 grams per kilogram of body weight affects neither growth nor reproduction in hamsters. If this is true in other mammalian species including humans, this substance will be of great benefit to industry and medicine, and can be used more widely as a non-caloric sweetener in a variety of foods and drinks as already seen in Japan and Brazil."

 

The Latest Safety Study

"Assessment of the carcinogenicity of stevioside in rats," was the title of an article published in the June, 1997 issue of Food and Chemical Toxicology. We were very excited and anxious when we came across this study. Was this latest information going to show that stevioside was safe, or potentially harmful?

This latest study was performed by Dr. K. Toyoda and colleagues, from the Division of Pathology, National Institute of Health Sciences in Tokyo, Japan. For a period of 104 weeks (two years), three groups of rats were tested to receive either no stevioside (the controls), stevioside in a concentration of 2.5 percent of their diet, and stevioside in a concentration of 5 percent of their diet. There were 50 male and 50 female rats involved in the study. All surviving rats were killed at the end of week 108. The results showed the body weight of the rats was less in those who received the stevioside compared to the controls. This makes sense because stevioside has no calories. When the organs and tissues of the rats were examined under the microscope, there was no difference in the controls and those on stevioside, except females on stevioside had a decreased incidence of breast tumors, and the males had a lesser incidence of kidney damage. The researchers state, "It is concluded that stevioside is not carcinogenic in F344 rats under the experimental conditions described."

You may recall at the start of this chapter that we estimated an average person's daily dietary intake of stevioside to be, at most, about 0.01 percent of the total daily intake of food. It is reassuring that rats given significantly higher amounts of this sweetener did not have a higher incidence of tumors. Our interpretation of this research would lead us to believe that the small amounts of stevioside we consume daily to be extremely safe.

 

            As you can see, stevia appears to be extremely safe. Nevertheless, it was banned for import in 1991. Where the reasons justified?

 

The FDA's (Genuine?) Concern

Stevia leaves and extracts were banned from importation in 1991. What prompted the FDA to ban the import of this natural sweetener?

One possible explanation is the result of a 1985 laboratory study that hinted a biochemical breakdown product of stevia to be a possible health concern. This study was conducted at the College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois in Chicago (Pezutto). A strain of a bacterium called Salmonella typhimurium TM677, was exposed to stevioside and found not to have any problems. Many sweet-tasting chemicals related to stevioside were also found to not be of concern. However, steviol, a metabolite, or break down product of stevioside, caused some changes in the DNA of the bacterium. This only occurred in the presence of a liquid fraction derived from the livers of rats treated with a toxin called Aroclor 1254, and then exposed to NADPH. As you can see, this is getting a little complicated and farfetched. When steviol was given to the bacteria without first being exposed to the above toxins, there were no problems detected.

When humans ingest stevia, their livers are not first damaged by a toxin and then directly given steviol. Therefore, in our opinion, the above study has little, if any, relevance to humans and is best ignored in light of the long-term rodent studies discussed previously. Those studies are more practical and relevant. You may recall that when rodents are given stevia in massive doses for at least two generations, no side effects occur.

In case you have any concerns, a study performed in 1993 should comfort you. Researchers from the Department of Biochemistry at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, tested stevioside and steviol for mutagenicity (causing mutation, or changes in the DNA) using a strain of Salmonella typhimurium bacteria TA98 and TA100 (Suttajit). The sweeteners were also tested to see their effect on cultured human lymphocytes (types of while blood cells). The bacteria were cultured in a nutrient broth and then plated on a Petri dish or plate. Stevioside did not cause any mutations in either strains TA98 or TA98 at concentrations up to 25 mg per plate, but showed weak mutagenicity to only strain TA98 at an unusually high dose of 50 mg per plate. Even more important, no significant chromosomal effect of stevioside and steviol was observed in cultured human blood lymphocytes. The researchers state, "This study indicates that stevioside and steviol are neither mutagenic nor clastogenic [capable of causing damage to chromosomes] in vitro [in a test tube] at the limited doses." A similar study was repeated in 1997 at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand. Stevioside and steviol were tested for mutagenic activity by the in vitro Ames test, a reincubation method, using Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100 as the tester strains. Stevioside and steviol at the concentrations up to 50 mg and 2 mg per plate, respectively showed no mutagenic effect on both tester strains (Klongpanichpak, 1997).

Another concern is the possible influence of stevia on fertility and reproduction. A 1988 study conducted in Brazil indicated that female mice given stevia plant in the form of a tea during the mating period had a reduced rate of fertility (Nunes, 1988). The researchers say, "We believe that this effect of stevia is due to the stevioside present in the leaves, although other glycosides and/or substances that are not glycosides but are also present in the plant may confound the obtained results."

Since the availability of contraceptive research with stevia on humans is lacking, whether women trying to conceive can be similarly effected by stevia consumption is currently not known. For the time being, until formal human studies are conducted, it would seem prudent for women to reduce or minimize their stevia consumption before, and possibly during, pregnancy. It's unlikely that small amounts of stevia would have any significant effects on reproduction or the course of pregnancy.

 

Summary of the Safety Issue

One can study the influence of a particular chemical in an isolated Petri dish, or a test tube, or on rodents, ad infinitum but not know what this chemical will do in the human body when ingested in the small amounts normally consumed. In our opinion, having reviewed all the safety studies published thus far, and considering the safe, centuries-old consumption in south America, and the two decades-plus use of stevia by Japanese consumers, we conclude that stevia is safe for human consumption, particularly in the dosages normally consumed as a partial alternative to sugar, other natural sweeteners, and artificial sweeteners.

            Having reviewed all the published studies on stevia that had been available in 1991, we did not encounter any that would justify the great lengths the FDA undertook to ban the import of stevia to this country. In our opinion, there seems to be enough evidence to suspect the FDA, for some reason, was biased towards stevia.  

 

Partial Excerpt from Chapter Five of THE STEVIA COOKBOOK by Ray Sahelian, MD and Donna Gates.

 

STAY HEALTHY THE STEVIA WAY

We all have a craving for a sweet taste and often satisfy this craving with sugar or fat-filled foods. Even "natural" sugar substitutes, such as honey, maple syrup or molasses, can be unhealthy if over-consumed since they can markedly elevate blood sugar levels. Hence, stevia can be advantageous to practically everyone whose diet contains sweeteners. Although stevia can be helpful to anyone, there are certain groups who are more likely to benefit from its remarkable sweetening potential. These include diabetics, those interested in decreasing caloric intake, and children.

 

Stevia for Diabetes

The availability of artificial sweeteners has been of enormous benefit to those with diabetes. However, there's always been a concern that over consumption of these synthetic sweeteners may cause some unknown harm to the body. Could stevia substitution be a good alternative for those with diabetes? We believe so. Stevia leaves have been used as herbal teas by diabetic patients in Asian countries. No side effects have been observed in these patients after many years of continued consumption (Suttajit, 1993). Furthermore, studies have shown that stevia extract can actually improve blood sugar levels (Alvarez, 1981, Curi, 1986).

       In 1986, Brazilian researchers from the Universities of Maringa and Sao Paolo evaluated the role of stevia in blood sugar (Curi, 1986). Sixteen healthy volunteers were given extracts of 5 grams of stevia leaves every six hours for three days. The extracts from the leaves were prepared by immersing them in boiling water for 20 minutes. A glucose tolerance test (GTT) was performed before and after the administration of the extract and the results were compared to another group who did not receive the stevia extracts. During a GTT, patients are given a glass of water with glucose and their blood sugar levels are evaluated over the next few hours. Those who have a predisposition to diabetes will have a marked rise in blood sugar levels.

The volunteers on stevia were found to have significantly lower blood sugar levels after ingestion of stevia. This is a positive indication that stevia can potentially be beneficial to diabetics who substitute stevia in order to decrease their sugar consumption. Even if stevia by itself is not able to lower blood sugar levels, just the fact that a diabetic would consume less sugar is of significant importance in maintaining better blood sugar control.

            If you have diabetes, chances are you consume a large amount of artificial sweeteners and you may be concerned about switching to stevia since long-term human studies have not been done with this herb. You may also be accustomed in your use of these artificial sweeteners and would not be willing to completely stop them. One option is to gradually use less of them while substituting stevia. For instance, you can initially use stevia in some of your drinks, like coffee or tea. After a few weeks, if your comfort level with stevia increases, you can gradually use more of the herbal extract. Over the next few weeks and months you can either switch completely to stevia, or you can continue using it in combination with artificial sweeteners. With time more research will become available on the safety of stevia and artificial sweeteners. Based on the results of these studies, you can determine which ones to continue using in a larger amount. It's also quite possible that artificial sweeteners may be safe in low amounts, but problems could arise when they are used in excessive quantities. By partially or mostly substituting stevia, you can reduce any potential risk. Stevia is a good supplement for those with diabetes.

 

Stevia and Weight Loss

It would seem quite obvious that substituting a no-calorie sweetener to sugar would help reduce caloric intake and thus contribute to weight loss. And such is the case with aspartame. Researchers at the Center for the Study of Nutrition Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, studied the influence of aspartame on obesity (Blackburn, 1997). One hundred sixty-three women were randomly assigned to consume or to abstain from aspartame-sweetened foods and beverages for 16 weeks. Both groups were also actively involved in a weight-control program using a variety of modalities. At the end of the 16 weeks, both the group on aspartame and the group without the synthetic sweetener lost 10 kilograms. During the maintenance phase that lasted the next two years, women assigned to the aspartame-treatment group gained back 4.5 kilogram, whereas those not on aspartame gained back 9.4 kilograms, practically all the weight they had previously lost. The researchers state, "These data suggest that participation in a multidisciplinary weight-control program that includes aspartame may facilitate the long-term maintenance of reduced body weight."

            Unfortunately, no formal studies have been done evaluating stevia substitution in relation to weight loss. We would suspect, though, that the results would be similar to the aspartame study discussed above. If you are the type of person who adds sugar to your morning coffee or tea, or to iced tea, lemonade, and a variety of desserts and baked goods, then, over time, the elimination of these refined sugar calories could make a significant difference.

 

Sweet Teeth with No Cavities

Even a five-year old child knows that sugar causes tooth cavities. There are certain bacteria in our mouths, particularly streptococci mutans, that ferment various sugars to produce acids. These in turn eat through the enamel of the tooth causing pockets or cavities. For a long time, scientists have searched to find alternative sweeteners that are not fermentable by bacteria and hence do not cause cavities. Artificial sweeteners have been helpful in this regard.

            Does ingesting stevia lead to tooth cavities? A study done on rats has not shown this to be case. Stevioside and rebaudioside A, the two primary sweet constituents of the stevia plant, were tested in a group of sixty rat pups (Das, 1992) in the following way:

 

Group 1 was fed sucrose (table sugar), at 30 percent of their diet

Group 2 was given 0.5 percent of their diet in stevioside

Group 3 got 0.5 percent of their diet in rebaudioside A

Group 4 ingested no sugars.

 

            After 5 weeks, all four groups had their teeth evaluated. There were no differences in food and water intake and weight gain between the four groups. However, the first group had significantly more cavities than the rest of the groups. Groups 2, 3, and 4 were equivalent. 

The researchers state, "It was concluded that neither stevioside nor rebaudioside A is cariogenic [cavity causing] under the conditions of this study." It appears that the chemicals within the stevia plant that impart its sweetness are not fermentable, and thus do not cause tooth cavities.

 

Use in Children

Candies, sodas, ice cream, pies, cakes... it's disturbing how many sweet products are ingested by children on a daily basis. All that sugar can lead to tooth cavities and obesity. We believe that partially substituting with stevia can help children satisfy their sweet tooth while decreasing the risks from excessive sugar intake.

            If you're a parent, you can take advantage of the many recipes provided in the second half of this book to provide your children with tasty sweets that will satisfy their sweet teeth but not cause damage to the teeth. Obesity in children is a growing problem in this country and any method we have of helping children reduce their caloric intake will be greatly beneficial.

            We also are concerned with children overconsuming excessive amounts of artificial sweeteners. The potential, long-term health consequences of saccharin and aspartame ingestion are currently not fully known, but they do need to be kept in mind. Eliminating all artificial sweeteners will be a frustrating enterprise since they are extremely prevalent. However, by partially substituting stevia in homemade desserts, you can significantly reduce your children's exposure to these artificial chemicals.

            Hopefully, with time, stevia can be added to a variety of sodas, candies, gums, and other foods in the US, just like it currently is in Japan and other countries.

 

Blood Pressure

In 1991, Dr. M.S. Melis, from the Department of Biology at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, gave a one-time high dose injection of stevioside to rats and found that it caused a reduction in blood pressure as well as an increased elimination of sodium (Melis, 1991). A slight diuretic effect also occurred. The effect was additive when stevia was combined with verapamil (a medicine used to lower blood pressure in humans who have high blood pressure).

            Dr. Melis repeated a similar study in 1995. This time, he administered extracts of stevia to rats for 20, 40, and 60 days. After 20 days, there were no changes in the stevia-treated rats compared to the control group (the ones that didn't receive the extracts). However, after 40 or 60 days of administering the extract, there was a lowering of blood pressure, a diuretic effect was noted along with loss of sodium. The amount of blood going to the kidneys was increased.

            When normal human volunteers between the ages of 20 to 40 years were given a tea prepared with stevia leaves, a lowering of blood pressure occurred (Boeck, 1981). This study was done in Brazil. Certainly more human studies are needed before we can come to any conclusions regarding the full effect of normal daily ingestion of stevioside on blood pressure.

Use in Pregnancy or Breast Feeding

Since human studies providing stevia during pregnancy have not been done, we don't know whether its use during this period is safe. We suspect, though, that small amounts of stevia would not cause any problems. However, we will not know for certain until studies are completed.

Anti-Aging potential?

We know from numerous animal studies that reducing caloric intake leads to life span extension. Since stevia can substitute for sugar, and we know excess amounts of this sweetener can contribute to high blood sugar, obesity, and have other unhealthy effects on the human body, it would seem likely that substituting stevia for sugar could have a positive effect on longevity. This effect would be most apparent in those who normally have a high intake of sugar.

Glucose (sugar) has been implicated in the aging process by its ability to react with some proteins, like collagen, to produce glycation. That is, the glucose molecule attaches to some amino acids of a protein and makes the protein less functional, leading to disturbances within a cell. The initial phase of this attachment is called glycation.

            As we age, the amount of glycation of the proteins in our bodies tends to increase. We should also note that blood sugar generally increases as we age. It is known that glycation of human tendon and aortic collagen increases with age in proportion to the increase in blood glucose that occurs with aging (Schleicher, 1996 and 1997).

            This age-related increase in glycation, though, can be partially prevented by caloric restriction. In other words, avoiding high sugar consumption, and high caloric consumption, could theoretically, over the years and decades, help our proteins stay healthier. Practical ways to use this information include:

 

1) Eat small frequent meals throughout the day instead of one or two excessively large ones. Eating these small meals, or snacks, will help maintain your blood sugar at a relatively steady state, instead of wide fluctuations.

 

2) Make sure to have some protein with each meal. Avoid a purely carbohydrate meal, except if you are planning to induce sleep at night. Carbohydrates, eaten an hour or two before bed, help us get sleepy. Your carbohydrate intake should mostly be from unprocessed whole grains, vegetables and legumes.

 

3) Even relatively “healthy” drinks, such as fruit juices, can cause significant elevation of blood sugar when consumed in large amounts, such as 6 ounces or more. Many people quickly gulp down 8 ounces of orange juice in the morning, in addition to a cup of coffee laced with a teaspoon or two of sugar.

 

4) And, of course, substitute stevia for cane sugar whenever possible.

 

 

Sweet Teeth with No Cavities
Even a five-year old child knows that sugar causes tooth cavities. There are certain bacteria in our mouths, particularly streptococci mutans, that ferment various sugars to produce acids. These in turn eat through the enamel of the tooth causing pockets or cavities. For a long time, scientists have searched to find alternative sweeteners that are not fermentable by bacteria and hence do not cause cavities. Artificial sweeteners have been helpful in this regard. Fortunately, studies with stevia indicate that it does not cause tooth cavities.

 

Use in Children
Candies, sodas, ice cream, pies, cakes... it's disturbing how many sweet products are ingested by children on a daily basis. All that sugar can lead to tooth cavities and obesity. Partially substituting with stevia can help children satisfy their sweet tooth while decreasing the risks from excessive sugar intake. If you're a parent, you can take advantage of the many recipes provided in The Stevia Cookbook to provide your children with tasty sweets that will satisfy their sweet teeth but not cause damage to the teeth. Obesity in children is a growing problem in this country and any method we have of helping children reduce their caloric intake will be greatly beneficial. There is also a concern with children consuming excessive amounts of artificial sweeteners. The potential, long-term health consequences of saccharin and aspartame ingestion are currently not fully known, but they do need to be kept in mind. Eliminating all artificial sweeteners will be a frustrating enterprise since they are extremely prevalent. However, by partially substituting stevia in homemade desserts, you can significantly reduce your children's exposure to these artificial chemicals.

 

Use in Pregnancy or Breast Feeding
Since human studies providing stevia during pregnancy have not been done, it is not known whether its use during this period is safe. It’s very likely that small amounts of stevia would not cause any problems.

Practical Tips
Those who are novices at using stevia often make the mistake of using too much. Since stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar, excessive amounts can lead to over-sweetness and an aftertaste. Generally, one teaspoon of stevia would be equivalent to one cup of sugar, while a quarter teaspoon would be equivalent to one tablespoon of sugar. Stevia is available in concentrated liquid form, and often two to four drops of stevia liquid added to tea or coffee is sufficient to sweeten the drink.

Stevia helpful for diabetes and hypertension
The popularity of stevia continues to grow as more and more people find out about this amazing no-calorie herbal sweetener. One of the primary constituents of stevia that gives it its sweet taste is stevioside, which has been commercialized as a sweetener in Japan for more than 25 years. Lately, studies have shown that stevia, in addition to being a sweetener, has certain health benefits, too, particularly for diabetics and those with elevated blood pressure.

        Diabetes -- Stevioside reduces postprandial blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetic patients, indicating beneficial effects on the glucose metabolism. Stevia has been used for many years in the treatment of diabetes among Indians in Paraguay and Brazil. However, the mechanism for the blood glucose-lowering effect remains unknown. A study conducted at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark found that stevioside enhances insulin secretion from mouse pancreatic islets in the presence of glucose. The researchers state, “Stevioside stimulates insulin secretion via a direct action on pancreatic beta cells. The results indicate that the compounds may have a potential role as an anti-hyperglycemic agent in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.”

        Hypertension -- In a 2-year study in Chinese patients with mild hypertension, oral stevioside significantly decreased blood pressure compared with placebo. No significant adverse effects were noted.
         A double-blind, placebo-controlled study in Taiwan studied 106 Chinese hypertensive subjects ages ranging from 28 to 75 years. Each subject was given capsules containing 250 mg stevioside or placebo three times daily and followed-up at monthly intervals for 1 year (the average person who uses stevia ingests about 100 mg a day of stevioside). After 3 months, the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of the stevioside group decreased by about 6 points, and the effect persisted during the whole year. Blood biochemistry including lipid and glucose showed no major changes. No significant adverse effects were observed.
 

Our Daily Stevia Dose
It has been estimated that sugar consumption in Japan is about 80 grams a day while in the US and Europe it is between 120 to 140 mg a day (Akashi). Assuming we substitute stevia for sugar, what would be our daily consumption?
For the sake of simplicity, let's say we consume about 100 grams of sugar a day. Since the sweetness of stevioside is 300 times that of sugar, the maximum daily consumption of stevia would be 100 grams divided by 300, or a third of a gram (roughly 330 mg). Actually, Chinese researchers have already estimated that the daily human consumption of stevioside would be about 2 mg per kilogram of body weight (Xili, 1992). This is a very small amount and we should keep this in mind when we evaluate the toxicity studies with Stevia done in animals. Another point to keep in mind is that most people would only partially substitute stevia for sugar and other sweeteners. Therefore, the intake of stevia on a daily basis would even be less than 330 mg.
        There have been a number of studies performed in rodents and other laboratory animals to determine whether stevia has any toxicity. In many of these studies, stevia was provided in extremely high dosages, sometimes up to 5 percent of the wei