Stevia, a plant native to Paraguay, has been used for more than 200 years to sweeten foods and beverages. Today, manufacturers extract the sweet-tasting compound rebiana from the leaves and process it so it can be added to foods and beverages or made into a powder for home use. The FDA approved this as an herbal supplement safe for use in foods and beverages late in 2008.
How it Becomes a Product
Companies that use stevia steep the leaves and extract the rebiana. The plant is reported to be 10 to 15 times sweeter than sugar, but once the extracts are refined, they can be 200 to 300 times sweeter. This requires the rebiana to be used in extremely small amounts. Therefore, it must be mixed with maltodextrin or erythritol as a carrier to make the sweetener into a powder or other usable form.
Use in the United States
Coca-Cola uses their brand of the sweetener, Truvia, in Odwalla drinks and Pepsi uses PureVia in SoBe Lifewater. The sweetener does not work well in many sodas because it changes the taste of the final product. Stevia extract is also sold in health food stores as an herbal sweetener in powdered or liquid forms. Stevia is not popular as a sweetener in food products, probably because of the cost. In late 2008, it was about three times as expensive as artificial sweeteners.
Use in Other Countries
Japan is probably the country that has used stevia most in food products. It is popular for a Japanese variety of pickles, has been used in sugar-free Wrigley brand gum and in some seafood products. Other major consumers of stevia are Brazil, South Korea, China, Australia and European countries.
Home Use
Packets of PureVia and Truvia in powdered form are sold for home use. Each packet is as sweet as 2 teaspoons of sugar. It can be used just as sugar is used, stirred into hot or cold beverages or sprinkled over cereal or fruit. There are also recipes available for desserts to use the sweetener in place of sugar. As of 2009, the crystals are available only in small packets, not in bulk, so be prepared to tear open a dozen or more when baking a pie or cake.
Dietary Benefits
The stevia herb contains no sugar so it has none of the same effects as sugar in the body; there are no calories, no carbohydrates, no glycemic index and no effect on insulin levels. This makes stevia a desirable product for people with diabetes. Stevia does not contribute to cavities, as sugar does, since oral bacteria do not feed on it. The sweetener does not add much to the diet in the way of vitamins or minerals. There are numerous phytochemicals and nutrients in the stevia plant itself, but in the minute amounts of the final product used, the dietary contribution of these substances becomes negligible.
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