Stevia is a plant that originates from Brazil and Paraguay and has been used for centuries by native people to sweeten tea. In 1991, stevia made its way to the United States as an all-natural health supplement in health food stores. In 2008, despite speculation from public interest groups, the FDA approved a portion of the plant's extract for use in food products nationwide. Refined versions of the extract are available, as well as an herbal powder known as green stevia.
Nutrition Facts
The one thing that makes stevia so popular is that not only is it all natural, but it has no calories. Two teaspoons of green stevia contain no fats, no carbohydrates and no proteins. The raw herbal stevia plant is known to contain almost 100 different phytonutrients, including terpenes and flavonoids. These are potent antioxidants that are missing from the widely sold stevia extract, due to the refinement process.
Sweeter Than Sugar
Both the stevia leaf and green stevia are 10 to 15 times sweeter than sugar. The green version is known to be quite sweet, but pales in comparison to the refined extract, which is so incredibly sweet -- 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar -- that it often has to be diluted for proper use. Unfortunately, like most alternatives to sugar, herbal stevia does have a slightly bitter aftertaste, comparable to licorice.
The Research
It has taken years and years for the FDA to approve stevia for use in food products. Until the end of 2008, stevia was exclusively sold in health-food stores as a natural supplement. Its long-awaited approval was delayed by conclusive research that high-quantities of stevia caused genetic mutations in rats, leading to cancer and reproductive problems. Although stevia has been used for hundreds of years in Japan, Brazil and Paraguay, the FDA was hesitant to grant approval. In 2008, the FDA granted Rebiana or Reb A, one portion of the stevia plant, GRAS, or generally accepted as safe, status, stating that previous findings were from the whole extract of the plant. Green stevia remains available only as a supplement at health food stores.
In the Media
The Center for Science in the Public Interest is whole-heartedly against the approval of stevia. Spokesman Michael Jacobson, said the FDA did not spend enough time researching and observing the long-term effects of stevia in rats. Opponents of stevia say the intense interest of beverage-industry giants, such as Coke and Pepsi, are what led to its rapid approval. Although speculation exists, other countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, along with the World Health Organization, have approved Reb A for use as well. New products already have surfaced in the U.S., including Sprite Green by Coca-Cola and SoBe Lifewater by Pepsi.
References
- Stevia.com: Stevia Information
- Nutrition Action Health Letter; "Stevia: A Bittersweet Tale"; David Schardt; April 2000
- Columbia University News Service; "No Calories, Sweet and Natural: Is Stevia Too Good to Be True?"; Richard Solash; March 2009
- National Public Radio News; "FDA Approves Sweetners from Stevia Plant"; Alison Aubrey; December 2008
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