Category: Stevia

Stevia has an interesting history beginning with its discovery more than 200 years ago.  It is thought that the indigenous people of Paraguay used the leaves of the stevia plant for its sweet taste.  They would also use it in their beverages and some medicines.

Later, Swiss botanist Moises Santiago Bertoni wrotemore formally about the stevia plant and recorded detailed information about the sweet taste.  This was in the late 1800’s, but it would be over 100 years later before French scientists were able to isolate the stevia glycosides.  (The glycosides are the parts of the stevia plant that give it its sweet taste.)

Fast forward another 100 years and we find the Japanese using stevia as an alternative sweetener. Approximately 10 years later, stevia started gaining popularity in the U.S. As companies and manufacturers worked to isolate the best tasting stevia glycosides and provide research and information on stevia’s safe use, the high purity extracts (or glycosides) of the sweetener were finally given Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status in the U.S. in 2008 and approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2011.

Today, consumers will find stevia in thousands of products around the world – including baked goods, frozen desserts, dairy products, beverages, sauces and so much more.  While today we use a more refined form of stevia compared with the people in Paraguay hundreds of years ago, the idea remains the same.  No matter where we hail from, people all over enjoy a little sweetness in their life.

With that in mind and especially with the warmer weather months almost upon us, why not try this Acai Berry Lemonade? And as you sip this refreshing beverage think back to those first “stevia users” who may have used stevia to sweeten a similar beverage.  It seems that stevia definitely has a sweet past, present and future.

So you’ve probably been hearing a lot about Stevia lately, a new zero calorie sweetener that’s becoming pretty popular. Earlier this month we talked about the difference between stevia extract and stevia whole leaves. But is it a safe alternative to other low-cal sweeteners?

The word “stevia” refers to the entire plant and its components, only some of which are sweet. The sweet tasting components of the stevia plant are called steviol glycosides or rebaudioside A.

Stevia has been used as a sweetener in South America for hundreds of years and it’s been widely used for decades as a sweetener in Japan and Paraguay . In the US, stevia sweeteners are primarily found in tabletop products and reduced calorie beverages.

Recent studies, including human studies on safety, metabolism and intake, have shown that stevia sweeteners are safe to use. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has conducted a thorough scientific review of the existing scientific data on steviol glycosides and concluded that they are safe for use in food and beverages.

Based on the wealth of published research, independent scientific experts in both the U.S. and globally have concluded that stevia sweeteners are safe for people of all ages and populations and an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of four mg/kg body weight (expressed as steviol) has been established. The estimated intake of steviol glycosides even among the highest consumers does not exceed the ADI.

Clinical studies have also shown that steviol glycosides, meeting purity criteria established by JECFA, have no effect on either blood pressure or blood glucose response, which means people with diabetes can use stevia. Another benefit of stevia sweeteners: there are no known allergies to stevia sweeteners.

As an all-natural sugar substitute with zero calories, stevia sweeteners can help reduce or replace calories in foods and beverages and offer low and no calorie alternatives for people looking to lose and control weight. Consuming beverages and foods with stevia sweeteners as part of a healthful diet and lifestyle, including regular physical activity, can assist with weight control and weight loss.

For the past few years you haven’t been able to talk about dieting and healthy eating without hearing about stevia, natural sweetener that’s becoming popular in the United States. Stevia rebaudiana is a South American plant native to Paraguay that has traditionally been used to sweeten beverages and make tea. The word “stevia” refers to the entire plant and its components, only some of which are sweet. So what’s the difference between the whole stevia leaf and the stevia you end up putting in your coffee?

Whole leaf stevia has been used as a sweetener in South America for hundreds of years.  The stevia leaves were collected, dried and milled into a fine powder. Because whole leaf stevia contains both sweet and non-sweet components, it often has an licorice-like aftertaste.  Over the years new technology has made it possible to extract the naturally sweet components of stevia and minimize the aftertaste to provide the type of products that we see on grocery shelves today.

In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes stevia sweeteners, composed primarily of rebaudioside A and stevioside, as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for use  in foods and beverages.  However, the FDA has not approved, nor accepted as  GRAS , the whole leaf stevia or the use of crude stevia extracts as sweeteners. Whole leaf and crude extracts of stevia remain under review because there is inadequate safety information.   Whole leaf and crude extracts of stevia, therefore, can only be sold as dietary supplements in the US.

As an all-natural sugar substitute with zero calories, stevia sweeteners can help reduce or replace calories in foods and beverages and offer low and no calorie alternatives for people looking to lose and control weight. Consuming beverages and foods with stevia sweeteners as part of a healthful diet and lifestyle, including regular physical activity, can assist with weight control and weight loss.