In almost all areas of the world, with the exception of Canada and the United States of America (USA), Stevia is recognized as, and legally used as, a sweetener. It is becoming a new hot commercial herb crop for those seeking a more health choice in sweetening. Outside of Canada and the USA, consumer products such as soft drinks, baked goods, and “diet” foods have turned away from the artificial sweeteners and turned instead to the natural calorie-free sweeteners derived from the stevia plant.
What is Stevia?
What is Stevia? Stevia refers to a genus of over 200 species of herbs and other botanicals that belong to the aster, daisy or sunflower family of plants. It is native to the warmer climates of North and South America, but can easily be grown in Canada, as it is today. Stevia as it is now commonly referred to, has become known as a non caloric sweetener.
The leaves of the stevia plant have 30–45 times the sweetness of ordinary table sugar and are sweeter than most artificial sweeteners, without the damaging effects that have been reported for both table sugar and artificial sweeteners. I have a stevia plant growing on my window sill which I use in some herbal teas. I simply pluck a few leaves and let them float in my tea. For those with a sweet tooth, the leaves can even be eaten raw right from the plant (which I have done often).
The case for Stevia
For over a thousand years, stevia, a natural botanical herb from South America, has been used with no recorded adverse effect. Back as far as 1905, research by Dr. Bertoni showed that Stevia was safe. In a 1918 article based on his research he states: “It presents these great advantages over saccharine:
1. It is not toxic but, on the contrary, it is healthful, as shown
by long experience and according to the studies of Dr. Rebaudi.
2. It is a sweetening agent of great power.
3. It can be employed directly in its natural state, (pulverized leaves).
4. It is much cheaper than saccharine." (Look for a coming soon article)
Based on the research conducted on stevia and stevia extracts, Japan began cultivating stevia as an alternative to artificial sweeteners as far back as the early 1970’s. Artificial sweeteners such as cyclamate and saccharin, based on a number of studies, were suspected dangerous carcinogens. Japan found that stevia was a safe and natural product, and since its first use, the Japanese people have turned away from these artificial sweeteners and turned instead to using stevia. Stevia is used in food products, diet foods, baking and even soft drinkssuch as diet Coca Cola(which is not allowed in Canada or the USA).
As of 2011, the consumption of stevia in Japan is greater than any other country in the world, with stevia accounting for over 40% of the entire sweetener market including sugars in their various processed and even raw states.
Some of the most current research has evaluated its beneficial effects on obesity and hypertension. Research suggests that stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, and may even enhance glucose tolerance, being of benefits for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients, not to mention the safe benefits it could have with the obesity epidemic we see in North America.
Not available as a sweetener everywhere
The availability of stevia as a sweetener varies from country to country. While many countries around the world have made it available as a “sweetener” for decades, some countries have limited its availability and use. In the United States and Canada stevia use in the processed food industry is prohibited. Stevia is not recognized by the government ministries as a sweetener in Canada or the USA. Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Administration (FDA) assert that there is not enough safety evidence to permit stevia’s use in foods.
As we have already seen stevia has been used over a thousand years, it has a well documented history of safe use in Japan since the 1970’s, where it is use in foods. With all the use for decades and the research conducted since the early 1900’s is it no doubt that many in the herb industry believe that the FDA and Health Canada bowing to the powerful sugar and artificial sweetener lobbies?
Stevia unlike artificial sweeteners is a natural plant and being such cannot be patented. This may be a significant factor in some of the opposition to it that we will examine here and in later articles on this subject. Is stevia a threat to the entrenched sweetener industry? Are special interests in the sweetener market and corporate America being protected by the FDA and Health Canada? We have seen this over and over again by both these government agencies be it GMO’s, Natural herbal medications and many more, where special interests of large corporate American company interests are protected even to the possible detriment and safety of the general public these agencies are sworn to protect.
As things stand in Canada and the USA, stevia may be sold as a dried herb and as an extract and as a food supplement, it cannot be added to other foods or food products and sold, it cannot be sold as a “sweetener”. Despite the restrictions, the use of stevia is growing across the whole of North America. Once you had to go to a health food store to find it, now it is sold on the shelves of grocery stores. It can be purchased as powder that look and feel almost like white sugar and in liquid and syrup forms that can be used as honey or syrup. As stevia is becoming better known, garden centres and nurseries have started to offer potted plants for gardeners to grow in their own gardens. As I wrote earlier, I have a few plants growing on my kitchen window sill, as well as some growing in a small nursery out back.
A growing market threat
Stevia contains compounds called steviosides that are 300 times sweeter than sugar. Because the body does not metabolize steviosides they do not contribute any caloric value to food. Diabetics and others unable to tolerate sugar can take stevia with immunity. Dieters love stevia because they can continue to enjoy sweets without counting calories. The market is already growing, but it would escalate if the restrictions placed upon it in North America, by the FDA and Health Canada was reversed. There is little doubt that if stevia were allowed to compete on the market as a non-caloric sweetener, the effects on the artificial sweeteners would be quite devastating. This has already been evidenced in Japan and some European countries where stevia is sold and marketed as a “sweetener”. It begs the question once again; who’s interests are being protected by the FDA and Health Canada.
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With thanks and gratitude Clayton.
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