The Coca-Cola company and PepsiCo Inc. both have artificially sweetened juices ready to go to market, but the FDA hasn’t approved the controversial ingredient, stevia. Already used in South America, Japan, and China, the herb is 250-300 times sweeter than sucrose, but in 1991 the FDA deemed it an unsafe food additive because of potential adverse health effects.
The Stevia Herb
Extracts from the leaves of the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana) contain stevioside (ent-13-hydroxykaur-16-en-18-oic acid), an extremely sweet-tasting compound. Native to Paraguay, the plant has been used in the southern continent of the Western hemisphere, particularly by the Guarani Indians, for centuries. There are no calories from the leaves because the body does not metabolize the glycosides in the plant. It is currently considered an herbal supplement and cannot be marketed as “sweet” without FDA approval. The effect of stevioside and steviol on blood glucose and insulin makes it a promising sweetener for diabetics.
The Taste of Stevia Supplements
The development of stevia sweeteners and its use as an herbal supplement have been gradual because of a licorice-like aftertaste. New companies working with the plant have found ways to avoid this mainstream block. Other naturally occurring compounds have been added or left in, including fiber and rebaudioside A, making the 95% pure supplement more tasty than previous preparations.
Sweetener Research
Though the FDA has not approved the use of the herb because of potentially damning research two decades ago, there have been no reports of adverse effects from the countries that regularly use the sweetener. Developers have stated that they have the research to prove stevia’s safety, but they are awaiting an FDA response for mainstream marketing. Because of the 1994 Dietary Supplement Act, stevia has been used in the alternative health market. Now, major corporations are trying to get into the game, which may be what the sweet herb needs to gain mainstream use.
Safety and Benefits of Stevia
Extensive genetic toxicity testing has found no genetic risk from human consumption of the plant’s extract. There was also no toxicity shown for high doses of rebaudioside A in a recent study in rats; the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was 50,000 ppm, which equated to more than 4 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. However, it is still unknown if steviol lives up to its hype regarding beneficial health affects as an anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diarrheal, anti-hyperglycemic, and immunomodulatory agent.
Stevia appears to be safe for consumption and it is only a matter of time before the FDA approves it. Other claims still require more research.
Some information was provided by:
Adam Voiland, The zero-calorie sweetener stevia arrives. US News and World Report, July 28, 2008.
Body Ecology, The stevia story.
D.J. Brusick, A critical review of the genetic toxicity of steviol and steviol glycosides. Food and Chemical Toxicology, July 2008.
L.L. Curry and A. Roberts, Subchronic toxicity of rebaudioside A. Food and Chemical Toxicology, July 2008.
V. Chatsudthipong and C. Muanprasat, Stevioside and related compounds: Therapeutic benefits beyond sweetness. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, October 2008.
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