Stevia Sweetener Approved

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the use of Truvia™ and PureVia™, zero-calorie sweeteners made from the stevia plant, for use in foods and beverages. These newly approved sweeteners are purified forms of stevia called rebaudioside A.

 

The stevia herb is native to Brazil and Paraguay. For more than 20 years, stevia extracts have been sold as commercialized sweeteners in Japan and Brazil.

 

In the United States, Coca-Cola Co. and Pepsico are among the first companies to market new beverages containing stevia. They are working with Cargill Inc. and Merisant Co.'s Whole Earth Sweetener, respectively, to develop products made with the natural sweetener. Both manufacturers have also developed tabletop versions of the sweetener.

 

This month, Coca-Cola launched Sprite Green®, a reduced-calorie, sparkling beverage made with Truvia™. It is currently available in New York and Chicago. Sprite Green® contains some natural sugar and has 50 calories per 8.5 ounces. Coca Cola also plans to develop some Odwalla® juices with the sweetener.

 

Pepsico launched three flavors of SoBe Lifewater® (Fuji Apple Pear™, Black and Blue Berry™ and Yumberry Pomegranate™) that contain PureVia™. In March, they also plan to release an orange juice containing PureVia™ called Trop50®.

 

Aside from having no calories, stevia may also have some health benefits. The herb has been widely used to treat diabetes in South America, and animal studies have shown promising results. Human studies have reported decreases in blood sugar levels when stevia was taken in healthy volunteers, but there is currently a lack of conclusive evidence of effectiveness when used in patients with diabetes. Additional research is needed in this area to confirm these findings.

 

In addition, stevioside, a natural plant glycoside in the stevia plant, has demonstrated blood pressure-lowering effects. Despite evidence of benefits in some human studies and support from laboratory and animal studies, more research is warranted to compare stevia's effectiveness with the current standard of care.

 

Reported side effects of stevia include muscle pain, muscle weakness, dizziness, nausea and abdominal fullness. These effects resolved after the first week of treatment. Higher doses of stevia may affect kidney activity.

 

For more information about stevia, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

Comments

[busybee]

Although this is interesting, I think that I would also like to see a list of all of the ingredients before I agree that this Sprite Green® is any healthier.

Also, it is packaged in aluminum cans. Have there been any studies about aluminum levels in the actual beverage or the health and safety of the type of plastic in which the drinks are packaged and how aluminum/plastics can affect health, particularly in more sensitive populations (pregnant women, children, etc.)?

Overall, is the packaging in the new Sprite Green® truly any greener? Is any of it recycled content?

[Luce]

This is great for our nation, as we strive to fight against childhood obesity. For companies like Coca Cola Co. and PepsiCo to take the initiative in using zero-calorie sweeteners in their products (and not just any sweetener but one with good health benefits like lowering blood sugar) is great. I hope they will soon have the new brand of products available nationwide so that our children (and even the adults) could start making smart choices. The author also made mention of stevia having hypotensive, and hypoglycemic effects -- I wonder if these effects will be seen from the consumption of these new products. If that is the case, then it could eventually help reduce the incidence of childhood diabetes.

[social butterfly]

I fully agree with busybee about the aluminum and plastic issue. This is a very important, yet often underestimated health concern. I have personally tried stevia, and I like it. You can purchase it from health-food stores as a powder for cooking purposes, as a prepackaged product for travel or even as a concentrated liquid. I personally did not like the liquid because I found it was too sweet, even one drop.However, it's great for cooking once you experiment to determine the right quantity to use.

[janice m]

I have used stevia for years and loved it, but I was never able to use Stevia Plus. There is something in it that my body cannot tolerate. All was fine until last month when I purchased a green phyto-nutrient that contained stevia, and I thought would be great for me. Suddenly, my adrenaline went into overdrive, and since I had polio as a teen, once the adrenal starts flowing excessively, I cannot turn it off. Now my blood pressure is spiking at 240/100, and I am still looking for something to turn it off. I would advice anyone using stevia for the first time to use it in a controlled manner by personally measuring the amounts, the green powder did taste extremely sweet.

[RZD]

Personally, I don't like to use sweeteners in beverages or food. However, I would be inclined to try something that's natural versus artificial; perhaps it won't have an unpleasant after-taste. Also, I'd be interested in reading more about stevia's effects on sugar levels and blood pressure. I wonder if it'll be used as an appetite suppressant since it was one of the side effects.

[V.N.]

It would be great if a good-tasting sweeter is proved to be good for your health. Diabetics would have the alternative to have something sweet that wouldn't be as harmful as sugar. I feel more comfortable drinking sodas that have natural products rather than all of the added ingredients that could be carcinogenic. I just wonder if it tastes good or if it's going to be an ingredient you can taste in every product.

[RogueTangent]

Considering the enormous amount of sugar that citizens of first-world countries consume, any news of non-caloric sweeteners is good news. Unfortunately, I'm one of those people who are fairly particular about the taste of their soda, and I haven't yet found an artificial sweetener that matches the taste of sugar. Even corn syrup is inferior to the cane sugar varieties of sodas you can get outside the U.S. or in certain brands during Jewish holidays. Perhaps stevia will be the sweetener that finally turns the trick. Since stevia doesn't produce a glycemic response, it could at least be useful in satiating the sweet-teeth of diabetics or dieters, even if I don't care for it.

[K.C.]

You bring up a good point, busybee. When many of these companies introduce new products in an effort to go green, they tend to focus on one thing, such as an ingredient or the packaging. I guess that's not totally environmentally friendly or more health conscious, but at least it's a step in the right direction!

[Kelly S]

I was speaking to a Brazilian friend of mine, and she told me that stevia has been used for years in Brazil. Her Grandmother used to use it all the time as a sugar supplement. She said it was 300 times sweeter than sugar!

[Rob]

How was it used to treat diabetes? By what mechanism?

[Cory M]

I just don't get it. After reading the reported side effects, I wonder why we even need artificial sweeteners (even the so-called "natural" ones), when all studies are reporting that the use of them actually promotes exacerbated cravings and over-eating. Wouldn't it make more sense to just limit the use of natural sugar?

My second concern is: how natural is something that has been so highly processed as to completely alter its natural state?

[VLN]

I come from Brazil and I know that they've been using stevia in their products since before I was born. They haven't found anything that has made it unsafe, so I think its use in the U.S. will be successful. Some asked if it could be used as an appetite suppressant, and yes, I have seen it in diet drinks.

[uwan]

Thanks for useful information...another nutrition choice for diabetes and obesity.

[Drake]

Stevia has hypotensive, and hypoglycemic effects. I wonder if these effects will be seen from the consumption of these new products. If that is the case, then it could eventually help reduce the incidence of childhood diabetes, as well as enhance the fight of obesity in our community today.

[Christine]

I use stevia myself in my coffee, and even when baking. I love it! I also feel safer knowing it’s derived from a plant product, so it’s a natural substance unlike most other artificial sweeteners.

[Cathy. P]

Cory, I totally agree about limiting sugar intake. I am not a fan of artificial sweeteners, and I use unprocessed sugar at home, whenever possible. Plus, I can’t agree that drinking soda with stevia is healthy. Drink water instead! However, if stevia (rebaudioside A) could be used in products meant for diabetics, then I am all for it. I just hope it doesn’t go the way of the Olean® and Olestra® and leave some people with unpleasant side effects.

[Isabella]

I love the fact that it's a natural sweetener. I try to avoid anything artificial because the likeliness of side effects is so much higher.

[Betsy]

Since the U.S. is starting to use stevia, I wonder if they have started to grow it here. It would be great if they didn't decide to negotiate with Brazil so that Brazil could export stevia as one of its goods.

[Robin]

Even though stevia is a plant-based product, that doesn't necessarily mean that it is safe and healthy for all. We claim that people in Brazil have been using it for ages without any problem, so what could be the harm? This difference is that in Brazil, the people likely know how to use the product better than we do in the U.S., as we seem to just be using it as a sugar alternative for everything. As listed in the article -- will we just end up developing kidney problems by overusing a natural product? Something to think about...

[JBT]

I guess I am just very skeptical when it comes to these things. I personally believe that you are better off using regular sugar. All of these sugar substitutes are great because they have fewer calories and what not, but we do not really know what these substances are and therefore, we don't know what harmful effects they can cause. When it comes to stevia however, at least there is some experience with using this sugar substitute in Japan and Brazil.

In addition, obesity in this country is not the result of whether or not you put regular sugar or splenda in your tea/coffee. It is deeply rooted in the dietary habits and lack of exercise. That's the real problem.

[Lance]

I think that this is great if it works, and I would be really curious to know the MOA behind its hypoglycemic and hypotensive effects and also to see a good trial that proves that the effects are substantial enough to be clinically relevant. However, I think a few of you have a very good point in that we probably just need to get off of our sugar fix and try a vegetable perhaps?

[Stevia Man]

People must wake up. The FDA is cheating them. Stevia is a much safer alternative. Visit www.stevia.co.in to know more.

[AJ]

I agree with Cory. I personally feel that a lot of people go crazy the moment they hear the word "natural" somewhere in a product. I am a little skeptical about this new product. Just be smart and cautious regarding this new product.

[Suzanne Reimer]

I recently tried stevia extract in the raw. It is a great product and less expensive than Truvia® and Purevia®. I find no aftertaste, and I love it in my coffee!

[MHD]

I think this is a great addition to the market, as stevia has been used in Japanese cooking and beverages for 20 years now. However, I would like to read additional studies regarding its efficacy as an antihypertensive herb. Aspartame was a very popular sugar substitute until it was found to potentially cause brain tumors, seizures and blindness. In some patients, it also caused death. Should this really be as good as it sounds, stevia could create a huge impact on American nutrition. With one of the most prominent chronic diseases as diabetes, our nation's soda machines and stomachs could appreciate such a change.