Stevia® as a Sweetener
| Author: Judy Kohn, RN, BSN, CDE |
| Last Updated: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 |
Q: "Is the herbal supplement Stevia safe to use as a sweetener? I have tried it, and it makes a much better tasting pitcher of sweet tea than artificial sweeteners."
A: Stevia is a plant native to South America, which has been added to medicines and foods for hundreds of years. When the plant is processed, stevioside is extracted, and is 200 to 300 times as sweet as table sugar. The whole leaf, ground or used in tea, is approximately 30 times sweeter than sugar. In the amounts consumed, Stevia contains negligible calories, protein, fat, or carbohydrate.
Stevia powder and extracts are sold in the U.S. as a dietary supplement, whereas it is approved as a sweetener for use in several countries, including Japan, Germany, China, Brazil, and Paraguay. The reason Stevia has not been approved as a sweetener in the U.S. is that the FDA did not feel that Stevia had been proven to be safe, and there are some serious safety concerns (such as potential cancer and reproductive health risks) that prevent it from being approved as a food additive.
There has been some controversy over FDA’s refusal to approve Stevia as an additive. So when you view the links below, be aware that you may be reading conflicting views. But currently, the Joint Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives and the Scientific Committee on Food of the European Union also do not consider Stevia to be an acceptable sweetener.
I’d advise that you print this information and take it to your healthcare team to discuss it with them, since I would be unable to recommend this sweetener due to the above-mentioned issues.
Sources for this information were from Diabetes Self-Management, the January/February 2000 and July/August 2002 issues.
Related Links
Stevia
http://www.stevia.net
American Dietetic Association's Nationwide Nutrition Network
http://www.eatright.org
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
http://fda.gov
Important Notice: The responses provided by the team of Diabetes Educators are based on their personal experiences and expertise as practicing diabetes healthcare professionals, and are not to be considered diabetes management advice from Abbott Laboratories. Remember that information provided by the team of Diabetes Educators is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any healthcare questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to healthcare issues.
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