Stevia: How Safe Is This Plant-Extracted Sweetener?
Stevia, a sweetener derived from the leaves of a South American shrub got approval from the Food and Drug Administration in December of 2008 to be classified as a sweetener (it was only a dietary supplement until then), and since then several food-companies have started to create products using stevia or its derivatives. My write-up on the various sweeteners in the market did not include stevia and so I thought it’s time to take a closer look at this, especially since MSBC Health had an article questioning the “Natural – So Its Safe” reasoning used by stevia-based sweetener manufacturers.
What Is Stevia Sweetener?
Stevia is the extract of a shrub found in South America and is reported to be up to 300 times as sweet as sugar. It has already been used extensively in Japan as a sweetener and in some other countries like Canada as a dietary supplement. In the U.S. food manufacturers use stevia-based sweeteners like Truvia (Coke) and PureVia (Pepsi) to sweeten their food –products.
Health And Safety Concerns With Stevia
There are several health-related concerns that concern sugary/sweetened foods in general and stevia in particular. To begin with the very fact that it is a sweetener means it is possibly included in foods that are not that healthful to begin with:
[…] there’s nothing to distinguish stevia from other sugar substitutes on the market, despite its boast about being natural, nutrition experts say. Stevia may have no calories, but you shouldn’t make it a regular dietary staple, says New York City-based nutritionist Keri Gans, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
“Given our nation’s problem with obesity, stevia and other artificial sweeteners have a place for people who consume more calories than they should from sweets,” says Gans. “But artificial sweeteners should not take over your diet because that means you’re eating way too many processed foods.” [MSNBC]
One advantage Stevia has over its counterparts like Sweet N’ Low, Equal and Splenda is that it is not made artificially in a lab, but that certainly does not mean it is automatically safe. There have been certain lab tests that have associated excessive use of stevia with infertility and even mutated genes (which can cause cancer). Some of those tests are being disputed and also, while it is true that only large quantities caused this reaction, what is also true is that once a low-calorie, artificially-sweetened product hits American shelves, it tends to be massively over-consumed (think:soda) which could cause problems in the future.
Finally, the article explains, that biggest reason to avoid artificially sweetened products is that it can cause us to get even more hungry:
Studies indicate that consuming something with a sweet taste primes the body for a calorie delivery that doesn’t happen. As a result eaters seek more sweets to satisfy the body’s cravings. Recent research also found that sucralose may alter people’s gut bugs in ways that promote weight gain. [MSNBC]
Personally, I try to avoid artificially sweetening any beverage and while the first few days may seem difficult to overcome, I can assure you that after awhile it will be the sweetened drinks which will begin to taste weird (even those sweetened with sugar taste odd to me). In general, my recommendation would be to avoid sweeteners altogether, but if taste is the issue then choosing sugar (raw sugar if possible) would be a better choice any day (For the reasons, read the Why Sugar section on my sweeteners blog post).
For those still hooked on sweeteners a new player just threw its hat into the ring and the confusion-level has just upped a notch!
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- Sweeteners and sugar substitutes – why I just use sugar
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- FitnessMantra Quotes #2: Seven Words To Live By
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