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Stevia's popularity is soaring even as other non-sugar sweeteners fall from grace, but where did this sugar substitute come from, does it have side effects, and is it safe?
When stevia first hit the U.S. market in 2008, many in the nutritional community were over the moon about the health potential of this new sugar substitute.
There was finally a “natural” sugar substitute with zero calories that was up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. The hope was that stevia could aid weight loss efforts without sacrificing taste and would play a role in managing diabetes. In fact, some of this has come to fruition.
Stevia remains popular, and much of this may be related to the rise in diabetes as well as the plant-based natural food craze. While use of other artificial sweeteners declined, sales of products containing stevia rose 16% from 2017 to 2018, according to a Nielsen survey.
What is stevia?
Derived from the South American Stevia rebaudiana plant, this sugar substitute is also known as rebaudioside A, reb-A, or rebian. The plant contains steviol glycosides, which are used as sweeteners. Stevia brand names include PureVia, Truvia, and SweetLeaf Sweetener. Stevia can be found in drinks, desserts, gum, baked goods, candy, yogurt, and packets for use in beverages, and can also be used when baking at home.
Is stevia safe?
Stevia is considered a “generally recognized as safe (GRAS)” ingredient by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This doesn’t apply to stevia leaf and crude stevia extracts, which don’t have FDA approval for use in food.
There was some initial concern that stevia might increase the risk of cancer or reproductive problems based on animal studies; the watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) led the charge calling for the FDA to hold back GRAS status. But now after 10-plus years on the market, stevia is safe even by CSPI standards, although the group still wants more testing to further establish its safety.
Continued below.
Domi Good: Is Stevia Bad for You? What Experts Say About This Sugar Substitute
When stevia first hit the U.S. market in 2008, many in the nutritional community were over the moon about the health potential of this new sugar substitute.
There was finally a “natural” sugar substitute with zero calories that was up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. The hope was that stevia could aid weight loss efforts without sacrificing taste and would play a role in managing diabetes. In fact, some of this has come to fruition.
Stevia remains popular, and much of this may be related to the rise in diabetes as well as the plant-based natural food craze. While use of other artificial sweeteners declined, sales of products containing stevia rose 16% from 2017 to 2018, according to a Nielsen survey.
What is stevia?
Derived from the South American Stevia rebaudiana plant, this sugar substitute is also known as rebaudioside A, reb-A, or rebian. The plant contains steviol glycosides, which are used as sweeteners. Stevia brand names include PureVia, Truvia, and SweetLeaf Sweetener. Stevia can be found in drinks, desserts, gum, baked goods, candy, yogurt, and packets for use in beverages, and can also be used when baking at home.
Is stevia safe?
Stevia is considered a “generally recognized as safe (GRAS)” ingredient by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This doesn’t apply to stevia leaf and crude stevia extracts, which don’t have FDA approval for use in food.
There was some initial concern that stevia might increase the risk of cancer or reproductive problems based on animal studies; the watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) led the charge calling for the FDA to hold back GRAS status. But now after 10-plus years on the market, stevia is safe even by CSPI standards, although the group still wants more testing to further establish its safety.
Continued below.
Domi Good: Is Stevia Bad for You? What Experts Say About This Sugar Substitute