Stevia Article

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Stay Healthy the Stevia Way

 

 

 

Ray Sahelian, M.D. and Donna Gates (Excerpted from The Stevia Cookbook)

 

 

 

 

We all have a craving for a sweet taste and often satisfy this craving with

sugar or fat-filled foods. Even " natural " sugar substitutes, such as honey,

maple syrup or molasses, can be unhealthy if over-consumed since they can

markedly elevate blood sugar levels. Hence, stevia can be advantageous to

practically everyone whose diet contains sweeteners. Although stevia can be

helpful to anyone, there are certain groups who are more likely to benefit from

its remarkable sweetening potential. These include diabetics, those interested

in decreasing caloric intake, and children.

A Godsend to Diabetics

The availability of artificial sweeteners has been of enormous benefit to

diabetics. However, there's always been a concern that over consumption of these

synthetic sweeteners may cause some unknown harm to the body. Could stevia

substitution be a good alternative in diabetics? We believe so. Stevia leaves

have been used as herbal teas by diabetic patients in Asian countries. No side

effects have been observed in these patients after many years of continued

consumption (Suttajit, 1993). Furthermore, studies have shown that stevia

extract can actually improve blood sugar levels (Alvarez, 1981, Curi, 1986).

In 1986, Brazilian researchers from the Universities of Maringa and Sao Paolo

evaluated the role of stevia in blood sugar (Curi, 1986). Sixteen healthy

volunteers were given extracts of 5 grams of stevia leaves every six hours for

three days. The extracts from the leaves were prepared by immersing them in

boiling water for 20 minutes. A glucose tolerance test (GTT) was performed

before and after the administration of the extract and the results were compared

to another group who did not receive the stevia extracts. During a GTT, patients

are given a glass of water with glucose and their blood sugar levels are

evaluated over the next few hours. Those who have a predisposition to diabetes

will have a marked rise in blood sugar levels. The volunteers on stevia were

found to have significantly lower blood sugar levels after ingestion of stevia.

This is a positive indication that stevia can potentially be beneficial to

diabetics who substitute stevia in order to decrease their sugar consumption.

Even if stevia by itself is not able to lower blood sugar levels, just the fact

that a diabetic would consume less sugar is of significant importance in

maintaining better blood sugar control.

If you're diabetic, chances are you consume a large amount of artificial

sweeteners and you may be concerned about switching to stevia since long-term

human studies have not been done with this herb. You may also be accustomed in

your use of these artificial sweeteners and would not be willing to completely

stop them. One option is to gradually use less of them while substituting

stevia. For instance, you can initially use stevia in some of your drinks, like

coffee or tea. After a few weeks, if your comfort level with stevia increases,

you can gradually use more of the herbal extract. Over the next few weeks and

months you can either switch completely to stevia, or you can continue using it

in combination with artificial sweeteners. With time more research will become

available on the safety of stevia and artificial sweeteners. Based on the

results of these studies, you can determine which ones to continue using in a

larger amount.

It's also quite possible that artificial sweeteners may be safe in low amounts,

but problems could arise when they are used in excessive quantities. By

partially or mostly substituting stevia, you can reduce any potential risk.

Weight Loss

It would seem quite obvious that substituting a no-calorie sweetener to sugar

would help reduce caloric intake and thus contribute to weight loss. And such is

the case with aspartame. Researchers at the Center for the Study of Nutrition

Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, at Harvard Medical School in

Boston, Massachusetts, studied the influence of aspartame on obesity (Blackburn,

1997). One hundred sixty-three women were randomly assigned to consume or to

abstain from aspartame-sweetened foods and beverages for 16 weeks. Both groups

were also actively involved in a weight-control program using a variety of

modalities. At the end of the 16 weeks, both the group on aspartame and the

group without the synthetic sweetener lost 10 kilograms. During the maintenance

phase that lasted the next two years, women assigned to the aspartame-treatment

group gained back 4.5 kilogram, whereas those not on aspartame gained back 9.4

kilograms, practically all the weight they had previously lost. The researchers

state, " These data suggest that participation in a multidisciplinary

weight-control program that includes aspartame may facilitate the long-term

maintenance of reduced body weight. "

Unfortunately, no formal studies have been done evaluating stevia substitution

in relation to weight loss. We would suspect, though, that the results would be

similar to the aspartame study discussed above. If you are the type of person

who adds sugar to your morning coffee or tea, or to iced tea, lemonade, and a

variety of desserts and baked goods, then, over time, the elimination of these

refined sugar calories could make a significant difference.

Sweet Teeth with No Cavities

Even a five-year old child knows that sugar causes tooth cavities. There are

certain bacteria in our mouths, particularly streptococci mutans, that ferment

various sugars to produce acids. These in turn eat through the enamel of the

tooth causing pockets or cavities. For a long time, scientists have searched to

find alternative sweeteners that are not fermentable by bacteria and hence do

not cause cavities. Artificial sweeteners have been helpful in this regard.

Does ingesting stevia lead to tooth cavities? A study done on rats has not shown

this to be case. Stevioside and rebaudioside A, the two primary sweet

constituents of the stevia plant, were tested in a group of sixty rat pups (Das,

1992) in the following way:

Group 1 was fed sucrose (table sugar), at 30 percent of their diet

Group 2 was given 0.5 percent of their diet in stevioside

Group 3 got 0.5 percent of their diet in rebaudioside A

Group 4 ingested no sugars.

After 5 weeks, all four groups had their teeth evaluated. There were no

differences in food and water intake and weight gain between the four groups.

However, the first group had significantly more cavities than the rest of the

groups. Groups 2, 3, and 4 were equivalent. The researchers state, " It was

concluded that neither stevioside nor rebaudioside A is cariogenic [cavity

causing] under the conditions of this study. " It appears that the chemicals

within the stevia plant that impart its sweetness are not fermentable, and thus

do not cause tooth cavities.

Use in Children

Candies, sodas, ice cream, pies, cakes... it's disturbing how many sweet

products are ingested by children on a daily basis. All that sugar can lead to

tooth cavities and obesity. We believe that partially substituting with stevia

can help children satisfy their sweet tooth while decreasing the risks from

excessive sugar intake.

If you're a parent, you can take advantage of the many recipes provided in the

second half of this book to provide your children with tasty sweets that will

satisfy their sweet teeth but not cause damage to the teeth. Obesity in children

is a growing problem in this country and any method we have of helping children

reduce their caloric intake will be greatly beneficial.

We also are concerned with children overconsuming excessive amounts of

artificial sweeteners. The potential, long-term health consequences of saccharin

and aspartame ingestion are currently not fully known, but they do need to be

kept in mind. Eliminating all artificial sweeteners will be a frustrating

enterprise since they are extremely prevalent. However, by partially

substituting stevia in homemade desserts, you can significantly reduce your

children's exposure to these artificial chemicals.

Hopefully, with time, stevia can be added to a variety of sodas, candies, gums,

and other foods in the US, just like it currently is in Japan and other

countries.

Blood Pressure

In 1991, Dr. M.S. Melis, from the Department of Biology at the University of Sao

Paulo in Brazil, gave a one-time high dose injection of stevioside to rats and

found that it caused a reduction in blood pressure as well as an increased

elimination of sodium (Melis, 1991). A slight diuretic effect also occurred. The

effect was additive when stevia was combined with verapamil (a medicine used to

lower blood pressure in humans who have high blood pressure).

Dr. Melis repeated a similar study in 1995. This time, he administered extracts

of stevia to rats for 20, 40, and 60 days. After 20 days, there were no changes

in the stevia-treated rats compared to the control group (the ones that didn't

receive the extracts). However, after 40 or 60 days of administering the

extract, there was a lowering of blood pressure, a diuretic effect was noted

along with loss of sodium. The amount of blood going to the kidneys was

increased.

When normal human volunteers between the ages of 20 to 40 years were given a tea

prepared with stevia leaves, a lowering of blood pressure occurred (Boeck,

1981). This study was done in Brazil. Certainly more human studies are needed

before we can come to any conclusions regarding the full effect of normal daily

ingestion of stevioside on blood pressure.

Update May 2000 by Ray Sahelian, MD

How does stevia’s sweetness compare to other artificial sweeteners? Does it even

come close to their potency? A new study done at the Department of Food and

Nutrition, FCF-UNESP in Araraquara, Brazil, compared the relative sweetness of

stevia to that of aspartame, a cyclamate/saccharin combination, and a 10 percent

sucrose concentration. The results were interesting. An equivalent dose of

stevia, aspartame, the cyclamate/saccharin combination and a 10 percent sucrose

concentration all had practically the same potency! Cardello HM, Da Silva MA,

Damasio MH. Measurement of the relative sweetness of stevia extract, aspartame

and cyclamate/saccharin blend as compared to sucrose at different

concentrations. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 1999;54(2):119-30.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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