Stevia: Sweet, But Is It Safe?
Stevia (STEE-vee-uh) is a South American shrub whose leaves have been used for centuries by native peoples in Paraguay and Brazil to sweeten their yerba mate and other stimulant beverages.
Stevioside, the main ingredient in stevia (the two terms are often used interchangeably), is virtually calorie-free and hundreds of times sweeter than table sugar. “So it appeals to many people as a natural alternative to artificial sweeteners,” says Mark Blumenthal of the pro-herb American Botanical Council in Austin, Texas.
While Japanese manufacturers have used stevia since the early 1970s to sweeten pickles and other foods, the FDA has turned down three industry requests to use stevia in foods in the U.S.
That’s why you don’t see stevia on supermarket shelves next to the Sweet’N Low or Equal. But you can buy it in health food stores as a dietary supplement. The FDA has little control over supplements.
Why hasn’t the FDA approved stevia? “We don’t have enough data to conclude that the use [in food] would be safe,” the agency stated in 1994.
The U.S. isn’t alone. Canada doesn’t allow food companies to add stevia to their products. Nor does the European Union.
Last year, the scientific panel that reviews the safety of food ingredients for the EU concluded that stevioside is “not acceptable” as a sweetener because of unresolved concerns about its toxicity. In 1998, a United Nations expert panel came to essentially the same conclusion.
The Problem with Stevia
To stevia’s boosters, there’s no debate. The herb has been consumed without apparent harm in different parts of the world for many years, they argue. No reports of any adverse reactions have surfaced after 30 years of use in Japan, for instance.
“But the Japanese don’t consume large amounts of stevia,” notes Douglas Kinghorn, professor of pharmacognosy (the study of drugs from plants) at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
“In the U.S., we like to go to extremes,” adds toxicologist Ryan Huxtable of the University of Arizona in Tucson. “So a significant number of people here might consume much greater amounts.”
Here’s what troubles toxicologists:
Reproductive problems. Stevioside “seems to affect the male reproductive organ system,” European scientists concluded last year. When male rats were fed high doses of stevioside for 22 months, sperm production was reduced, the weight of seminal vesicles (which produce seminal fluid) declined, and there was an increase in cell proliferation in their testicles, which could cause infertility or other problems.1 And when female hamsters were fed large amounts of a derivative of stevioside called steviol, they had fewer and smaller offspring.2 Would small amounts of stevia also cause reproductive problems? No one knows.
Cancer. In the laboratory, steviol can be converted into a mutagenic compound, which may promote cancer by causing mutations in the cells’ genetic material (DNA). “We don’t know if the conversion of stevioside to steviol to a mutagen happens in humans,” says Huxtable. “It’s probably a minor issue, but it clearly needs to be resolved.”
Energy metabolism. Very large amounts of stevioside can interfere with the absorption of carbohydrates in animals and disrupt the conversion of food into energy within cells. “This may be of particular concern for children,” says Huxtable.
The bottom line: If you use stevia sparingly (once or twice a day in a cup of tea, for example), it isn’t a great threat to you. But if stevia were marketed widely and used in diet sodas, it would be consumed by millions of people. And that might pose a public health threat.
“The take-home message is simply that we don’t know enough,” says Huxtable.
That’s why the government needs to require companies to do more—and better—testing.
1 J. Food Hyg. Soc. Japan 26: 169, 1985. 2 Drug Chem. Toxicol. 21: 207, 1998.
Obesity, Economics and Choices
A recent article, “Getting the best nutrition for your buck” on msnbc.com gave a rather interesting argument about how the current economy is encouraging obesity in our country. I got pretty fired up, so here it goes.
At The Healthy Edge, we work with people EVERYDAY who are ready to shift in to a healthy lifestyle. The reason they choose to do this varies, but for many individuals and families, it’s with a desire to live a higher quality of life and to help prevent diseases.
A report done by the USDA shows that The United States spends less that 10% of our household income on our family food budget. This is the lowest amount compared to 141 countries surveyed. This is a HUGE indicator of where the problem lies with our health and our obesity issue. We also spend the most amount of money on health care, yet we are among the unhealthiest in the world.
If we are spending 10% of our income on food, where does the other 90% go? Much of it is to necessities including our home, clothes, transportation, etc. But how much of it is a reflection of what really matters in our life. People who are struggling in this economy are still smoking, drinking, buying name brand clothes (sunglasses, purses, shoes, etc), driving high end cars and taking expensive vacations. These are the same people who will turn around and complain about the price of produce or organic products and opt for the cheaper alternatives in boxes, bags or drive thrus . By the way, these are not only filled with sugar, preservatives, fat and enriched flours, but they are less filling because of the lack of nutrients. This consequently leads to eating MORE!
The reality of these decisions may not really sink in until you receive a medical bill that is a consequence of poor lifestyle choices such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer, etc. Every choice has an effect and choices compound. If you decide to not spend the money or effort keeping yourself healthy, then you run a high risk of paying the price later. If you decide to spend money on luxury items, then you will enjoy the benefits (whatever that looks like for you) but you fail to address the one component that makes EVERYTHING you have possible to have and enjoy: Your Health!!! Without your health these material things mean nothing.
For anyone who has ever had a sick child or a dying spouse or parent, the reality of what it means to have your health is pretty obvious. After watching my mom go from a vibrant, healthy woman to someone who was confined to a hospital room, I know that my money is well spent on keeping my body and mind healthy. My husband and I buy fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and meats and use the tips from The Healthy Edge to buy economical! I still have luxuries in my life, but NOT at the cost of the food and supplements that go into my body and keep me healthy to enjoy them!
There IS a difference between spinach and iceburg lettuce, although the article from msnbc might convince you otherwise! You can also choose healthy foods that don’t break the bank and prepare them in less than the 16 hours suggested. It takes education and practice and that is why we offer the lifestyle program of The Healthy Edge! It’s all about education and choices!
Here are some tips:
1.Save money by not buying a gym membership, especially if you are not using it! Exercise can look a LOT of different ways and can be done in your house or outside. An exercise video series can be economical (try craig’s list or Ebay) and provide the support and instruction you need!
2.Check out local farmer’s markets and co-ops. Check out www.eatwellguide.org for support!
3.Cut up fresh fruits and vegetables as soon as you get home! Get the family involved in the preparation that is going to encourage that you use the produce! It is much easier to use these for salads, wraps and recipes if it is already cut!
4.Use The Healthy Edge recipes for quick and simple ideas for cooking healthy! Make the recipes in bulk so you can eat throughout the week!
5.Grow your own garden. I didn’t believe it until I did it! We have a small area in our backyard with spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, squash and zucchini. It takes minimal time and effort! We also grow our own herbs!
6.Buy the fruits and vegetables that are in season, these are usually more economical than those out of season! A simple internet search on seasonal fruits and vegetables will bring up a lot of great information!
7.Use the crockpot to make fabulous dishes with all of your produce at the end of the week! It is amazing the great concoctions that can be made by throwing in all of the vegetables that are almost ready to be tossed, adding low sodium chicken broth, some herbs such as rosemary, bay leaves or sage and some meat such as organic chicken or beef! Start in the morning on low and cook all day! It’s delicious and fun!
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