Stevia: The Sweet, Sugary, Low-Calorie Herb

The stevia plant, first cultivated in Paraguay, has been used as an herbal sweetener for centuries in South America. The Guarani Indians of Paraguay have long used stevia to make a sweet tea, and the dried leaves and twigs of the plant are commonly sold in local markets and pharmacies.

Also called sweet leaf or sweet herb, an extract is made of the leaves and flowers. Stevia contains a very sweet component called stevioside, with a sweetening effect similar to cane sugar. In Japan, where the government approved the herb in 1970, stevia and its extracts make up 40 percent of the sweetener market, and it is used by companies such as Coca-Cola and Beatrice to sweeten various products such as Diet Coke.

In 1991, the U.S. FDA placed an important ban on stevia, declaring that there is “not adequate evidence to establish that such use in food is safe.” This ban was reversed late in 1995, although it still is required to be sold as a nutritional supplement rather than as a sweetener.

CULINARY USES
Only a few drops will sweeten a cup of tea; it is also delicious in yogurt, cereal, and baked goods. Stevia’s sweet flavor is not affected by heat, thus it can be used in teas and other beverages, in canning fruits, and when baking all kinds of desserts.

HEALTH BENEFITS
Tests have shown the sweetening agent, the glycoside stevioside, is 30 times sweeter than granulated table sugar. Because it is a whole herbal food, stevia contains other properties that nicely complements its sweetness. A report from the Hiroshima University School of Dentistry indicates that stevia actually suppresses dental bacterial growth rather than feeding it as other sugars do.

Japanese and Latin American scientists have discovered other attributes as well, including its use as a tonic, diuretic, to combat mental and physical fatigue, to harmonize digestion, regulate blood pressure, and assist in weight loss.

Editor’s Note: This book was published in 1996, and since then the stevia market has boomed and there are many stevia products available in health food stores.

Read more: Food, Basics

Adapted from Whole Foods Companion, by Dianne Onstad. Copyright (c) 1996 by Dianne Onstad. Reprinted by permission of Chelsea Green Publishing.
Adapted from Whole Foods Companion, by Dianne Onstad and published by Chelsea Green.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Past Member .

7:30PM PST on Jan 9, 2012

Shame the rest of the world didn't know about it sooner, I never use anything else, it's wonderful, and freely available in supermarkets here in Australia.

send a green star

Bon L.

2:49AM PST on Jan 31, 2011

Thanks for the info.

NO EMAILS P.

12:23AM PDT on Apr 13, 2010

thanks

Susan M.

3:21PM PDT on Mar 14, 2010

Further to my earlier comments, I have moved from the UK to Portugal. Does anyone know if it is legal and available here?? I haven't seen any yet....!

Cheryl B.

2:15PM PDT on Mar 14, 2010

thanks for the info

Brittany R.

9:31AM PST on Jan 10, 2010

I have never heard of it until reading this article. I'm going to give it a try.

Annie F.

2:14PM PDT on Sep 6, 2009

i use stevia in conjunction with xylitol. great combination.

Samantha K.

12:00PM PDT on Sep 6, 2009

Susan M., it also comes in a powdered form. And there are variations. For example, Truvia extracts the sweeter parts of it, helping remove some of the bitterness, and adding extract from grapes and such for better sweetness. There are others too that use different aspects of the sweetening effects, so try different ones and see which ones remove enough of the bitterness.

Another alternative is Erythritol, a natural sugar alcohol. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol
That is present in certain fruits, giving them their sweet taste. There are several drinks and foods already sweetened with Erythritol, such as Sobe Life Water (They have regular flavors with a combination of that and sugar, and Zero-cal flavors which use only the Erythritol). I seem to find no bitterness in products using Erythritol.

3:31PM PDT on Apr 6, 2009

I recently took the plunge .. and bought a little bottle of stevia, made by a well known company, that is mixed into glycerine and uses a dropper. It seems very messy - as its difficult to measure, and easily 'floods' out when replacing the dropper and is very sticky. Also, I cannot seem to find it THAT sweet. Either... it is not quite sweet enough ... or, I find I can taste a little bitterness on adding more. Its ok for me... but my husband loathes it even at low levels ! He seems to be able to taste the bitterness with less than a single drop !

Can anyone tell me, is the version that is without glycerin more sweet, and less bitter???

Thank you for any help!

Marie J.

5:01PM PST on Jan 20, 2009

I've been using Stevia liquid drops for many years and love it, but had to buy it through Ebay since no stores near us offered it. It seems expensive only if you've never used it. A little two ounce bottle lasts me many months using it only for tea, lasts less time when I cook with it.

Now TRUVIA has come out, and they make Stevia seem like it's a new sweetener, not at all!
:-)