Is Stevia Safe?
Stevia has been used since pre-Colombian times with no reports of illness or side affects. Stevia has also withstood years of research that has proven Stevia to be safe for human and animal consumption.
Why does stevia cause side effects?
Side effects are related to the other ingredients that have been added to stevia extract to make it cheap and affordable. Most of these products don't just taste awful, they also cause health problems. Most of the big stevia brands contain very small amount of stevia, the rest are erythritol or xylitol (sugar alcohol), dextrose (glucose) or maltodextrin (highly processed starch) and flavour enhancers. Recent studies show that high level of erythritol that are added to sweeten stevia, has been linked to blood clotting, stroke, heart attack and death, according to a study.
It's important to clarify that stevia extract itself a natural sweetener that has no health concerns and has been used for centuries without any known harmful effects. It's always good idea to read the ingredients and choose products with minimal or no additives to avoid any potential negative effects. These harmful ingredients are the reason for ruining stevia's reputation.
Is Stevia Mutagenic?
No. The Japanese Food and Drug Safety Center has found stevia not to be mutagenic. Only one study has shown stevia to be potentially a mutagenic and this study has been criticized for errors in procedure. Scientist in Great Britain said that according to the study’s formula, distilled water is mutagenic.
Is stevia a contraceptive?
Two studies showed stevia to have a contraceptive effect. The first study was done in Uruguay over 30 years ago and since then no one has been able to reproduce the results. The second study was done by a graduate student in Rio de Janeiro and the results and methods have been questionable. Multiple other studies have shown that stevia has no contraceptive effect.
Where is Stevia Grown?
Originally stevia grew wild in the highland region of Northern Paraguay and Southern Brazil. It was later cultivated for use as a sweetener until the introduction of sugar cane by the Spanish and Portuguese. Today Stevia is grown around the world from China, Japan and other Asian countries to South America, Europe, India, the Ukraine and even North America.
Does Stevia have the same qualities as sugar in cooking recipes?
No! The molecular structures of sucrose and Stevioside are completely different. When Sucrose (Sugar) is heated it will caramelize making fudge and caramel, stevia will not. Some sweets, like caramel, is not possible, but other sweets like cookies and cakes are possible. You just need to add yeast and/or baking-powder.
Will Stevia break down at high temperatures like saccharine or aspartame?
No! The fact that stevia is heat stable is one of the real great properties of Stevia. Stevioside is heat stable to about 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit). So it can be used in almost any recipe.
Why the majority of diet soft drinks are not sweetened with Stevia?
Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and Cargill are starting to use stevia in Canada. The diet soft drink market is HUGH, worth billions of dollars. After December 2008 when US FDA stated it had no objection for use stevia as a general purpose sweetener, Coca-Cola and Pepsi start to introduce calorie-free beverages sweetened with stevia derivatives (Truvia for Coke, PureVia for Pepsi), including Coke's Odwalla juice and Pepsi's SoBe Life.
Does Stevia have any effect on hypoglycemia?
According to the research studies the effect of the extracted stevioside and rebaudioside (Rebaudiana-A) on the glycemia did not produce any significant glycemic effects in normal or diabetic rats. In other words, stevia does not add sugar to the blood stream as sugar or even fruit can do. This allows the body to regulate the blood's sugar levels naturally. Stevia is a wonderful way to satisfy your cravings for sweets without sugar. read more..
Why stevia is disliked by many people?
Unfortunately, there is a common stigma of bitterness and aftertaste with the word "stevia". Few people know that not all stevia products are created equal. The big brand stevia have erythritol or maltodextrin as a first ingredient. These products are less prone to having offensive flavors. It is good enough and relatively cheap to use regularly. The other term that has been used is pure stevia powder which give you the impression that it's free from any additives. The might be a true statment, but what people don't know is this stevia powder are usually cheap and extracted from stevioside which is naturally bitter and has a licorice taste.
It is important to read product labels carefully, as a label that states "90% or 95% Stevia leaf extract or Stevioside" and nothing about rebaudioside is basically misleading. Even if stevioside is 99% purified, it still has an aftertaste, whereas Rebaudioside A and Rebaudioside M do not possess an aftertaste and have a sweetness comparable to sugar. In summary, the best and highest quality stevia products are those that contain pure Concentrated Reb-A or Reb-M.
What makes Ever Stevia brand different than any other brands?
All our Stevia products are 100% pure free from any fillers, additives, preservatives or other ingredients. Our stevia powder is made out of one simple ingredient called "Rebaudioside A or Rebaudioside M". Both Reb-A and Reb-M are the sweetest part of stevia leaf. When they are extracted the color is as white as snow. The more they are purified and concentrated the better they taste. Reb-A and Reb-M are granted GRAS; Generally recognized as safe by FDA, and approved by JECFA and Health Canada.