Weigh Pros and Cons of Natural Sweetener
Sugar is the sweetener of choice for many people. Unfortunately,
itÕs full of empty calories. ThatÕs why stevia Ñ which is calorie-free,
tastes much sweeter than sugar, and wonÕt raise your blood sugar Ñ
appeals to people who want to have their cake, or soft drink, and eat
it, too. Too bad sweetening your food with stevia is controversial.
Look before you leap. Stevia is an extract that comes from the
leaves of a South American shrub. You can use this natural sugar
substitute instead of chemical artificial sweeteners, like saccharin and
aspartame. Non-nutritive sweeteners make your food and drink taste
good, but they donÕt add the calories found in sugar and high fructose
corn syrup.
While it sounds great, stevia has one big drawback. The U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved it. That
means food manufacturers canÕt put it in drinks, cakes, cookies,
candy, or other processed foods.
Although stevia has been widely used in Japan, Korea, and Brazil,
the FDA says it doesnÕt have enough proof to declare it safe. ItÕs also
not allowed in Canada and parts of Europe.
Check out what experts say. Research on stevia is mixed. Some
studies conducted outside the United States say itÕs fine to use.
Other studies suggest there are serious health hazards, like reproductive
problems and cancer, especially if itÕs widely used.
University of Arizona professor emeritus Ryan Huxtable is a toxicologist
whose research on stevia is highly regarded by other
scientists looking for answers. Huxtable says we donÕt know enough
about it to make a good judgment.
ÒIts use in other countries is beside the point,Ó he says. ÒIf toxicological
associations are not looked for, they will not be found,
even if they occur. Consider the use of tobacco for several hundred
years by millions of people, without an awareness of
associated health problems.Ó
Today, smokingÕs relationship to cancer and other diseases is obvious,
thanks to appropriate research, the professor says.
Laboratory studies show stevia could interfere with the way food
is converted to energy. ThatÕs reason enough to find out what the
risk is to humans, Huxtable says. HeÕs also concerned because
Americans like sweets a lot more than people in other countries.
The amount of stevia used per person in the United States would
likely be much more than in Asia or South America.
ÒToxicity is a function of dose,Ó he explains. Whether the side
effects are worth the benefit from a substance depends on how
much of it you use.
Some dangerous reactions might not show up in small-scale studies.
A serious public health risk can occur when a product goes on
the market and is used by millions of people without careful testing.
For example, the arthritis medication Vioxx (rofecoxib) was on the
market for five years before a serious association with heart disease
was discovered, Huxtable says.
Make a wise choice. Just because something is ÒnaturalÓ doesnÕt
mean itÕs safe. Until the FDA determines that stevia poses no danger,
you wonÕt find it in processed foods as a food additive. However, you
can buy it at health food stores and some grocery stores as a dietary
supplement. The FDA does not regulate supplements.
Excerpt from FC&A's Amazing Diabetes Breakthroughs.
