STEVIA, SWEET TO THE TASTE AND TO YOUR

HEALTH
“When one first observes the plant, nothing particular about it summons the attention, but when
even a small piece of the leaf is placed in the mouth, one is amazed by its sweetness. A mere
fragment of leaf is enough to sweeten the mouth for an hour.”
Those few simple words, issued in 1899, opened one of the more remarkable chapters in the history
of botanical science, and introduced the world at large to a unique and potentially revolutionary plant
from Paraguay known as stevia, or "honey leaf."
Despite centuries of use by the Indians, it wasn't until 1899 that “civilized” man discovered the plant.
M.S. Bertoni (quoted above) observed that the Guarani Indians of Paraguay used the plant to
sweeten their bitter drinks. Eventually, Bertoni was to be credited with the discovery of a new species;
in his honor, stevia is now known as Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni.

There are three distinct traditions of stevia use. The first is for flavor enhancement; the second is
as an herbal tea. The third is medicinal. The main impetus for the development of stevia research
was the discovery that the herb possessed an extraordinary sweetness. A good quality leaf is
estimated to be 30 times sweeter than cane sugar, or sucrose.

Stevia is considered by the world's leading food scientists as the "sweeteners of the future."
Therefore, each new development in the area of stevia research is anxiously awaited and thoroughly
analyzed when it appears. As artificial sweeteners are in some countries on the brink of being banned,
food authorities are desperately trying to find new, safe, non-caloric sweeteners. And in other
countries, manufacturers of artificial sweeteners are extremely fearful of the advent of new, safer
substitutes over which they will have no control. For these firms, the emergence of a totally natural,
non-patentable sweetener is the ultimate horror. Stevia is destined to have a dramatic impact on all
countries of the world. The necessary forces simply need to be properly aligned, the raging fury of
mega-monstrous companies firmly bridled by caring governments, and the supply of stevia raised to
meet the enormous demand.

What makes it sweet?

Steviosides and rebaudiosides are the principal constituents of diterpene glucosides with differing
sugar molecules attached, as found in the leaves of the stevia plant. Extracted, they are currently
being used as sweetening agents in several countries, including Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Israel,
Uruguay, Brazil, and Paraguay. In Japan, commercialization of stevia was very rapid, beginning with
the ban of artificial sweeteners during the 1960's. In 1970 the Japanese National Institute of Health
began importing stevia for investigation, and by 1980 it was being used in hundreds of food products
throughout the country.

While most of the attention focuses on the steviosides, research has shown that the rebaudiosides
are actually much better tasting – however, there are comparitvely fewer of them. One rebaudioside in
particular, Rebaudioside A, appears to be far superior. Its sweetening power is estimated to be 30%
higher than that of stevioside. Efforts to genetically select for this constituent are underway in Japan.
However, according to some sources, the plantations maintained by the Guarani in Paraguay contain
perhaps the best tasting natural whole-leaf stevia available. Efforts to remove stevia from its native
habitat and cultivate it in foreign soils may be primarily responsible for the ‘off’ taste that characterizes
non-Paraguayan stevia. The best stevia may indeed still be obtainable only from parts of Paraguay
under native cultivation. Interestingly, a recent report showed that none of the stevia used in Japan is
imported from Paraguay. Of the 1000 tons used in Japan in 1982, 30% were produced in Japan, 40%
came from Continental China, 15% from Taiwan, 10% from Thailand and 5% from Korea, Brazil and
Malaysia. It is said that the Paraguayans will not sell to Japan. Much, if not most, of the stevia sold in
the U.S. is imported from China and other non-Paraguayan sources.

Along these same lines, it may be that the use of whole leaf is an easier way to obtain better taste
than through efforts aimed at trying to improve the taste of certain specific constituents. It is
surprising, to see how much research has gone into attempting to improve the taste of individual
steviosides or rebaudiosides. Since the white crystaline powder has a quite persistent bitter and
astringent aftertaste, its use as a commercial sweetener often backfires. Thus, most
manufacturers who use the isolated constituents of stevia usually have to combine it with other
kinds of typical sugars! Since rebaudiosides taste better, methods are constantly being sought to
synthetically convert steviosides to rebaudiosides!

But even the rabaudiosides must be combined with other kinds of sugars to obtain necessary
sweetness. Finally, in the ultimate irony, there are processes currently under development for
improving the taste of stevioside by combining it in various ways with other substances obtained
directly from stevia! Perhaps most, if not all, of these , or whole leaf EXTRACT, the way nature
intended stevia to be used. However, pure stevioside is attractive to manufacturers mainly
because of the higher profits to be achieved from using a purified, therefore patentable, material.

Stevia is appropriate for use in conjunction with a variety of other herbal teas. One can mimic
the South American practice of combining stevia with yerba mate, lapacho, and other native
herbs, or one can experiment with stevia in altering the taste parameters of any number of
traditional teas.

In Australia, stevia is available in bulk, as a refined white powder, or as a liquid extract. Try
straight stevia tea made from the leaves. Search for commercial products that contain stevia –
probably not many if any at all just yet. If you purchase stevia in bulk, individual leaves and
pieces of leaf can be added to beverages, sprinkled over salads or cooking vegetables, or
some of the tea can be substituted for sugar in recipes. A little bit goes a long way.

The bitter principles that give a bitter taste are actually found in the veins of the leaf, while the
leafy material between the veins contains the sweet components. Great care must be taken
during production of stevia extract to avoid contaminating the sweet with the bitter.

Due to FDA regulations, pure stevioside or rebaudioside is not allowed in the United States.
Even the leaf is suspect if it is labeled as a sweetener. Stevia and stevia extracts are
considered foods. Sweeteners are not foods, but food additives. Therefore, stevia cannot be
called a sweetener. This, of course, restricts a manufacturer's ability to "get the word out" on
stevia's use as a sweetening agent for teas or whatever. In practice, as long as the stevia
industry poses no significant threat to the U.S. sugar or sugar substitute industries, the FDA
will probably not be pressured to concern itself with what goes on with stevia labelling or use.
Any perceived threat at all, however, could tip the scales the opposite way, and all forms of
stevia could be banned.

To keep things low-key, remember that the sweetening effect is simply a pleasant by-product.
The primary reason that stevia is combined with the other herbs is to enhance the nutritive
value of the other herbs! Stevia is, after all, nutrient-rich, containing substantial amounts of
protein, calcium, phosphorous and other important nutrients. Besides the steviosides and
rebaudiosides, and the nutrients specified above, a good deal of sterols, triterpenes,
flavonoids, tannins, and an extremely rich volatile oil comprising rich proportions of aromatics,
aldehyde, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes.

Hypoglycemic action.
It is probably the presence of the steviosides themselves that has produced dozens of
empirical and semi-controlled reports of hypoglycemic action. Paraguayans say that stevia is
helpful for hypoglycemia and diabetes because it nourishes the pancreas and thereby helps to
restore normal pancreatic function. In semi-controlled clinical reports one also encounters
reports of this action. Oviedo, et. al., reported a 35.2% fall in normal blood sugar levels 6-8
hours following the ingestion of a stevia leaf extract.14 Similar trends have been reported in
humans and experimental animals by other workers. These kind of results have led physicians
in Paraguay to prescribe stevia leaf tea in the treatment of diabetes. Similarly, in Brazil, stevia
tea and stevia capsules are officiallly approved for sale for the treatment of diabetes.

However, it is important to note that stevia does not lower blood glucose levels in normal
subjects. In two different studies, no hypoglycemic action was detected. Similar negative
results have been obtained by other observers. Then there is research in which the findings
show trends toward hypoglycemic action, but the results are inconclusive.

All in all, the experimental research on the effects of stevia on blood sugar levels in human
patients with either diabetes or hypoglycemia is sparse. The general feeling in the scientific
community is that the mild acting nature of the plant and its total lack of toxic side effects
argues against the need for extensive and expensive research programs.

However, many of the anecdotes reporting a definite and significant blood sugar lowering
action in diabetics, and a pronounced exhilarating effect in hypoglycemics, are sound enough
to justify considerable experimental work in the area. Perhaps, when this missing piece to the
puzzle is supplied, we will then have a better understanding of how stevia works - why, for
example, many diabetic humans experience a profound lowering of blood sugar levels
following the ingestion of several cups of stevia tea (24-32 oz.) during the course of a 24 hour
period.

Cardiovascular Action.

A good deal of research has been done on the effects of stevia and stevioside on
cardiovascular functioning in man and animals. Some of this work was simply looking for
possible toxicity, while some was investigating possible therapeutic action. In neither case
have significant properties been found. When any action at all is observed, it is almost always
a slight lowering of arterial blood pressure at low and normal doses, changing to a slight rise in
arterial pressure at very high doses. The most curious finding is a dose dependent action on
heartbeat, with a slight increase appearing at lower doses, changing to a mild decrease at
higher doses. In neither instance is the result remarkable, and it is extremely doubtful that
humans would experience any effect at normal doses.23 The long term use of stevia would
probably have a cardiotonic action, that is, would produce a mild strengthening of the heart
and vascular system.

Antimicrobial Action

Stevia inhibits the growth and reproduction of bacteria and other infectious. This explains why
users of stevia-enhanced products report a lower incidence of colds and flus, and it has fostered
the invention of a number of mouthwash and tooth paste products. Research clearly shows that
Streptococcus mutans, Pseudomonas aeruginos, Proteus vulgaris and other microbes do not
thrive in the presence of the non-nutritive stevia constituents. Stevia has even been shown to lower
the incidence of dental caries.

Digestive Tonic Action.

 In Brazil, stevia ranks high among the list of plants used for centuries by the "gauchos" of the
southern plains to flavor the bitter medicinal preparations used by that nomadic culture.
Through much experimentation, these people learned that stevia improved digestion, and also
improved overall gastro-intestinal function. Likewise, since its introduction in China, stevia tea
is used as a low calorie sweet-tasting tea, as an appetite stimulant, as a digestive aid, as an
aid to weight management, and even for staying young.

Effects on the Skin.

The Guarani and other people who have are familiar with stevia report that it is effective when
applied to acne, seborrhea, dermatitis, eczema, etc. Placed directly in cuts and wounds, more
rapid healing, without scarring, is observed. (This treatment may sting for a few seconds, but
this is followed by a significant lowering of pain.) Smoother skin, softer to the touch is claimed
to result from the frequent application of stevia poultices and extracts. However, this reported
action has not been researched. Current FDA labelling regulations are forcing U.S. suppliers to
label their stevia as something other than a sweetener. An appeal to its soothing action on the
skin has been the most frequent alternative.

Effects on Reproduction.

An interesting pseudo-phenomenon arose at one time, which still receives attention from time
to time in the popular press and even by serious scientists. It seems that in 1968 a paper
appeared which claimed that certain tribes of Indians in Paraguay (the Matto Grosso) used
stevia tea as a contraceptive, with apparently very good results. In subsequent experimental
work, utilizing rats, these researchers found that the treatment was supposedly good for
periods up to 2 months. Sadly though, the whole thing is either a hoax, or if not that, at least a
case of very badly mistaken identity.

Follow up studies have repeatedly failed to replicate the 1968 study. Furthermore, at least one
attempt to locate tribes in northeastern Paraguay that used stevia to control fertility failed to confirm
the story. One effect on reproductive physiology that appears to be valid, but which is in need of
further study before definitive conclusions can be drawn, is a healing effect on the processes
underlying prostate disease. Just how important this finding is must await further research.
Safety

One of the most obvious indications of the safety of stevia is that there have never been any
reports of ill effects in over 1500 years of continuous use by Paraguayans. A similar indication of its
safety is the observation that despite over ten years of widespread use of stevioside as a
sweetening agent in Japan, (years in which literally scores of tons of stevioside were ingested), not
a single report of side effects of any kind has been reported. Compare that record to the track
record of aspartame, which is the number one source of consumer food complaints made to the
FDA.

The first official investigation of possible toxicity from stevia was performed in 1931 by Pomaret
and coworkers in South America. Their tests were negative. They observed that stevioside passes
through the human alimentary canal without being altered by digestive processes. That is, it goes
out in exactly the same form that it goes in. In the decades since that observation there has raged
a minor debate over this issue, but so far nobody has been able to prove Pomaret wrong.

More elaborate safety tests were performed by the Japanese during their evaluations of stevia as a
possible sweetening agent. Few substances have ever yielded such consistently negative results
in toxicity trials as has stevia. Almost every toxicity test imaginable has been performed on stevia
extract or stevioside at one time or another. The results are always negative. No abnorm-alities in
weight change, food intake, cell or membrane characteristics, enzyme and substrate utilization, or
 chromosome characteristics. No cancer, no birth defects, no acute and no chronic untoward
effects. Nothing.

Planting and Propagation

Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.) Bertoni , or stevia, as it is commonly known, is native to valley of the Rio
Monday in North Eastern Paraguay and is found on the edges of marshland on acid infertile sand or
muck soils. This area’s latitude corresponds well with from mid- and south-east Queensland to
Northern New South Wales. It is a perennial shrub of the Compositae family and therefore is related to
sunflowers, and marigolds. (Some sources claim it is of the Asteracea family, therefore related to
asters.) Stevia has an alternate leaf arrangement and herbacious growth habit with flowers arranged
in indeterminate heads. The flowers are small and white with a pale purple throat. The pollen can be
highly allergenic. Stevia is self-incompatible and probably insect pollinated, the seeds are small, have
very little endosperm and are dispersed in the wind via a hairy pappus.

Mature plants produce 2 annual harvests, in low fertility soil. The leaves measure from 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 inches)
long and 1 to 2½cm (½ to 1 inch wide). When the plant reaches maturity, it is about 60 to 90cm (2-3 feet) tall.
A yield of 10kg of dried leaves of good quality produces 1kg of stevioside, the main sweetening principle of the
leaf. For the home gardener, 6-8 plants should provide a year’s supply of leaves to dry and add to your tea and
herbal blends. Stevia plants can be propagated from cuttings or seed. Since germination rates are poor and
seedlings very slow to establish it is best grown as an annual or perennial transplanted crop.
When attempting to propagate cuttings, the following vegetative propagation technique should work:

1) Take cuttings from the youngest growth. These cuttings should have at least 3-4 nodes. Make cuts at
roughly a 45 degree angle. Remove leaves from 1-2 nodes up from the cut.
2) Dip in Rootone or other rooting hormones which are available at your local gardening store/dept.
Follow directions on label for further info.
3) Insert cuttings into pre-moisten (not wet) potting soil or soil-less mixture. Make sure that 1-2 nodes are
beneath the soil. Water gently. Keep in warm place and water as needed.

NOTE: You may want to remove additional aerial leaves, leaving only a few. This is done to limit evapo-
transpiration while the cutting is establishing new root growth.

If germinating seeds, the 6 to 7 week old seedlings (ideally raised in a heated green-house) should be planted in
mid to late November, with some fertilizer. The plants should be watered as required. The warmer the
conditions, the faster the plant will establish itself. Most of the leaf yield should accumulate from mid to late
summer. The older lower leaves will have more ‘sweetener’ that the younger upper leaves. The plant’s
production of glycosides drops when flowers appear, but flowering is delayed by the longer day length. So, the
longer the day length, the better the leaf’s sweetness. Increasing the planting density in farm situations has been
found to influence the plant’s leaf yield favorably also.

Cooking with Stevia

Working with the white stevia powder (extract) is difficult, so we usually recommend creating a liquid
concentrate from the white powder. To make it, dissolve 1 tsp. white stevia powder into 3 Tbsp. filtered
water. The white powder may stick to the spoon but will soon dissolve. Pour this concentrate into a
small bottle with a dropper top and refrigerate it to increase its shelf life. A tiny pinch of the powder is
so potent that most people put in too much and find that it is just too sweet for them. One teaspoon of
liquid working solution will approximately equal one cup of sugar.

When baking with stevia, you may find that your cakes and biscuits do not brown very much. So when baking,
check them for doneness by touching and not by color. Stevia tastes strong in bland foods, but with stronger
flavors such as carob it disappears. It blends especially well with citrus fruit flavors such as lemon or orange.
Adapted from the Article, “Life with Stevia” by Daniel Mowrey, Ph.D.

believed boards with anti-bacterial agents needed less cleaning.

An investigation by The Independent revealed manufacturers are charging a large premium for
products that contain anti-bacterial agents. A standard bottle of Tesco washing up liquid costs 67p, a
similar product with an anti- bacterial agent costs £1.35. Sainsbury's 10 All Purpose cloths cost 49p,
or £1.59 with anti-bacterial protection.

"Ordinary detergents are perfectly adequate," said Janice Allen of the National Consumer Council. "If
you stick to the normal hygiene rules in the kitchen then there isn't any need to use them."

Stuart Coverley of the National Federation of Consumer Groups said: "Consumers are being
unnecessarily overcharged. They're being taken for a ride."

But despite the money spent on the products, official figures from the Public Health Laboratory
Service show that the number of food poisoning cases has tripled in the past 10 years, with 100,000
cases reported in 1998.

The market for household anti-bacterial cleansers, first introduced 12 years ago, is the fastest-growing
sector of the £140m domestic surface cleaning products market. It is estimated that consumers spend
more than £25 million a year on these anti-bacterial products.

"We'd like to see a closer monitoring of this rapidly growing market, and hope that a new European
Union directive, the Biocidal Products Directive, will deliver this," said Charlotte Gann, editor of Health
Which? "But ultimately this is a whole new market we can do without."

The research published in Nature has shown that E.coli bacteria, one of the most common causes of
food poisoning, could acquire resistance to triclosan's effects through a comparatively simple
mutation. "It works by inhibiting a key metabolic pathway involving a particular enzyme," said
Professor David Rice of the University of Sheffield's molecular biology department. "In that sense it is
acting as an anti-biotic would. That means anti-biotic-type resistance could arise."

Widespread use since the chemical was introduced could also have led people to rely too heavily on
it, he added. "There's no doubt people are worried about getting bacterial infection, but basic hygiene
procedures are often more than enough."
(Source: www.independent.co.uk)