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eNewsletter
January 19, 2009
Alternative
Sweetener Update:
The Age of Stevia
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| Dear
Valued Client, |
While I must crack a smile seeing all the hub-bub
over stevia, I am not getting overly excited. There
may be a hint of satisfaction knowing that something
I have been an ardent proponent of for so long is
now becoming widely accepted by the public. However,
there is much to the stevia story that requires
clarification. Bonnie
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Navigating
the Suddenly Crowded Stevia Market
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For those of you may not know, stevia is a zero
calorie, zero carbohydrate, zero glycemic load
herbal sweetener that we have recommended for over a
decade. In July 2008, the Joint Expert Committee on
Food Additives of the World Health Organization
determined that stevia is safe to be used as a
sweetener in the daily diet up to 4mg per kg of body
weight.
Until recently, stevia could only be sold as a
dietary supplement in the US. It was surpressed by
the makers of Equal and Splenda because they were
afraid of it taking market share. Late last year,
the FDA stated that stevia is Generally Recognized
as Safe (GRAS), allowing it to become a food
additive. This only occurred because Cargill and
Pepsi got involved and are rolling out stevia as a
tabletop sweetener and adding it to myriad drinks
and food.
Unfortunately, when Big Food gets involved, there is
always a catch.
First, the stevia products you now see on the
shelves are not pure stevia. Cargill's Truvia and
Pepsi's PureVia contain a corn-based sweetener
called erythritol. There is a furious debate as to
whether it is "natural." We do not believe
it is. Because erythritol is derived from corn, it
is not well tolerated by many of our clients.
Second, where stevia is grown is important. Stevia
was first discovered in the South American country
of Paraguay (see enclosed brand ratings). Many of
the true stevia brands get their stevia from
Paraguay. However, Big Food is getting much of its
stevia from China, where quality control is
questionable.
Third, we urge our clients not to declare it
"open season" on stevia-laden drinks and
foods. While the many of these products have not yet
published their ingredient labels, chances are they
will contain empty calories and artificial
ingredients. For instance, Sprite Green will contain
some natural sugar in addition to Truvia.
For these reasons, we only feel comfortable
recommending the brand in which we have full
confidence: Sweet Leaf. They grow and harvest their
raw stevia in Paraguay. They employ a process of
extraction that uses only pure water to collect the
finest, sweet parts of the plant. Others use
chemicals, alcohols or even enzymes that can
actually change the make-up of the naturally
occurring substances. We have also seen Sweet Leaf's
raw material quality control assays.
First Choice:
Sweet Leaf Stevia
Sweet Leaf Stevia Plus (with inulin, a good source
of fiber and promotes healthy gut flora)
Second Choice(s):
KAL Organic Stevia
NOW Organic Stevia Extract
Sunwin OnlySweet
Stevita Simply-Stevia
Steviva Pure Stevia Powder
Sunrider Sunectar (liquid)
Trader Joes Pure Stevia (may contain lactose)
Do Not Recommend at
This Time:
Truvia (stevia with erythritol)
PureVia (stevia with erythritol)
Stevia in the Raw (stevia with dextrose)
Note:
Stevia may be contraindicated for those with a
severe ragweed allergy (same family of plant).
Conclusion
If you made us choose between Truvia/PureVia or
Equal, Sweet & Low, Splenda, or other artificial
sweetener, it's a no-brainer. Make the switch to
stevia, even if not Sweet Leaf. It is a safer
long-term choice. See our eNewsletter on artificial
sweeteners.
Ideally, we hope that most of you do not need to use
any sweeteners in your daily lives.
ePoll: Was
this article helpful to you?
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"What's Your Story
Bonnie Minsky?"
Bonnie
on You Tube
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| January
News You Can Use |
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Have a happy, healthy
day,
Bonnie,
Steve, and the staff
nutritionalconcepts.com
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