Posted on 04/16/2002 10:43:30 AM PDT by Brookhaven
I also read that it holds 40% of the sweetener market in Japan.
I know we have a problem with nutrasweet (causes my wife headaches, and it causes my essential tremor to get worse). I am concerned about splenda because it is also artificial, so I was looking for a natrual alternative.
I would be interested in anyone on FR who has used this product, and what they think of it --- good and bad.
Also, what is that throw-away line at the beginning about being a problem with some internal organs. Anyone have any other info on that?
If you've ever tasted stevia, you know it's extremely sweet. In fact, this remarkable noncaloric herb, native to Paraguay, has been used as a sweetener and flavor enhancer for centuries. But this innocuous-looking plant has also been a focal point of intrigue in the United States in recent years because of actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The subject of searches and seizures, trade complaints and embargoes on importation, stevia has been handled at times by the FDA as if it were an illegal drug.
Since the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), stevia can be sold legally in the United States, but only as a "dietary supplement." Even so, it can be found in many forms in most health-food stores, and is also incorporated into drinks, teas and other items (all labeled as "dietary supplements"). It cannot, however, be called a "sweetener" or even referred to as "sweet." To do so would render the product "adulterated," according to the FDA, and make it again subject to seizure.
The purpose of our Web site is to provide as much information about stevia as possible, from the scientific studies regarding its safety to the petitions submitted by the Lipton Tea Company and the American Herbal Products Association. Stevia.net will be an ongoing project for us at Body Ecology, so check back often, as we will be augmenting and updating this information frequently.
I can't quite remember, but I think I used to smoke this stuff.
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=ja&group=misc.health.diabetes.
You can search for stevia at that link and come up with a lot, although not all of it will be useful.
Although the specific mechanism is not known, in a study conducted at the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, researchers found that stevioside enhances insulin secretion from mouse pancreatic islets in the presence of glucose. The researchers state, "Stevioside stimulates insulin secretion via a direct action on pancreatic beta cells. The results indicate that the compounds may have a potential role as an anti-hyperglycemic agent in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus."
In 1995, Dr. M.S. Melis, from the Department of Biology at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, administered extracts of stevia to rats for 20, 40, and 60 days. After 20 days, there were no changes in the stevia-treated rats compared to the control group (the ones that didn't receive the extracts). However, after 40 or 60 days of administering the extract, blood pressure had lowered. Melis also noted a diuretic effect along with loss of sodium. The amount of blood going to the kidneys was increased. In a 1981 Brazilian study, when researcher Boerk gave human volunteers between the ages of 20 and 40 a tea prepared with stevia leaves, a lowering of blood pressure occurred.
Hmmmmm....You are the first person I have seen complain about something I noticed years ago with nutra sweet. I was using it with iced tea and discovered that I was experiencing uncontrolled hand and arm movements and also vocal problems. The stuff was definately affecting my nervous system, ie: brain functions regarding more than one system.
I regard the stuff as dangerous.
I use it for everything and it's good because it's a fine powder and when used in cold tea it mixes really well.
The dynamic that is at work here is very much like what was done by William Randolph Hearst back in the 30s to get marijuana made illegal.
I don't doubt for one second that efforts by those who produce artificial sweeteners have something to do with it.
But then, I'm about as cynical as they come.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.