What is Stevia?
Stevia is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family. The species Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sweetener and sugar substitute, stevia’s taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations. With its steviol glycoside extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets.
How it is Better and Beneficial than Sugar?
A 1985 study reported that steviol, a breakdown product from stevioside and rebaudioside (two of the sweet steviol glycosides in the stevia leaf), is a mutagen in the presence of a liver extract of rats pretreated with a PCB blend — but this finding was criticized on procedural grounds that the data were mishandled in such a way that even distilled water would appear mutagenic.
In relation to diabetes, studies have shown stevia to have a re-vitalizing effect on β-cells of pancreas, improve insulin sensitivity in rats, and possibly even to promote additional insulin production, helping to reverse diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Stevia consumed before meals significantly reduced postprandial insulin levels compared to both aspartame and sucrose. A 2011 review study concluded that Stevia sweeteners would likely benefit diabetic patients.
Preliminary human studies suggest stevia can help reduce hypertension, although another study has shown it to have no effect on hypertension.Indeed, millions of Japanese have been using stevia for over thirty years with no reported or known harmful effects.Similarly, stevia leaves have been used for centuries in South America, spanning multiple generations in ethnomedical tradition as a treatment for Diabetes mellitus type 2.
Two 2010 review studies found no health concerns with stevia or its sweetening extracts. In addition, a 2009 review study found that stevioside and related compounds have anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diarrheal, diuretic, and immunomodulatory actions.
Why Politicians have Banned Stevia?
In 1991, after receiving an anonymous industry complaint, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeled stevia as an “unsafe food additive” and restricted its import. The FDA’s stated reason was “toxicological information on stevia is inadequate to demonstrate its safety.” which was completely baseless. This ruling was controversial, as stevia proponents pointed out that this designation violated the FDA’s own guidelines under which natural substances used prior to 1958, with no reported adverse effects, should be generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as long as the substance was being used in the same way and format as prior to 1958.
[stextbox id="yello"]It was under Politicians pressure that Stevia was banned by Politicians to increase the sale of Sugar and make Sugar industry profitable! With Selfish motives of Indian Politicians like Sharad Pawar who made sure that whatever Stevia produced in India is exported so that Sugar industry prospers. [/stextbox]
It is Legal to Buy and Sell Stevia!
Stevia is Natural sweetener and buying, Selling and eating it completely harmless and legal but the lack of awareness ( Thanks to our Politicians! ) regarding Stevia causes dilemma. I would advice you all to check Stevia suppliers in your city.Its available in liquid and Powder form. Try JustDial.com in India! It is available under various names like Madhu parani (Marathi), madhu-pattha (Punjabi), madhu patra (Sanskrit), seeni tulsi(Tamil), madhu patri (Telugu) - all of which translate to “sweet leaf.”
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