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Ask Tom...
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Question:
What do you know about Stevia?
Answer:
Stevia, a member of the Chrysanthemum family, is a plant native to Paraguay. It has been used by the Guarani Indians since ancient times. As a sugar substitute, it is available as a concentrated liquid, crushed leaf or concentrated white powder. The liquid and leaf forms have a slight herbal overtone, which reminds some of anise (licorice).
* The crushed leaf form is about 30 times as sweet as sugar. It usually comes in small tea-bag like packets in a box, is useful for sprinkling on top of cereal and other foods. The leaf particles do not dissolve, so kids might take a little time getting used to the floating leaves in their cereal.
* The concentrated white powder is 300 times as sweet as sugar. It is heat stable to 198 degrees C (388 degrees F).
(snip)
May 22, 1997 [Ask Dr. Weil]
[Q.] Are you familiar with stevia? I'd like to know how to use the herb as a sweetener. I'd especially like to know if it can be used as a sweetener in baked goods, such as cookies.
-- Elena W.
[A.]
Stevia comes from a shrub native to Paraguay, Stevia rebaudiana. It also grows in Brazil and Argentina, and is now widely cultivated in China. The leaves have been used for centuries by native peoples to make sweet teas, or to sweeten other foods, with no evidence of adverse reactions. In Japan, Brazil, and other countries, people use the extracted sweet principle, called stevioside, as a table sweetener. It tastes faintly of licorice and is many, many times sweeter than sucrose. Stevia has minimal calories and is reputed to have beneficial effects on fat absorption and blood pressure.
The Food and Drug Administration has been trying to suppress stevia for years, some say at the instigation of the manufacturer of aspartame. The agency still refuses to classify it as a safe food additive, a position I find untenable.
The easiest way to use stevia is to dissolve the granular white powder in water and use drops as a sweetening solution. You can use it in anything - on your cereal, in baked goods, whatever. But you do need to adjust recipes to make it work, because you're using just a few drops of liquid instead of a cup or so of sugar. One reference I've seen replaces 1 cup of sugar with 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of the herb, or 1/4 teaspoon of the white powder extract. I'd check with your supplier to get information on the best way to do this without ending up with flat muffins or rock-hard cookies.
Stevia is especially useful for people who cannot tolerate sugar, including diabetics. And despite the FDA's import ban on foods sweetened with stevia, you can find it sold as a dietary supplement.
Disclaimer: All material provided in the Ask Dr. Weil program is provided for educational purposes only. Consult your own physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your symptoms or medical condition.
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A very good source of Stevia: Click on "Specialty Items" |
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Tom O'Brien Nutritional Consultant
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I am not aware of it normalizing blood sugar levels, but it definitely is a better option for diabetics than NutriSweet!
Tom O'Brien
Nutritional Consultant