Stevia is a member of the sunflower family and widely grown in South and
Central America. The species Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni is frequently known as
sweet leaf or “Stevia”. It has long been used as sugar substitute in many
countries outside of North America. Unlike sugar, it has a slower onset of
action but the sweetness lasts a lot longer. Even though it is nearly 300 times
sweeter than sugar, it has shown promise as a treatment for a variety of
medical disorders like diabetes, obesity and diabetes.
Stevia is only available as a supplement in the USA but widely used as food additive in many European and Asian countries.
In the United States, you can legally grow, import and sell Stevia. You can even buy stevia as long as the label says it is a dietary supplement and not a food additive. I doubt the government is going to put you in Jail if you use it as a food supplement in your home. The law is that no one is allowed to market is as food additive.
Stevia is only available as a supplement in the USA but widely used as food additive in many European and Asian countries.
In the United States, you can legally grow, import and sell Stevia. You can even buy stevia as long as the label says it is a dietary supplement and not a food additive. I doubt the government is going to put you in Jail if you use it as a food supplement in your home. The law is that no one is allowed to market is as food additive.
Despite concerns about Stevia’s safety, there is no evidence
that it is harmful. Indeed the chemical has been used for decades in many
countries and no adverse effects have ever been reported.
In countries outside of North America, Stevia is frequently used by diabetics and individuals who want sweetness without the additional calories or increased blood sugar.
The FDA has not approved Stevia as a sweetener or a food additive. The
administration at FDA claims that the available toxicological information on
Stevia is inadequate to demonstrate its safety as a food additive or to affirm
its status as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). The FDA highly discourages the use of Stevia in large amounts. There have been some studies showing that steviol at high dosages may possess weak mutagenic activity.
Nevertheless, there is a push by Coca Cola to market Stevia as a sweetener in the USA.
In countries outside of North America, Stevia is frequently used by diabetics and individuals who want sweetness without the additional calories or increased blood sugar.
The FDA has not approved Stevia as a sweetener or a food additive. The
administration at FDA claims that the available toxicological information on
Stevia is inadequate to demonstrate its safety as a food additive or to affirm
its status as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). The FDA highly discourages the use of Stevia in large amounts. There have been some studies showing that steviol at high dosages may possess weak mutagenic activity.
Nevertheless, there is a push by Coca Cola to market Stevia as a sweetener in the USA.
No comments:
Post a Comment