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Dear
Dr. Oppitz,
So
if sugar and artificial sweeteners are out, are there natural sweeteners
available?
D.D.,
Billings, MT
Stevia
(Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) is a small shrub native to Paraguay; it also grows in China, Brazil,
and Argentina. Its leaves contain compounds called
glycosides, which are 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. In its unprocessed form, stevia is highly nutritious, containing such vitamins
and minerals as magnesium, niacin, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, chromium,
potassium, vitamins A and C, and many more.
The leaves also contain fiber, protein, and at least 100 phytonutrients. Stevia has been used throughout the world as a
sweetener for centuries. In Japan, stevia holds approximately a 52% share of the sweetener
market, which includes sugar. In the
US,
stevia is sold strictly as a dietary supplement
and not as a sweetener.
People in Japan, China,
Israel, Brazil, and Paraguay use stevia as a sweetener and for a variety of medicinal
purposes, from healing wounds to aiding digestion. Stevia does not
promote cavities and may retard the growth of bacteria found in dental
caries. Because the human body does
not metabolize the sweet glycosides (they pass right through the normal
elimination channels), the body obtains no calories from stevia; therefore stevia is
safe for diabetics and hypoglycemics if it is in
its pure, unadulterated form. For
people with blood sugar, blood pressure, or weight problems stevia is the most desirable sweetener.
Why, then, is stevia not a common feature of restaurants and homes in
the U.S.? Although most research conducted in Japan in
the ‘70s and ‘80s showed no evidence that stevia
might be carcinogenic, the FDA has designated stevia
and its extracts as “unapproved food additives”. The implication is “use at your own
risk”. Stevia
advocaters insist that efforts to keep stevia out of the mainstream have little to do with its
safety and merely reflect lobbying by the sugar and artificial sweetener
industries. They reason that
centuries of use by South American tribes and nearly 50 years of safe use
by consumers in other parts of the world, as well as extensive testing in Japan, are
testimony enough to the safety of stevia.
Stevia
is commercially available in three forms:
dried leaves, powdered extract, and liquid extract. Stevia can
enhance the effect of other sweeteners, like honey and maple syrup, so
adding it to recipes can help reduce the amount of sweetener needed. Unlike artificial sweeteners, the sweet
glycosides do not break down in heat which makes stevia
an excellent sweetener for cooking and baking. Using stevia
requires some experimentation—too much stevia can
leave an overpowering aftertaste, while too little produces almost no
sweetness. Plant source, the
extraction process, and the presence of fillers can affect stevia’s taste, sometimes creating a bitter
flavor. In the powdered and liquid
forms of stevia, fillers such as maltodextrin are added to stevioside,
which reduces its sweetness.
Consumers looking
solely for a sweetener which has no calories and which does not alter blood
sugar levels will probably prefer the white stevioside
powder or consumer products made from stevioside. However, consumers who also want health
restoring benefits will want premium quality leaves, ground or whole and/or
water-based stevia extract (concentrate). Please try products from several vendors
until you find one that you like best.
Stevia
in liquid form makes it easier to sweeten cereals and drinks like tea,
smoothies, or lemonade. Stevia liquid can be made at home as follows: add ¼ tsp. stevioside
to 1 oz. water. The flavor can
become bitter if too much is added so add the stevia
liquid to your drink drop by drop until you have reached the desired
sweetness. Store the liquid in a
container with a tight cap in a cool dark place like the refrigerator.
To replace sugar in
recipes, substitute 1 cup sugar with 1 ½ to 2 tsp. of ground stevia leaves or ¼ tsp stevioside. The other ingredients in the recipe may
need adjustment so that your product is not too watery.
Fructo-oligosaccharides
is another safe sweetener alternative.
FOS is a naturally occurring fiber that offers a variety of
benefits. FOS selectively nourishes
the “friendly” bacteria (lactobacillus and bifidobacteria)
in the intestines. As a result,
these good bacteria proliferate, helping to aid the body’s gastrointestinal
and other functions. FOS also
provides a powerful fiber effect, but without the bulk typical of other
dietary fiber products. FOS does not
adversely affect blood sugar—so it is safe for diabetics and hypoglycemics.
For more recipes,
obtain a copy of The Stevia Cookbook by Ray Sahelian;
Baking with Stevia
I&II by Rita DePuydt. Additionally, I have included recipes
using stevia and a sugar/stevia
conversion table at our website:
www.yncnaturally.com.
Yellowstone Naturopathic
Clinic
720 N. 30th St.
Billings, MT 59101
PHONE 406·259·5096/FAX 406·248·5655
ync@180com.net
Dispensary
406·254·9682
dispensary@yncnaturally.com
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