More on Stevia

Erin has used Stevia for 9 years.......!
Apparently it is okay to be considered a sweetener now. I saved an article out of a local newspaper about Stevia and Agave Nectar. Seems I'm pretty behind on knowing about these sweeteners. Apparently the two sweeteners are showing up in cocktails, bottled drinks and a host of other products. The article stated that "In December 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of rebaudioside A or reb-A, a derivative of the stevia plant, for use in foods and beverages in the United States, provided it is at least 95 percent PURE. Rev-A is 300 times sweeter than sugar". Pepsi uses the brand PureVia to sweeten their SoBe Lifewater products. "Agave nectar also is showing up as a substitute for the much maligned high-fructose corn syrup in products such as ketchup and barbecue sauce". The article also states that when using agave as an alternative to sugar, you should lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees because agave tends to brown more quickly. I didn't really know that. Also, when I've experimented with agave, I used the Light syrup.. next time I think I'll try using the Amber Agave Nectar, which is considered to have more of a caramel flavor which may be better in cookie recipes. Although Agave has a low glycemic index and takes a longer time to convert to glucose .. helping keep glucose steady... it's still a sugar. I'd really like to try using stevia soon. I wonder how to alter the rest of recipes. Since stevia is very strong, you wouldn't have all the dry ingredients. Less wet ingredients? stevia in a liquid form? hmmm. I'll have to figure out what to do.


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More Info. on Stevia

Stevia can't be referred to as "sweetener," instead it is considered a dietary supplement.

This ingredient is not on supermarket shelves next to sweet n' low, but can be found in health food stores as a dietary supplement. FDA has little control over supplements. But as a sweetener, commonly used, "We don't have enough data to conclude that the use [in foods] would be safe." Canada or the European Union do not let companies add stevia to their products.

Though Stevia is known to help stabilize blood sugar levels and previously used to help with heartburn.. There are still concerns about this ingredient and not enough information is known. Large amounts consumed... toxicity?? Seizures?? Can cause dizziness, muscle weakness, nausea. Too much contained could be dangerous. It is NOT recommended for pregnant woman and children should NOT consume stevia.

Not sure if this is all old news, maybe they've done more research and found differently. I'll have to research more. But I found it interesting that I found negative information about this natural sweetener. I did just browse the natural section at HyVee and found Stevia in the form of a powder and a liquid. Each package had a note saying that all the information on the package was not approved by the FDA. It definitely doesn't sound like an ingredient that is certain to be good for one's health. It has a lot of negative concerns aside from the good, therefor using it as a sweetener definitely does not sound like a good idea to me.

http://www.healthline.com/natstandardcontent/stevia?brand=
http://www.usnews.com/health/family-health/articles/2008/07/28/the-zero-calorie-sweetener-stevia-arrives.html
www.cspinet.org/nah/4_00/stevia.htm
http://www.stevia.net

Stevia, a natural healthy sweetener

       I got some sweet new books in the mail. They are very informative. I received a book about Natural and Healthy Sweeteners, and have been reading more about different sweetening alternatives.. such as Stevia - which is a non-toxic shrub. Its leaves are extremely sweet, so little is needed supposably! It is calorie free, non-glycemic (safe for diabetics), doesn't promote tooth decay or yeast overgrowth, and has numerous minerals and antioxidants. AND its suitable for baking!
       It also contains high amounts of minerals - potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, cell-protective antioxidant phytochemicals including quercetin, apgenin, luteolin and kaempferol (whatever that means I guess). With out a GI value, it doesn't increase blood sugar levels.
       Powdered stevia and crystallized stevia extracts can be purchased in bulk forms. It can be used to sweeten tea, smoothies, desserts, and etc. It's said that some may not enjoy stevias sweet flavor though.. some describe it as being similar to licorice and having a slight bitter aftertaste. Others adore the taste and can't get enough. It's a very unique and healthy natural sweetener. Sounds very interesting and worth testing and experimenting with. Maybe the right type of dessert/cookie it could add the perfect flavor... ??


I'll continue reading and see what other ingredients I find interesting!