Is Stevia Safe? :

Are you one of those folks who counts calories but avoids artificial sweeteners such as Splenda or Equal? If so, you may have considered switching to stevia instead. Stevia is a South American herb that is naturally hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and has no calories. Many assume that because stevia is natural, it must be safe.

The FDA says otherwise. Should you be concerned?

Here's how stevia landed in the news recently. The FDA sent a warning letter to Hain Celestial Group Inc. chastising them for using stevia as a food additive in some of their Zinger teas. Though it is permitted as as food "supplement," the FDA considers Stevia an "unsafe food additive." (Apparently unsafe substances are allowed as food supplements but not as additives. Does this seem screwy to anyone else?)

In its letter, the FDA pointed out that there was insufficient data to conclude that stevia is safe. Even more alarming, they said that literature reports have raised concerns about stevia's effects on blood sugar, as well as possible adverse impacts it might have on reproductive, cardiovascular, and renal systems.

Many of us hadn't ever heard there were health concerns with stevia. Doesn't Whole Foods carry it? Isn't it supposed to be healthy and natural and perfectly good for you? (Some of us do complain that it tastes nasty. But to be fair, others swear it tastes just like sugar).

The Center for Science in the Public Interest doesn't like Stevia much either. Back in 2000, they warned of similar concerns . However, CSPI was less worried about an occasional packet or two dumped in a cup of coffee, and more worried about widespread use in soft drinks or other processed foods.

But no one is advocating the widespread use of Stevia in diet sodas yet so we don't need to worry about...

Oh. Wait.

According to this report , back in May Coca-Cola and Cargill said they were going to "work together to develop and market a new sweetener using stevia."

This could actually be interesting. Will natural foods advocates find themselves on the same side as the Big Food and Beverage Companies, arguing that stevia is safe? Will the FDA keep maintaining the opposite position, warning that stevia poses health risks?

In the meantime, lots of people are using stevia. So it may be a good idea to sort out whether it's a safe or dangerous alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners. And who knows: now that there's big money involved, perhaps answers will come sooner rather than later.

Do you use sweeteners other than sugar? And how much does the FDA's opinion affect your choices about what you use?

Continue reading »