There are many advocates of Stevia who make claims about its wonderful health benefits. On the other side there are plenty of people who are suspicious of this new superfood. But... what does the science say? Keep reading to discover the truth and myths of stevia.
Stevia is a plant, native to Brazil and
Paraguay, whose steviol glycosides are about 250-300 times sweeter than sugar. The
stevia leaves contain some vitamins, including A, B, and C; minerals, such as
iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium, proteins, fiber and other
elements.
There are a number of diseases affected by
stevia:
DIABETES
A 2000 study concluded that rebaudioside A can
stimulate insulin production, and thus be useful in the treatment of type 2
diabetes mellitus.
A 2008 study of 122 humans revealed that
long-term use of rebaudioside A does not affect blood glucose levels or blood
pressure in type 2 diabetics. That same year, another study reached the same
conclusion when 72 people, healthy or with type 1 or 2 diabetes, consumed 250
mg of steviol glycosides 3 times per day for 3 months without altering blood
glucose levels.
Aqueous stevia extracts, not the commercial kind, have been
shown to increase glucose tolerance and decrease blood glucose in healthy
individuals. Likewise, 91 mg of orally taken stevioside with a meal lowered
blood glucose and glucagon in type 2 diabetics.
Moreover, stevioside and
steviol stimulate pancreatic β-cells to secrete insulin and, therefore, may be beneficial to
counteract high levels of blood glucose in the treatment of type 2 diabetics.
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The fact that it has no calories and does
not increase blood glucose or trigger an insulin response may be due to the
fact that steviol glycosides pass through most of the gastrointestinal tract
unchanged. It is not until they reach the colon when the gut flora break down
steviol glycosides into steviol and glucose units. The former is metabolized by
the liver and excreted through the urine, leaving no accumulation of any
byproduct of stevia.
BLOOD PRESSURE
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Of outmost importance is a 2006 study that suggested
that isosteviol inhibits angiotensin-II and endothelin-1. The former is a
substance your body naturally creates that narrows your blood vessels, leading
to hypertension. The latter is a gen whose expression creates a vasoconstrictor
and can even be a carcinogen. Therefore, isosteviol may have beneficial effects
on the cardiovascular system and prevent tumorigenesis.
In humans, the effects of stevioside on
blood pressure are controversial. Several studies showed that rebaudioside A has
no effect on blood pressure in patients with normal and high blood pressure.
However, another study showed that patients with hypertension could decrease
both their systolic and diastolic blood pressure by consuming 250 mg of stevioside
3 times daily for 1 year. Yet another study found no effect on blood pressure
when administering a high dose of stevioside for 6 weeks.
ANTIBACTERIAL, ANTIFUNGAL AND ANTIVIRAL
IMMUNOMODULATOR
Stevioside has been shown to enhance the
immune system response and to decrease inflammation both in cells and mice,
treated and not treated with an immunosuppressive drug.
ANTICANCER AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES
A 2002 mice study indicated that stevioside,
rebaudiosides A and C, and dulcoside A significantly
inhibit inflammation, contain anti-tumor effects, pose no risk to diabetics and
did not produce any abnormality. There are other studies which showed the same
anticancer effect.
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A few months ago, steviolbioside was found
to effectively suppress human hepatic, breast and pancreatic cancer cells. The
study concluded that the remarkable inhibition of breast carcinogenesis ''makes
steviolbioside a potential remedy for human breast cancer''.
Stevia contains a substantial number of triterpenes,
polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins, all antioxidant compounds. Some of its
flavonoids include kaempferol, quercetin, apigenin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic
acid, luteolin, isoquercitrin, and isosteviol, which are even commercialized as
health supplements.
Moreover, kaempferol has been shown to reduce pancreatic
cancer by 23%.
Given its considerable antioxidant potential, stevia protects
against DNA damage, free radicals and all the issues caused by them.
PREGNANCY
Rebaudioside A has been tested in rats for
2 generations and had no effects on gestation lengths or growth.
BUT... IS IT TOXIC?
In 1991, stevia was banned due to concerns
that it might cause cancer. Four years later you could buy it as a food
supplement and, in 2008, it was “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) and the Acceptable
Daily Intake (ADI) was set at 4 mg of steviol per kg of body weight, thanks to
corporate sponsoring. Now you can buy Coca Cola’s Truvia, Pepsi’s PureVia, or
Wisdom Natural Brand’s SweetLeaf everywhere.
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In 1996, a Japanese study found that stevioside
was transformed by gut bacteria into a toxic compound, steviol, which is highly
mutagenic. However, a 2010 study indicated that PROVIDED you stay within the
ADI, this will not have any effect on your health.
On the other hand, there are plenty of
studies which show that it is not genotoxic or mutagenic, neither in vitro or
in vivo, in acute or chronic administration, in males or females, in low or
extremely high doses.
CONCLUSION
As a general rule of thumb, the more whole
plant foods you eat, the better. If sometimes you feel like adding an extra
sweetness to your meal, I would opt for Stevia as it is calorie free, natural,
nontoxic and even provides some health benefits.
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With that being said, there is a food you
can eat everyday to satisfy your sweet tooth: FRUITS! They are the most tasty,
nutritious, health-promoting, hydrating food you could ever eat!
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