Is Stevia healthy?
Its arrival on the market of sweeteners had caused a stir more than ten years ago. But since then, its daily use, both by individuals and agri-food professionals, has been totally democratized. This is, of course, Stevia. But what exactly is it? And above all, do we incur health risks by consuming Stevia?
What is Stevia?
Stevia is aspecies of plantnative to South America, growing naturally in grasslands and mountain ranges. In all, there are about 240 different species of Stevia. Some of them, such as SteviaeupatoriaandStevia rebaudiana, contain natural sweeteners. This is the reason for centuries the peoples of Paraguay and Brazil have used Stevia leaves as asweetenerin beverages and foods.
After its discovery by a Spanish physician and botanist, Petrus Jacobus Stevus (hence the name of the plant), two French chemists became interested in the chemical structure of the plant. They manage to isolate the glycosides that give Stevia its sweet taste. Their characteristics: a strong sweetening power (250 to 300 times more than sucrose), heat stability, a non-fermentable character, a “low” effect on blood glucose and the absence of glycemic load (about 1 kcal per 100g). Interest in Stevia then grew.
Is Stevia subject to regulation?
Many suspicions have surrounded Stevia: marketing authorizations, as well as the name to be given to it (food additive or sweetener) have changed over the decades. Not to mention the industrial stakes, since producers of synthetic sweeteners saw its arrival on the market with a bad eye. Thus:
- In the United States, Stevia was first authorized as a food additive, then banned in 1991 (suspicion of abortive risks), reintroduced under the same name in 1995 and framed by an “acceptable daily intake” (ADI).
- In France, rebaudioside, a purified powder extracted from Stevia, was authorized as a food additive in 2009. The following year it became a table-top sweetener.
- In Europe, the European Food Safety Authority issued a favorable opinion for the use of purified extracts of Stevia (steviol glycoside) as food additives in 2010. It also sets an ADI. The year after the European status of Stevia changes and it becomes a sweetener.
Thus, Stevia is now considered a sweetener in its own right, in the same way as intense sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, acesulfame potassium) and polyols (sorbitol, mannitol, galactitol). It should also be noted that the pressures of food groups, and particularly manufacturers oflight drinks, have particularly weighed in the balance in favor of Stevia. To know finally: many products sold under the name of Stevia on the European market are in fact Stevia / polyol mixtures, the taste of Stevia can be disturbing for some consumers. Hybridizations of the plant have also been carried out to reduce the liquorice aftertaste characteristic of Stevia.
Are there any health risks to consuming Stevia?
As previously mentioned, Stevia has several nutritional benefits:
- It has a sweetening power up to 300 times greater than that of table sugar.
- It has no negative impact on blood sugar, so it can be consumed by diabetics (1)
- It is almost devoid of glycemic load and can therefore be a good substitute for sugar in the context of the management of obesity .
Other studies have been conducted on Stevia, including by the World Health Organization. Nowadays:
- No evidence of Carcinogenic activity of Stevia has been found.
- It would have no deleterious effect on hunger or satiety, unlike sucrose, which increases the feeling of hunger and slows down the onset of the feeling of satiety (2)
- Stevioside and rebaudioside (sweetening active ingredients in Stevia) are not genotoxic
- Regardingmetabolic syndrome: neither inflammation, nor hypertension, nor atherosclerosis can currently be declared attributable to the consumption of Stevia(3)
- According to some studies, Stevia has antioxidant effects and supports theimmune system (non-degradation of intestinal flora, antimicrobial activity of fermented Stevia)(4)
- Consuming Stevia does not increase the risk of developing dental caries (5)
Also, it now seems perfectly safe to consume Stevia and foods containing it, without incurring the slightest risk. The plant extract seems to be a safe alternative to sugar: it can be consumed by everyone, including children, people withoverweight (low caloric load) or diabetes (no impact on blood sugar).
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.