A Closer Look at Stevia

Daily Health Tips Newsletter September 28, 2012 Know someone who'd enjoy this health tip? Forward this to a Friend!   YOU MIGHT LIKE Native American Death Rates on the Rise Smoggy Days Cause Mental Haze, Strokes Heart Health Program Clostridium Difficile and Klebsiella Pneumoniae Are Coming Daily Natural Health Recommendations CONNECT WITH US  HEALTH PODCAST What Sugar is Really Healthy? Understand what sugars are healthy to eat, do not contribute to obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure in today's featured podcast. (18:52) Did you receive this email from a friend? Subscribe here to get your own copy! Want more natural health news and tips? Get our bi-weekly special report, direct from Jon Barron! Subscribe here and get two free books! Here is today's Daily Health Tip you requested!  If you'd like to forward this email, unsubscribe, or manage your subscription, click here. Today's Daily Health Tip A Closer Look at Stevia by Jennifer Good    Our weekly foray into the exploration of natural ingredients, herbs, and substances has found us taking a deeper look into natural sweeteners. Our focus this week is on the substitute known as stevia. Stevia is a tropical plant native to South America. Its extract has up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar. Although some people complain of its staying power in the mouth or its sometimes licorice-like aftertaste, it is a popular natural alternative sweetener. The plant was used extensively by the Guaraní people for more than 1,500 years.1 The leaves have been traditionally used for hundreds of years in Paraguay and Brazil to sweeten local teas, medicines, and as a "sweet treat."1 Today, it is widely used throughout the world. In fact, stevia accounts for 40% of the Japanese sweetener market and is also cultivated and used in China, Korea, Taiwan, Paraguay, and Israel.2 As a sweetener, it is low glycemic and has added benefits in potentially helping to control obesity3, enhance glucose tolerance4, and reduce blood pressure5. Whether in dry-leaf or concentrate form, stevia has the wonderful ability to help the body regulate blood sugar levels. Several researchers have reported that, in these natural forms, stevia seems to correct both high and low blood sugar. Other scientists have stated that stevia appears to lower high blood pressure, but does not seem to affect normal blood pressure. In addition to the studies showing its benefits in regard to obesity, glucose tolerance, and high blood pressure, there are numbers of other studies proving its safety. For example, a 1991 study in Thailand found that even at doses 1,000 times normal human dosage, hamsters demonstrated no difference in growth rate or sexual performance when using stevia -- even through three generations. In 2004, researchers at the KU Leuven (Belgium) organized an international symposium on " The Safety of Stevioside." Scientists from all over the world who attended concluded that stevioside is proven safe: Stevioside is not carcinogenic. On the contrary, studies in Japan have proven that stevioside reduces breast cancer in rats as well as skin cancers in animals models. Stevioside is not absorbed by the human gut. Only bacteria of the colon degrade stevioside to steviol. Part of this steviol is absorbed through the intestine but is quickly metabolized to steviol glucuronide and excreted in the urine. No free steviol is detected in the blood. Although steviol showed a weak mutagenic activity in one very sensitive strain of bacteria, even high concentrations of oral steviol were harmless (up to 2 g/kg body weight)! This is great news!  But to be fair, even stevia, like other sugar substitutes, does not come "free of charge."  In general, studies show that calorie-free sugar substitutes tend to throw off the body's natural calorie counting mechanism, leading to overindulgence in other foods. If you crave sweets, the absolute best solution is to enjoy some berries, which are low glycemic and high in antioxidants.  But, more importantly, absolutely avoid anything beyond minimal use of highly refined sweeteners like table sugar and HFCS.  By all means, avoid any use at all of artificial concoctions like aspartame and sucralose. That said, when you must sweeten and you wish to avoid any artificial sweeteners or actual sugars, stevia is the best of the alternatives. Want to control your sugar intake? Learn how to prevent diabetes to control blood sugar levels. Liked this health tip? Pass it along to someone else who might enjoy it as well! Forward this email to a Friend! Find more great topics on natural health @ JonBarron.org! Health Topics | Detox Program | Health Articles | Programs | Podcasts Resources: 1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3103919/ 2 - http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=609 3 - Stevia & Obesity 4 - Effect of Stevia rebaudiana on glucose tolerance in normal adult humans 5 - Stevia & Blood Pressure   Copyright © 2002-2012 The Baseline of Health Foundation - All rights reserved. - Contact Us The Baseline of Health Foundation - 19360 Rinaldi St. Suite 370 Porter Ranch, CA 91326

 

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