|
Stevia: a little bit goes a long way
|
||||||
|
by Susan Mary Smith
A simple herb from South America is revolutionizing the diet and health industries. Stevia, indigenous to Paraguay and Brazil, is being used more and more as a sweetener and a diet supplement. In an extracted form it is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, but contains no sugar and no calories. Stevia also known as "sweet leaf" or "honey leaf" is becoming more popular with dieters, diabetics and people with Candida. The herb does not affect the blood sugar like sugars and some artificial sweeteners. In fact, some studies show that the herb can actually balance the blood sugar and lower high blood pressure. "I like sweet food," says Jolene Pilger, one of the owners of the year-old company Stevia Canada. "I like it because it is sweet without causing hyperactivity." Pilger also likes stevia because it is economical to use. Because it's so much more sweet than sugar or artificial sweeteners, it means you use less to get the same amount of sweetness. "With pure stevia," she says, "you use a toothpick to serve the powder." The Guarani people of Paraguay, who call the herb kaa-hee, use it to sweeten drinks, treat diabetes, and improve skin tone. "It's also antibacterial and helps prevent cavities and gingivitis," says Pilger. "It provides relief for chronically inflamed gums." Stevia has not yet been approved by either Canadian or US governments for use as a sweetener. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration is being fairly sticky about letting stevia distributors and sellers tout their product as a sweetener, although selling the sweetener as a dietary supplement has been approved. The sugar lobby and the artificial sweetener lobby are strong in the United States. Having such a potential competitor such as stevia sends the lobbyists into overdrive. "The artificial sweetener lobby is against stevia," says Pilger, but some of the companies are interested in growing and selling the herb as a sweetener. And, she says, because these large companies will be involved in stevia production, the FDA in the United States will probably approved as a food fairly soon. In Canada, however, the federal and some provincial governments are looking into stevia as a potential cash crop. In fact, says Pilger, in Ontario the scientists are looking at stevia as a crop that could replace tobacco on some farms. Mike Columbus, an alternative crop specialist with the ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in Ontario, believes that stevia could potentially become a viable crop for Southern Ontario farmers. In an article written for the Ontario government website, Columbus states: "The market opportunity appears great." Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have done studies into stevia, as well. They believe that stevia is "likely to become a major source of high potency sweetener for the growing natural food market in the future." Jolene Pilger agrees with the scientists. "It is still very new, the majority of people don't know about it, but it is predicted that it will be in wide use by 2006." Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have indicated that since such potential exists for stevia production both now and in the future, more studies by farmers and scientists should be made in regards to officially sanctioning the herb for human consumption. The herb has been banned by the EU for commercial use, but small amounts for personal use are allowed. Europeans wishing to purchase stevia may do so over the internet without fear of persecution. In Japan, where the artificial sweetener aspartame is banned, stevia has been used for 30 years. You can be sure if you buy a diet drink or diet gum in Japan, they will contain stevia. Japanese stevia growers are awaiting approval of stevia in other countries so Japanese producers can begin exporting the herb. Decades of safety testing in Japan on stevia has not shown any adverse effects. Stevia Asteraceae rebaudiana is a herb in the Chrysanthemum family. It grows wild as a small shrub and has been used to sweeten mate (a native beverage) for thousands of years. The sweetness in the plant comes from steviosides, rebaudiosides, and dulcosides.. This perennial plant itself reaches about two feet high. In our zone, stevia cannot be grown as a perennial, but can be planted as an annual in the spring. In the colder months, overwinter stevia indoors and give from between 14 to 16 hours of fluorescent light daily. To harvest stevia, cut 2/3 of the plant off, leaving the remaining 1/3 for regrowth. Wash the cut stevia with clean water, then strip the leaves off the branches and discard the stems. Dry the leaves by spreading them in a dry, warm spot. You can also dry the leaves by putting them in a dehydrator on low. The dried leaves can then be crushed to a fine green powder in a blender or a food processor. You may note that stevia powder bought from a store is white - the sweetener is made from a water extraction process. In its raw leaf form stevia is 10 to 15 times sweeter than sugar. The white powder is about three times sweeter than the green homemade powder so when using green stevia powder in recipes that call for stevia powder, use three times as much (it will also give a slight licorice taste as well as altering the color of the end product of the recipe). When replacing green stevia powder for sugar, use about 3 to 4 teaspoons in place of one cup of white sugar. Remember that if you are planning to use the stevia you grow for human consumption, avoid pesticides. You can make a homemade insecticidal soap with a half tsp of Dawn soap mixed with one quart of water in a mist bottle. Other stevia uses includes calming an upset stomach, using as a facial mask and as a mouthwash. (Susan Mary Smith is a freelance writer in Quesnel.) For more information, the following websites are useful: RESOURCES: |
||||||
| Back to Spring 02 | ||||||