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Having eaten too many carbs, I ballooned to 265 pounds. The tests said I was a type II diabetic. “Control your carbs,” the doctors said, especially sugar. So, I returned to using artificial sweeteners in the 12 or so cups of decaf coffee I drink each day.
About that same time, Stevia began making headlines as a more” natural” product, and I recalled the advice of my Ph.D. organic chemist uncle Paul. He said he would not put any of the chemical sweeteners in his body. [Every time I open a cardboard milk carton, I remember the patent he got for Hercules Powder Co. for the paper coating making the carton seal possible.]
So, I look for Stevia and have found it at most Holiday and Kwik-Trip stations. Restaurants are less likely to have it. There I usually get one or more choices of pink, blue, or yellow (Sweet & Low [saccharin], Equal [aspartame], and Splenda [Sucralose]).
This month I decided to go under the “natural” claims and Uncle Paul’s advice. Wonder of wonders, the internet is full of information, much of it apparently reliable. Consider these sources–
–First, Consumer Reports: “Stevia is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and has no calories. It comes from a plant, so some consider it a ‘natural,’ rather than an artificial, sweetener.” [Aspartame, saccharine, and sucralose, by contrast, are wholly cooked up in labs.]
“However, to make Stevia, its sweet-tasting compounds—called steviol glycosides—are extracted from the plant leaves and purified. This can be done with water or alcohol, but sometimes the extracts are modified with enzymes. In addition, the glycosides can also be made using yeast that has been genetically engineered.”
“Not only does the Food and Drug Administration not regulate the term ‘no artificial sweeteners,’ but the term ‘natural’ also lacks any regulatory definition, so manufacturers can use the claim as they wish,” says Charlotte Vallaeys, M.S., senior policy analyst for food and nutrition at CR. “The starting material for Stevia extracts may be natural, but these ingredients are highly processed.” Also know that evidence that Stevia aids in weight loss or lowering blood sugar levels is very limited.” www.consumerreports.org/sugar-sweeteners/is-Stevia-an-artificial-sweetener/.
–Second, from Natalie Digate Muth, M.D., M.P.H., R.D., I learned some more. Stevia vs. Splenda: Which Sugar Substitute Is Healthier? (msn.com) “Americans now can get their calorie free sugar fix from an all-natural alternative to artificial sweeteners. Once limited to the health-food market as an unapproved herb, the plant-derived sweetener known as Stevia is now widely available and rapidly replacing artificial sweeteners in consumer products. Thirty times sweeter than sugar and with no effect on blood sugar and little aftertaste, Stevia sales are predicted to reach about $700 million in the next few years, according to the agribusiness finance giant Rabobank.”
“Stevia’s history goes back to ancient times. Grown naturally in tropical climates, Stevia is an herb in the chrysanthemum family that grows wild as a small shrub in Paraguay and Brazil, though it can easily be cultivated elsewhere. Paraguayans have used Stevia as a food sweetener for centuries while other countries, including Brazil, Korea, Japan, China and much of South America, have a shorter, though still long-standing, record of Stevia use.”
Dr. Muth goes on to share that it wasn’t until 2008 that the FDA declared that Stevie, like many other artificial sweeteners, was “GRAS”, “Generally Recognized as Safe.” [She doesn’t tell us about any lobbying by Stevia’s competitors. I suspect some.] Stevia is now present in a number of foods and beverages in the U.S., including Gatorade’s G2, VitaminWater Zero, SoBe Lifewater Zero, Crystal Light and Sprite Green. Around the world it has been used in soft drinks, chewing gums, wines, yogurts, candies and many other products. Stevia powder can also be used for cooking and baking (in markedly decreased amounts compared to table sugar due to its high sweetness potency). ….”
“Stevia is marketed under the trade names of Truvia (Coca-Cola and agricultural giant Cargill), PureVia (PepsiCo and Whole Earth Sweetener Company), and SweetLeaf (Wisdom Natural Brands). There, despite the three different names, the sweetener is essentially the same product, each containing slightly different proportions of rebaudioside A and stevioside. Both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo intend to use Stevia as a soft-drink sweetener in the U.S. but haven’t yet unveiled their Steviasweetened versions….”
“Stevia In The Raw® is made and sold by Cumberland Packing Corp. of Brooklyn New York. [One source says Stevia in the Raw consists of stevia extract and a bulking agent (dextrose or maltodextrin) while the others have at least one additional additive.].
–Third, an apparently authoritative article says, “When choosing …, it is important to consider the ongoing concerns surrounding the heat-stability and toxicity of Splenda and to avoid using it in cooking or baking. As such, Stevia might be the healthier choice when it comes to anything other than a hot beverage.” Stevia vs. Splenda: Which Sugar Substitute Is Healthier? (msn.com)
It is my impression that Stevia is more expensive that its artificial competitors. That may account for the prevalence of the others. I plan to continue to use Stevia in my decaf.
Here are two additional links for those who need more foundation for their health decisions or want to explore uses besides coffee—
–Complete List of Artificial Sweeteners – Myersdetox.com
–Sugar substitute – Wikipedia.
Steve Aldrich is a retired Hennepin County lawyer, mediator, and Judge, serving from 1997-2010. He and his wife moved here in 2016. He likes to remember that he was a Minnesota Super Lawyer before being elected to the bench. Now he is among the most vulnerable to viruses. Steve really enjoys doing weddings, the one thing a retired judge can do without appointment the Chief Justice. He writes this column to learn more about his new home area and to share his learnings with others—and to indulge his curiosities. Copyright Stephen C. Aldrich and News Herald, 2022
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