Used as a sweetener for a thousand years in what is now northeastern Paraguay by native peoples, stevia rebuadiana is perhaps the only known plant to worry the sweetener industry today. First published accounts of the miraculous uses of this herb go as far back as 1576 by Spanish physician Francisco Hernandez in his book, "Natural History of Plants of the New Spain" after Spanish conquistadors arrived on the shores of South America. This widespread native use to sweeten the taste of mate' and other bitter beverages and medicinal potions, and to treat many ailments was much chronicled in historical documents. Introduced to settlers, the use spread to other parts of the continent, notably Brazil and Argentina, and was again documented in 1887 when Dr. Moises Santiage Bertoni began "rediscovering" this herb after much research, naming his variety after a chemist named Rebaudi who became the first to extract the plants' sweet constituent. So impressed by the plants' sweetening capabilities, he declared it "so superior to sugar that it is no need to wait for results of analyses and cultures to affirm its economic advantage - the simple test proves it." In 1908, the first harvest of a stevia crop occurred, a ton from its natural habitat. Soon stevia plantations sprung up, making this a viable agricultural crop with use increasing even outside of Latin America.
Brought to the attention of the U.S. Government in 1918 by a U.S. Department of Agriculture botanist, the herb raised concerns in the business community.
Three years later American Trade Commissioner George S. Brady presented stevia to the USDA, taking note of its non-toxicity, is ability to be used in natural form with only drying and grinding, and claims of "an idea and safe sugar for diabetics". Nothing further became of Stevias' potential introduction to the American market, although a German report later mentioned receiving specimens "of the well known plant which alarmed sugar producers some years ago." In 1931, chemists in France isolated the two chemical compounds responsible for the sweet taste, developing the first crystalline extract.
Within decades the Japanese began using stevia as the idea replacement for sugar and its synthetic substitutes after banning or strictly regulating artificial sweeteners and other chemicals in food sources during the 1960's.
By 1988, stevia products represented 41% of the market of sweet substances consumed in Japan, as well as being commonly found to sweeten a variety of food products on the manufacturing level, including ice cream, soft drinks, bread and candies. Today the use of stevia has spread to many countries not only in Japan and South America, but in China, Germany, Korea, Israel, and others. Stevias' safety has been repeatedly proven through extensive scientific testing and hundreds of years of use.
Why is STEVIA not well known in the United States?
By the mid-1980's, stevia was poised to debut on the American marketplace, with Celestial Seasonings and Thomas J. Lipton Tea Company eager to market herbal teas using this herb that is natural, almost non-caloric and is safe for diabetics. Suddenly, due to an "anonymous trade complaint" from a company that did not want stevia made available to consumers (generally acknowledged as coming from the makers of aspartame), the FDA banned import of the herb into the U.S., and initiated search and seizures (complete with armed federal marshals) in manufacturing facilities, storage warehouses - anywhere where there was potential distribution or use of the herb. Claiming the herb as "a non-safe food additive" despite acknowledging it has "been used throughout history," the FDA refused to respond to petitions filed by the American Herbal Products and Lipton Tea Company, denying official GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) status, even trying to prohibit the petitions to be filed, a routine procedure that does not require any approval. The FDA's citing of "studies" regarding the safety of stevia are so incomplete and unrealistic they are deemed absurd by most standards with the professor of one study (Professor Joseph Kuc) stating the "studies need to be redone," conceding his findings "do not constitute an important reason for keeping stevia off the U.S. market." The FDA refuses to even read or acknowledge studies indicating safety and benefits of the herb from Japan and Germany.
Yet, the FDA shows a double standard regarding the tens of thousands of consumer complaints regarding aspartame (Nutrasweet and the like), much less the reports and studies of brain tumors, headaches, blindness and seizures.
The potential deadly and toxic effects of this pharmachemical far surpasses any remote possible effects of stevia in even the highest dosages. Fortunately, with the passing of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act in 1994, legislation was enacted to market many vitamins, minerals, herbs and botanicals as a "dietary supplement." Such supplements are no longer classified as "food additives" and are not subject to intensive safety testing. While there is some potential of mis-use and exploitation in this area, the benefits far outweigh the restrictions placed before consumers to use the natural substances of their choice. It is, and should be the consumer's responsibility and right to acquire knowledge of dietary products, particularly for health and medicinal use. |
