Is stevia extract stevioside is safe to use

Stevia Extract Stevioside is Safe

After more than 500 years of safe use by humanity it is about time to realize that stevia and stevioside are safe. There have been tests showing that stevioside does not cause cancer. There have been tests showing that stevioside can stimulate insulin secretion in diabetics leading to blood sugar normalization. There have been tests showing that stevioside is effective in lowering blood pressure. This in addition to the tests showing that stevioside has no affect on reproduction, and does not raise the glucose levels in healthy humans. As well as tests showing that stevioside does not cause cancer.

Some people, reporters, organizations and agencies seem to have an agenda to keep this wonderful safe, healthy product out of the hands of people who can use stevia and stevioside the most. There have been false rumors spread that stevioside is mutagenic. meaning it can cause cancer. That is in fact a falsehood. There have been studies showing that stevioside is not mutagenic. That in fact it is perfectly safe.

Article claiming Stevia and Stevioside dangerous debunked

In an article in the April issue of CSPI’s Nutrition Action Healthletter (NAH), David Schardt says that in the test tube, a derivative of stevia called stevitol, can be converted into a mutagen. "Until we know whether this mutagen is formed in people, stevia cannot be considered safe," says Schardt. 

Not true! The fact is Stevia and Stevioside were proven safe and non-mutegenic i.e. non cancer causing according to a published study National Academy of Sciences U S A. They say, "Stevioside, a constituent of Stevia rebaudiana, is commonly used as a non-caloric sugar substitute in Japan. Consistent with reports in the literature, we have found that stevioside is not mutagenic." The test tube derivative David Schardt was referring to is stevitol.

To further expose his frivolous claim, in studies conducted in Thailand it was shown that consumption of 80 times higher than the suggested acceptable daily intake of stevioside in humans "Is regarded as having no observable effect."

The University of Illinois study on
Stevioside and Cavities

In a study conducted by the University of Illinois they concluded that neither stevioside or rebaudioside A is cariogenic (does not cause cavities). This would make it fine to use in toothpaste, and mouthwash rather than sugar alcohols commonly used.

Stevioside may be helpful to diabetics

In one study it was concluded that stevioside stimulates insulin secretion via a direct action on beta cells. The results of their study indicate that " The compounds may have a potential role as antihyperglycemic agents in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus." *1

A study showed in Taiwan that stevioside was effective in blood pressure reduction. *2  Another study showed that stevioside does not cause cancer. *3 Another study showed that Stevioside has no effect on reproduction *4 Another study concluded "That if the Stevia Rebaudiana extract (Stevioside) does have some potential to decrease rat fertility at all, this effect is almost certainly not exerted on the male."*5 The key words here are "if" and "at all" meaning the researchers could not find proof, and were making a statement to cover themselves in case of some remote possibility. It appears that you have a better chance of getting hit by a car when crossing the street than stevioside having an effect on reproduction.

Blood Glucose not raised

Some " experts" claim that eating anything sweet even if it has no calories, or carbohydrates cause your body to raise glucose levels due to the "Pavlov factor". That skewered logic is again proven false by a test done in Brazil. The study showed that stevioside does not raise the glucose levels in healthy humans, in fact it "significantly decreased plasma glucose levels during the test and after overnight fasting in all volunteers" *6 If stevioside does raise glucose levels it would be an adulterated stevioside. In other words, one mixed with maltodextrin (carbohydrate), or some other not naturally occurring item added to stevioside.

Stevia and Stevioside proven 
NOT to cause cancer

Mutagenic chemicals can sometimes cause cancer. Stevia and Stevioside were proven safe and non-mutegenic according to a published study *7 Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1985 Apr;82(8):2478-82 "Stevioside, a constituent of Stevia rebaudiana, is commonly used as a non caloric sugar substitute in Japan. Consistent with reports in the literature, we have found that stevioside is not mutagenic as judged by utilization of Salmonella typhimurium strain TM677, either in the presence or in the absence of a metabolic activating system. Similar negative results were obtained with several structurally related sweet-tasting glycosides." So there you are. Stevioside and stevia do not cause cancer. The report went on to say, "However, steviol, the aglycone of stevioside, was found to be highly mutagenic when evaluated in the presence of a 9000 X g supernatant fraction derived from the livers of Aroclor 1254-pretreated rats."

To much of a good thing?

Further after reading the article it concluded that "This steviol-treated dose is derived from stevioside 625 mg/kg Body Weight/day which is approximately 80 times higher than the suggested acceptable daily intake of stevioside for humans (7.938 mg/kg BW/day)." This is virtually impossible to reach. The average American eats appx 20 tea spoons of sugar per day. This is 20 servings of stevioside which is microscopic compared to even 1 gram per Kg of body weight. For example 15 grams of pure stevioside have over 1100 servings! This is far below 80 times higher than the suggested daily maximum intake of 625/mg per Kilogram (2.204 lbs) of body weight.

Gee Wiz! If you eat 80 times more fat than suggested acceptable daily intake will you get clogged arteries? How about 80 times more sugar? What about 80 times more of anything. Should the FDA outlaw sugar, or fat, or protein. What about the salt you buy at the food store.

Can a person eat 10 lbs of
sugar per day and be healthy?

Not only that, but was not mentioned was that in the study the authors stated, "an oral dose of 0.25 g steviol/kg Body Weight per day is regarded as having no observable effect." Considering the FDA's statement that stevioside is 200 times sweeter than sugar if the average person is 125 lbs (56.7 Kg ) you would have to eat 14.18 grams of stevioside ( appx 1089.02 servings) the equivalent of tea spoons of sugar per day. For your reference a 5 lb bag of sugar has 576 servings. Can you eat that much sugar every day? How about two 5 lb bags of sugar per day. Further can you eat that much sugar and get "No observable effect?"

In Thailand there was a study "Lack of mutagenicity of stevioside and steviol in Salmonella typhimurium" in that study the researchers concluded, "Stevioside, a sweet-tasting diterpene glycoside derived from Stevia rebaudiana, and steviol, a product from enzymatic hydrolysis of stevioside, were tested for mutagenic activity by the in vitro Ames test. Stevioside and steviol at the concentrations up to 50 mg and 2 mg per plate, respectively showed no mutagenic effect on both tester strains either in the presence or absence of metabolic activating system. The tests were done on rat, mouse, hamster and guinea pig." 8* So here is a second study showing that stevioside does not cause cancer.

All told Stevia and Stevioside are extremely safe. They do not change when heated, they do not cause cancer, they do not cause cavities, weight gain, diabetes, mental disorders, or any other problem.

Find out more about why you should use stevioside. Or purchase stevioside.

see references from the studies

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