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Sunday, January 20, 2008

Stevia Part 1

I’ve had this ongoing “semi-argument” with one of my close friends now for what seems like years. She swears by Nutrasweet and I swear against it. I won’t deny that it has helped her lose weight and control her sweet tooth, but as many times as I give her that point, I must also remind her just how much damage it’s also doing to her body…and her brain.

It’s sad when you think about it; people are so willing to believe, just because something has been approved by the FDA, that it is categorically safe for consumption. And so, when I try to recommend Stevia as a much better alternative to Aspertame, she asks, “Isn’t that banned by the FDA?”

She’s got me there, but it’s definitely not because it deserves to be banned by the FDA. Stevia has been around much longer than Aspertame; it’s natural, it’s safe, and it’s used around the world by countries that have the common sense to realize that Aspertame is nothing more than a fancied up neurotoxin, causing a spike in brain tumors and more than 90 other health problems.

The Roots of Stevia

Stevia on the other hand is natural and has been used for hundreds of years as a sweetener in teas by the Guarani Indians in Paraguay. Grown from an everyday shrub, the herb was first discovered by the West in 1899 when Moises Santiago Bertoni found and cultivated the plant for use as a sweetener in other countries.

It was first harvested in 1908 and was soon being grown throughout South America as a bumper crop, naturally and safely. I am a sucker for naturally grown supplements and so when I heard this much of the story, I knew I needed to discover more. I’m incredibly glad that I did.

Unfortunately, the US Sugar industry was not so glad to hear about Stevia and so when Trade Commissioners in the 1920s tried to bring it to the attention of the government, it was promptly ignored. It was shown in turn to the USDA and other food agencies, and with its long history of safe use and a perfect option for diabetics, it should have been a no-brainer for approval and use in the United States, in the same way that it was quickly spreading across Europe.

The US Government’s Problem with Stevia

Even when a pure crystalline extract was isolated in 1931, it was still largely ignored by the US food industry and agencies. Fast forward a few decades and the FDA is starting to bolster its support for dangerous artificial sweeteners while other countries like Japan are actively banning or severely restricting the use of Aspertame. In fact, Japan decided that Stevia was quite alright and was integrating it heavily into its foods in the 1970s.

Stevia’s Benefits

What you get in Stevia is a product that is almost 400 times sweeter than sugar, but without toxins, chemicals, or risks of brain cancer. There are no side effects like sugar, it is all natural and it is safe for diabetics. It sounds like the miracle, natural sweetener we’ve all been waiting for, and yet for whatever reason, the FDA has a simmering vendetta against it and has kept it off the market as a potential sweetener. Here are just a few more things Stevia does that no chemical or artificial sweetener can claim:

• Stevia is safe for diabetics and hypoglycemics and actually balances blood sugar levels.
• There are no reported cases of severe adverse reactions, as with Aspertame. That means no blindness, seizures, tumors, or any of the other 90+ reactions that Aspertame studies have recorded.
• Stevia actually makes you less likely to crave sugar and manages to keep plaque from growing on your teeth, reducing cavities.
• Stevia has unique antiseptic properties that bolster healing and improve the overall health of the skin.
• Stevia has started being used in Brazil as a digestive aid in lieu of dangerous chemical products and laxatives.

I have long been a proponent of any product that is natural and healthy for the human body. For that reason, I’ve spoken out against the use of artificial sweeteners often and vocally. Their use is not only dangerous, it is irresponsible on the part of the government.

And yet, while dozens of other countries whole-heartedly tout the use of Stevia as a sweetener, the United States bans it and makes sure that Americans continue to poison themselves unwittingly. Stevia is not only safe, it is healthy and that makes it the best possible choice as a sugar substitute, hands down.


Stevia Part 2 | Stevia Part 3



A discussion thread on this article as been created in the forums.  You can access it here:
http://cureyourbody.com/forums/viewthread/31/


artificial sweetener, sugar, sweet n low, stevia, aspartame,


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