STEVIA HAS MADE THAT CHALLENGE - Pepsi to launch soda sweetened with stevia

NEW YORK (AP) — Coke and Pepsi are squaring off again, this time with natural sweeteners.

PepsiCo said Wednesday it plans to roll out a reduced-calorie version of its namesake soda made with sugar and stevia, a natural sweetener. Pepsi True will be sold on Amazon.com later this month before rolling out more broadly.

Meanwhile, rival Coca-Cola is testing Coca-Cola Life, which is also made with a mix of sugar and stevia and has fewer calories than its regular soda. That drink is expected to hit markets nationally by November.

As Americans keep cutting back on soda, the two beverage giants are hoping they can win back customers by addressing concerns about the high fructose corn syrup in regular soda as well as the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas.

Executives have pushed to come up with formulas with fewer calories using natural sweeteners. But the bitter aftertaste of some natural sweeteners like stevia has made that a challenge. The solution so far has been to mix it with sugar — and therefore, some calories.

The quest to come up with new formulas has intensified recently as sales of diet sodas have declined at even steeper rates than their full-calorie counterparts. Coke and Pepsi executives have blamed the trend on worries about artificial sweeteners like aspartame, which have no calories but are seen as processed and fake.

Simon Lowden, chief marketing officer for PepsiCo's North American beverage unit, noted in a phone interview that people are no longer focusing on calories alone, but also taking into account whether a product uses artificial ingredients.

Pepsi True will come in 7.5-ounce cans, each with 60 calories. Coca-Cola Life, which is being test-marketed at select locations in the southeastern U.S, comes in 8-ounce glass bottles, each with 60 calories as well.

Ali Dibadj, a Bernstein analyst, said in a note Wednesday that interviews with store managers indicated sales of Coca-Cola Life so far seem "satisfactory."

Both Coke and Pepsi have sold midcalorie versions of their flagship sodas in the past, but those were made with different sweeteners. In 2012, PepsiCo also rolled out Pepsi Next, which has about half the calories of regular Pepsi.

Pepsi Next, which is still on shelves, is made with a mix of three artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup. Lowden said he imagines Pepsi Next, which hasn't been performing strongly, will eventually be phased out in the U.S.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/

STEVIA - Stevia May Lower Blood Sugar Levels and Help Fight Diabetes

Type II diabetes is currently one of the biggest health problems in the world.

It is characterized by elevated blood sugar in the context of insulin resistance or an inability to produce insulin.

Stevia has been studied in diabetic patients with impressive results.

In one of the studies, type 2 diabetic patients took either 1 gram of stevioside with a meal, or 1 gram of maize starch.

The group taking stevioside had a reduction in blood sugar by about 18% (6).

Another study compared sucrose (regular sugar), aspartame and stevia. It found that stevia lowered both blood sugar and insulin levels after a meal, compared to the other two sweeteners (7).

Other studies in animals and test tubes have shown that stevioside may increase production of insulin, as well as make the cells more sensitive to its effects (8, 9).

Insulin is the hormone that drives blood sugar into cells, so this appears to be the mechanism behind stevia’s blood sugar lowering effects.

Bottom line: 
Stevioside appears to improve function of the hormone insulin, helping to lower blood sugar levels. This may be useful for people with type 2 diabetes.


Source: http://authoritynutrition.com/stevia

STEVIA - Studies Show That Stevia Can Lower Blood Pressure

Elevated blood pressure is a major risk factor for many serious diseases.

This includes heart disease, stroke and kidney failure.

Studies have shown that taking stevioside (one of stevia’s sweet compounds) as a supplement can reduce blood pressure.

One of these studies was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 174 Chinese patients (1).

In this study, patients took either 500 mg of stevioside or placebo (dummy pill), 3 times per day.

These were the results after two years in the group taking stevioside: 

●  Systolic blood pressure: went from 150 to 140 mmHg.   
●  Diastolic blood pressure: went from 95 down to 89 mmHg.

In this study, the stevioside group also had a lower risk of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy, an enlarging of the heart that can be caused by elevated blood pressure. The stevioside group also had improved quality of life.

There are also other studies in both humans and animals showing that stevioside can lower blood pressure (2, 3, 4).

The mechanism is not well understood, but some researchers have suggested that stevioside may act by blocking calcium ion channels in cell membranes, a mechanism similar to some blood pressure lowering drugs (5).

Keep in mind that it would be hard to reach these large daily doses with regular use, so just sweetening things with a little stevia here and there probably won’t have such a potent blood pressure lowering effect.

Bottom line: 
Studies suggest that stevioside, one of the sweet compounds in stevia, can lower blood pressure when it is unnaturally high. However, these studies used very large doses.


Source: http://authoritynutrition.com/stevia

STEVIA - A Natural Sweetener With Proven Health Benefits

April 24, 2014 | by Kris Gunnars


Refined sugar is incredibly harmful.

For this reason, people are looking for healthy alternatives.

There are many low-calorie sweeteners on the market, but most of them are artificial. However, there are a few natural sweeteners out there that taste just as good.

One of these is stevia, a sweetener that has become immensely popular in recent years.

Stevia is a 100% natural, zero calorie sweetener with a number of health benefits that have been confirmed in human studies.

Source: http://authoritynutrition.com

STEVIA - What is Stevia?

Stevia is a green, leafy plant that is native to South America. 

It has been used for medicinal purposes for many centuries. The plant has also been bred for its strong, sweet flavor and used as a sweetener. 

However, the refined stevia sweeteners used today often don’t resemble the whole stevia plant at all. 

You can buy whole or crushed stevia leaves, but most often you are getting an extract (either liquid or powder), or a refined version of the plant’s isolated sweet compounds. 

The two major sweet compounds that are isolated from the stevia leaves are called Stevioside and Rebaudioside A. These two compounds are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar.

Here is an important point… most of the studies use stevioside, the isolated sweet compound. It would be hard to reach pharmacologically active doses of stevioside just by using stevia as a sweetener. Stevia is about 10% stevioside, by weight.

People often confuse stevia with another sweetener called Truvia, but they are not the same. Truvia is a blend of compounds, one of which is extracted from stevia leaves.

Bottom line: 
Stevia is a naturally occurring, zero-calorie sweetener. The two major sweet compounds in stevia are called Stevioside and Rebaudioside A.


Source: http://authoritynutrition.com/stevia

STEVIA - Is It Better Than Sugar?

Data Is Promising, But Limited in Scope 
By Mark Stibich, Ph.D. Updated June 13, 2014


Stevia is a type of plant that has very sweet leaves. These leaves have been used to sweeten drinks and as a sugar substitute in Central and South America (as well as Texas, Arizona and New Mexico). For centuries, tribes in Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia have used stevia leaves to sweeten teas and traditional medicines. Stevia extract can be 300 times sweeter than sugar (compared to Splenda, which is 600 times sweeter than sugar). The more compelling thing (potentially) about stevia is that it does not impact blood sugar levels. In other words, it is a very low-calorie sweetener and may be advantageous to diabetics.

The Taste of Stevia
Before we get into the health effects and other issues around stevia, let’s cut to the chase: How does stevia taste? Well, to find out, I did my own semi-scientific stevia taste test. My results agree with the general consensus that stevia, when compared to sugar, takes longer for the “sweet” flavor to kick in and the sweet flavor lasts longer. Some brands of stevia seem to have an aftertaste that is licorice or slightly minty. The aftertaste is not, in itself, unpleasant; but it may interact with other flavors to produce an odd taste.

Is Stevia Safe?
In the 1980s, multiple studies came out that pointed to possible health risks associated with stevia. One study found that as stevia broke down in the body, one of the components could cause cancer. Additionally studies showed mixed results. In 2008, a series of studies came out reviewing past studies concerning stevia that seemed safe. The main finding (that led to an FDA declaration of “no objection”) was that a specific compound in stevia (Rebaudioside A, see below for more information) had no safety risks linked to it. It should be noted, however, that some of these studies received funding from Cargill, a company interested in making a stevia-derived sugar substitute.

Stevia Health Benefits
More good news for stevia came when a few studies (again, often sponsored by the industry) showed that stevia-derived sweeteners not only taste sweet, but also may help individuals improve insulin production (which in turn would help with diabetes) and even help with hypertension (high blood pressure). Of course, not enough is known about stevia's effects to know whether this is indeed true, but you will see these studies frequently mentioned on stevia websites.

Bottom line: Right now, there is certainly not enough data to conclude anything about using stevia to treat high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis or anything else. Be careful when reading research on stevia. Some studies use different types of plants, different extraction methods and different parts of the plants than others, making it difficult to compare data across studies.

Stevia and Antioxidants
Stevia is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help your body fight off the damage caused by free radicals (and limiting free radical aging). Stevia, as with all plants, contains a number of antioxidants. This puts stevia (assuming it is safe) way ahead of other sweeteners which contain no such beneficial antioxidants.

The Politics of Stevia
Here’s where it gets complicated. Stevia has been approved for some time in Japan, China, Israel, and elsewhere. But in the U.S., stevia has not been fully approved (although some types of stevia-derived sweeteners are approved). There was a study in the late 1980s that led to stevia being banned by the FDA unless labeled as a supplement (and banned in Europe as well). The FDA has had to crack down on a few companies trying to sell stevia as a food additive instead of a supplement. These crackdowns have led to blogs and articles complaining about the FDA protecting the sugar industry through preventing stevia. This was the status of stevia until late 2008.

Rebiana: Stevia Gets Approved (Sort Of)
Rebiana is the name of a zero-calorie sweetener made from stevia. More specifically, Rebiana is made from steviol glycoside rebaudioside A (Reb-A). This is, in essence, an extract from a specific part of the stevia plant. In late 2008, the FDA issued a “no objection” letter to Rebiana being used as a food additive. Keep in mind that this “no objection” to Rebiana does not mean that all stevia extracts have been approved by the FDA, only Rebiana and other stevia extracts that meet the criteria of extraction mentioned in the FDA documents.

Truvia and PureVia 
Truvia and PureVia[/link"> are the names of sweeteners used that contain Rebiana (Reb-A). Coke and Pepsi have new drinks that have these natural sweeteners in them such as Sprite Green, SoBe Lifewater, Trop 50 and other drinks.

Bottom Line on Stevia
Stevia is a sweetener and does a good job at making things sweet. It has a distinct taste, so try it first before you buy it in bulk. As far as safety goes, only Rebiana has been approved by the FDA. The FDA and similar commissions in Europe continue to ban stevia in foods. The reason Rebiana has been approved is because it is a highly purified form of stevia. For the time being, the FDA says “stay away from stevia in foods, except Rebiana.” As for the healing powers of stevia, consider all the hype at this time. There just aren’t that many convincing studies that stevia improve diabetes, hypertension or other illnesses.

Sources: Overview: 
The history, technical function and safety of rebaudioside A, a naturally occurring steviol glycoside, for use in food and beverages Food and Chemical Toxicology, Volume 46, Issue 7, Supplement 1, July 2008, Pages S1-S10. M.C. Carakostas, L.L. Curry, A.C. Boileau, D.J. Brusick

Source: http://longevity.about.com

STEVIA - Zero calories and zero guilt

Zero calories and zero guilt: First natural sugar substitute 'could help fight obesity and diabetes'

• -  The plant extract called stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar
• -  Natural sweetener has been used in South America for thousands of years
• -  Food industry adopting sugar substitute in attempt to tackle obesity
• 
  

By TOM GARDNER

PUBLISHED: 09:47 GMT, 5 July 2013 | UPDATED: 10:02 GMT, 5 July 2013

Action: Some in the food industry believe stevia powder, which is 300 time sweeter than sugar but has no calories, could help tackle obesity

It sounds too good to be true - all the sweetness of sugar but with none of the calories.

But an extract from a plant found growing wild in South America is being trumpeted as a major weapon in tackling the obesity crisis threatening the health of millions of people around the world.

The natural sweetener called stevia is 300 times sweeter than traditional beet or cane sugar and could be a way for people with a sweet tooth to satisfy their sugar cravings totally guilt-free.

Dr Margaret Ashwell, a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Global Stevia Institute, an information service provided by the main suppliers of stevia, believes the health benefits cannot be understated.

'Stevia can help people enjoy natural-origin sweetness while reducing calories as part of a healthful, balanced diet,' she told the Independent.

She added: 'There are enormous opportunities for industry to meet national and international pledges to reduce sugar in products to help the obesity crisis.' 

Used for thousands of years in South America cooking, it was added to food as a sweetener as well as a health tonic and treatment for high blood pressure, heartburn, gout and type 2 diabetes.

Now multi-national food companies are catching on to the possible benefits of stevia and are introducing it into to a range of low-calorie products.

According to the National Health Service's 2013 Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet, 65 per cent of men and 58 per cent of women are overweight or obese in England, with the numbers continuing to rise.

So the plant, used for centuries by Paraguay's Guarani Indians, it has shot from relative obscurity to being used as a key sweetener by large companies such as Coca-Cola and Danone in just a few years.

Sales of the extract have soared in recent years - up 400 per cent between 2008 and 2012.

In 2011 it was approved by the European Food Safety Agency for widespread introduction.

Miracle plant: An extract from the leaves of a stevia bush are 300 times sweeter than sugar - but with none of the calories

Some critics have questioned if a calorie free supplement can possibly help in longterm fat loss diets.

Dr Robert Lustig, author of Fat Chance: The Bitter Truth About Sugar, said that weight-loss diets might not be achieved because the body expects real sugar, the Independent reported.

But this doubt over the effects of stevia has not stopped some food manufactures introducing the additive to some of their most popular ranges.

In March, this year, fizzy drink Sprite ditched its 'full-fat' recipe in favour of a lower-calorie version that uses the 'natural' sweetener.

The new formulation of the popular beverage contains 30 per cent fewer calories - but fans fear it will have an unusual aftertaste.

The drink is being altered as part of the parent company Coca-Cola's anti-obesity drive and follows a call by the government to address the issue.

Guilt-free: Stevia, pictured being cultivated for use in the food industry, is being described as an ingredient which could help tackle obesity by cutting the calories in junk food and fizzy drinks

A Coca-Cola spokesman said: 'We are introducing Sprite with Stevia in the UK.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF STEVIA

Research into stevia’s alleged health benefits have been mixed and many believe the plant could in fact pose health risks.

Some research has found that the plant lowered blood pressure.

There has also been research into its effects on diabetes.

The most obvious benefit of stevia is that it provides sweetness but does not elevate blood glucose levels as white sugar does. 

But in addition to this, early research has shown that it can actively lower blood sugars.

Scientists found that taking 1000 mg daily of stevioside reduced blood sugar levels after meals by up to 18 per cent in people with type 2 diabetes. 

Other alleged benefits of stevia were analysed in a 2009 review of recent stevia research. 

Experts at  Mahidol University in Thailand found that a number of studies did show stevia to have blood pressure-lowering, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour, anti-diarrheal, diuretic, and immunomodulatory actions.

This will contain 30 per cent fewer calories and, instead of being added as a mid-calorie addition to the Sprite range, it will completely replace the current Sprite,' it read.

'Stevia, a sweetener from natural origins, is sweeter than sugar but without the calories.

'It is an extract from the leaf of the stevia plant which is native to Paraguay. Stevia has been used for centuries as a source of intense, natural sweetness.'

The increasing introduction of the calourie-free natural sweetener comes amid mounting concern about the health effects of the soft drinks enjoyed by millions of Britons every day.

Heart attacks, diabetes, weight gain, brittle bones, pancreatic and prostate cancer, muscle weakness and paralysis have all been flagged up as potential problems of drinking soft drinks. 

Earlier this year, a study warned that just one can of a sugary soft drink a day can raise the risk of diabetes by up to a fifth.  

A can of Coke contains around eight teaspoons of sugar and 139 calories. This is around 7 per cent of the 2,000 calories a woman is recommended per day. Two cans would use up more than a tenth of a man’s 2,500 daily calorie allowance.

Harvard University’s respected School of Public Health warns that sugary drinks ‘are a major contributor to the obesity epidemic’.

Research it cites to back this up includes a 20-year study of 120,000 men and women which found those that drank an extra soft drink a day gained, on average, a pound a year more than those that did not up their intake. Over seven years, it would add up to half a stone.