Q. What
is Stevia?
A. Stevia
is a herb.
Stevia rebaudiana is a small shrub in the
same family as lettuce, chicory and chrysanthemums. It
grows wild in Paraguay and Brazil.
Stevia was "officially"
discovered in the late 19th century by Dr. Moises
Santiago Bertoni. He was given samples of the plant and
he reported that "one small piece of the leaf will keep
the mouth sweet for an hour". He named the plant
Stevia Rebuadiani Bertoni in honor of a Paraguayan chemist name
Rebaudi. Bertoni found that the Guarani Indians had been
using stevia to sweeten bitter teas and as a sweet treat.
Science later discovered that the glycoside substances in
stevia leaves, including the steviosides, account for this
plant’s incredible sweetness.
Q. Is
Stevia Safe?
A. Yes.
Stevia is a natural product with
centuries of usage since pre-Columbian times by natives in
Paraguay with no reports of side effects. Rigerous
research in hundreds of trials internationally have proven
stevia to be completely non-toxic for both human and animal
consumption. Stevia has been consumed in massive
quantities (Thousands of tonnes annually) for over 40 years.
Q. I
have heard that stevia has side effects?
A. Science
has proven Stevia to have no side effects.
Stevia has been widely used in Japan
since 1970 and there have been no reports of toxicity or other
side effects. It has been thoroughly tested under
rigorous conditions through hundreds of clinical and lab trials
and found to be completely safe. Stevia has been
extensively used around the world for over 40 years with NO
reports of stevia overdose or toxicity.
Q. How
Sweet is Stevia?
A. Stevia's
sweetness depends on the particular form you are using.
Sweetness of the crude leaves from the
stevia plant and leaf powder (green) varies from 10 - 15 times
sweeter than sugar (but with a bitter aftertaste). Stevia
concentrates (white powders or liquids) can be 100 to over 300
times sweeter than sugar. Not all concentrates are
created equal so read the product label and literature to
ensure what you are buying is 100% pure stevia and determine
its sweetness level.
Q. How
can Pure-le Natural's Stevias have no aftertaste unlike other
brands?
A. Quality
and purity.
Our concentrated Stevia powder is the
highest grade available. It is 100% pure stevia with no
added fillers. Lower grade stevia concentrates add
fillers to reduce their costs. It is these fillers which
have an unpleasant aftertaste. Our concentrated liquid
contains no alcohol or glycerine (fillers commonly used in
Stevia liquids). These additives are responsible for the
distinctive aftertaste in some brands. Pure-le Natural
Stevias are amazingly sweet, have a glycemic index of zero (0)
and are free of any aftertaste.
Q. What
are the benefits of Using Stevia?
A. Studies
have shown the following benefits from using Stevia in your
diet.
> Sugarless with no calories
> Will not affect blood sugar levels
(neither up or down)
> 100% Natural
> Up to 300 times sweeter than sugar
> Heat and freezer stable (ideal for
cooking, baking and freezing)
> Non-fermentable
> Flavour enhancer
> Plaque retardant Anti-caries
(prevents cavities)
> Recommended for diabetics
> Non-toxic
> Extensively tested in humans and
animals with no adverse effects.
No other sweetener can match this list of
stevia’s benefits.
Q. Where
is Stevia Grown?
A. Worldwide.
Originally stevia grew wild in Northern
Paraguay and Southern Brazil. It was later cultivated as
a sweetener until the introduction of sugar cane. Today
Stevia is grown worldwide from Asia to South America, Europe,
India, the Ukraine and even Canada and the United States.
Q. What
are the types or forms of Stevia?
A. Stevia
is available in both raw herb (green) and concentrated extracts
(white powder and liquids)
Q. Does
Stevia have the same qualities as sugar in cooking?
A. Almost!
The molecular structures of sucrose and
Stevioside are completely different. Sugar, when heated
will liquefy and caramelize. Stevia will not. Some
sweets, like caramel, and glazes are not possible, yet, but
most other sweets like cookies, ice cream, and fudge are
possible with a little tinkering.
Q. Will
Stevia break down in heat like saccrines or aspartame?
A. No!
The stability of stevia is one its best
properties. Stevia is heat stable and can be safely used
in cooking and baking without altering its taste or texture.
Items made with stevia can be frozen without any change
in stevia’s taste profile. So it can be used in
almost any recipe.
Q. Will
Stevia feed yeast in baking as sugar does?
A. No!
Stevia is non-fermentable and therefore
will not act as a food source for yeast. (This is why
stevia is great for anyone on a cleanse or suffering from
Candida!) Breads will still rise when baked but just not as
big.
Q. Why
is Stevia just coming onto the market?
A. Stevia
has been around for a long time in North America.
Studies on stevia go back to the 1950's
but the U.S. sugar industry fought to prevent the use of
stevia in the United States. Today, the manufacturers of
artificial sweeteners have lobbied the FDA to prevent its
approval as a sugar substitute. The situation is so bad
that 60 Minutes, in 1997 aired a report on the tactics of
artificial sweetener manufacturers when dealing with the FDA.
Q. Why
don’t I see diet soft drinks sweetened with Stevia?
A. The
answer is simple: Money!
The diet soft drink market is huge, worth
billions of dollars and the manufacturers of artificial
sweeteners are not about to share that market. They
lobbied the FDA to stop the use of Stevia as a food ingredient
thereby protecting their market. Artificial sweeteners
are patented and those patents guarantee big profits, where
Stevia is a natural plant that cannot be patented and it can be
grown by anyone anywhere. In Japan, where artificial
sweeteners are banned, stevia is found in numerous products,
including virtually all diet soft drinks.
Q. What
does the Kosher certification of your Stevia indicate?
A. The
quality of our products.
The symbol COR 18 inside a circle on
Pure-le Natural products indicate that the raw materials and
production of our products are supervised and inspected by a
Rabbi to ensure they meet strict kosher standards. This
ensures that the final product has been isolated from other
items avoiding possible cross contamination from any other
item. In addition to the benefits to the kosher-minded
consumer this is an additional quality assurance of our
products.
Q. Who
Kosher certifies your products?
A. The
Kashruth Council of Canada headed by Rabbi Levin out of
Toronto, ON, Canada.
The Kashruth Council of Canada is one of the most prestigious kosher
agencies, with some of the most rigorous standards for
qualification.
Q. What
is a glycemic index rating?
A. The
glycemic index shows how foods affect our blood sugar.
This index measures how fast your blood
sugar increases after eating. A GI value tells you only
how rapidly a particular carbohydrate turns into sugar, the
lower the GI number the better. All Pure-le Natural
Stevias have a glycemic index of zero (0) indicating that they
cause no rise in blood sugar.
Q. Are
all Pure-le Natural Stevia products gluten free?
A. Yes.
People wishing to avoid gluten or those
intolerant to gluten can use Pure-le Natural Stevia products
freely.
Q. Is
any of the equipment used for the production of Pure-le Natural
Stevia products also used for the production of products with
animal derivatives?
A. No.
Our kosher and parve certification
prohibits us from using any animal products or by-products on
the same equipment as Stevia.
Q. If I
am taking a prescription or over the counter medication will
there be any interactions between Stevia and my medication?
A. There
are no reports of stevia and medication interactions.
In fact stevia is used to sweeten some
medications. However, if you are concerned you should
always consult your health care provider.
© 2003 Pure-le Natural, Barrie
Ontario Canada
