happyjo said...
My MIL had left some stevia packets here so I opened one & dumped it in my coffee this a.m.--ptwooeey ptwooeey-as in yuck, artificial taste-both my spouse & I did not like! I think I will have to wait for the medically proven & processed before I use (or grow a plant & gnaw on its leaves).
Although approved by the mighty FDA (perhaps rushed to production by the CocaCola co), there are questions as to whether enough studies were indeed conducted. (A red flag for me is that pregnant women are told not to consume this herb-?).
And yes, analysis/paralysis again here, but authors of this study below noted that in some test tube and animal studies, stevioside caused genetic mutations, chromosome damage and DNA breakage:
http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/stevia-report_final-8-14-08.pdf
And unless you are growing your own stevia leaf, all seem to go through a processing that may be of concern and most from China. Some side by side analysis here:
https://healthesolutions.com/kal-brand-pure-stevia-extract-powder-made-in-china-includes-maltodextrin/
We can find "dirt" on anything we wish. These studies have some validity of course, but what you have to watch for are things like this in this study:
www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/stevia-report_final-8-14-08.pdf "The temporary acceptable daily intake (ADI) for steviol glycosides set by JECFA is 0-2 mg/kg bw/day (based on steviol content) with a steviol equivalent of 0-6 mg/kg bw/day of rebaudioside A (steviol equivalent=[stevioside]."
2 mgs per kilogram of body weight per day is a lot of stevia!
And the last link was for a specific brand that includes maltodextrin (which has it's own issues), but definitely doesn't include all brands. The NOW brand that I use is certified organic.
"Put simply, if you see the "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" seal on your food, the item must have an ingredients list and the contents should be 95% or more certified organic, meaning free of synthetic additives like pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and dyes, and must not be processed using industrial solvents, irradiation, or genetic engineering, according to the USDA. The remaining 5% may only be foods or processed with additives on an approved list."
lifehacker.com/5941881/what-does-organic-really-mean-and-should-i-buy-itI do agree though, that we do need to be very careful of our sources of all of our food!! Even the sweeteners we use. I'm just not tough enough to do all of life without a sweetener for my (fake)coffee, yogurt or kefir! LOL!