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Stevia: Not as great as we thought?

Posted on Oct 4th 2007 8:02PM by Martha Edwards

Filed Under: Diet & Weight Loss, Reviews & Products, Nutrition & Supplements

I've heard so much good stuff about Stevia, even on That's Fit. So it caught my eye when our friends at Diet Blog asked the question is stevia safe? Turns out the FDA sent a letter to Hain Celestial Group Inc. about their use of stevia as a food additive in some of their products. Now, according to the FDA, stevia is fine as a food supplement, but not as a food additive. Why? Because the FDA considers stevia as unsafe as a food additive. Moreover, they claim that there is insufficient data to support that stevia is safe.

Concerned yet? I am. For more info on stevia, read the full article.

Do you use stevia?

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2 Comment

Tags: fda, safe, stevia, sweetener

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jen 10-05-2007 @ 4:07PM

As usual, the FDA is in the pocket of the company that makes Nutrasweet. I think it was invented by Monsanto, if I remember correctly. Anyone, here is a great article on the history of stevia. http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/sugarfree_blues.html#stevia That being said, I have read recently that stevia affects the insulin response as much as sugar does, something diabetics and people with a tendency to hypoglycemia might want to be aware of.

Jen
http://www.squidoo.com/beatcoldsandflu

Katrine 10-05-2007 @ 7:24PM

Stevia contains no calories and has an effective glycemic index of zero, making it safe for diabetics. It restores pancreatic function, corrects blood-sugar problems, lowers high blood pressure, reduces oral bacteria, lessens cravings for sweets and smoking. I recommend reading "The Miracle of Stevia" by James May. I've been using stevia for years and i love it. With the FDA is all about money.