The US Food and Drug administration has issued “letters of no objection” to suppliers of Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) as a sugar substitute. Stevia is a natural plant product that has no calories and does not significantly raise blood sugar in diabetics.
The FDA had previously banned the product, and diabetes societies had warned against its use, saying that a study had found it caused infertility in rats after giving them huge doses. Stevia has been used in Japan and other countries for many years, with no known side effects.
This opens the way for those wanting to use safe non-sugar sweeteners because of health issues. There has been great concern about the side effects – including nerve disorders and brain tumours – of artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame.
Stevia products vary in quality, some of them having a bitter aftertaste. I have tried Wonder Foods Stevia Drops and have found it quite pleasant-tasting. You can find out more at our online store.
For information on Stevia research go here.
For more info on the news go to NaturalNews.com
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As a matter of fact, removal of unpleasant taste from stevia is more to do with the extraction technology. We at Biosweet Ventures, India, have pioneered this technique to make stevia products, taste very close to sugar, with no unpleasant taste at all, whatsoever. This makes our stevia products more adaptable by the consumers, without compromising on the taste.
Since, NZFSA has also approved stevia, we think, both Australia & NewZealand should see an array for stevia product line.