13 replies to this topic

[niner]

F.D.A. Approves 2 New Sweeteners
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 17, 2008
Federal regulators have approved two versions of a new zero-calorie sweetener developed by the Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo, paving the way for new products.

Cargill, which is marketing the sweetener Truvia from Coca-Cola, said on Wednesday that it had received notification from the Food and Drug Administration that it had no objection to the product, calling it “generally recognized as safe.”

PepsiCo said it also had received a no-objection letter and the same designation from the agency related to its sweetener, PureVia.

Both products use rebiana, an extract from the stevia plant.

This week, Coca-Cola said it would begin selling products made with the new zero-calorie sweetener despite not yet receiving the official word from the government.

PepsiCo said it would not follow suit until the F.D.A. issued the designation.

PepsiCo, based in Purchase, N.Y., said Wednesday that it would be releasing three new zero-calorie SoBe Lifewater flavors: Fuji Apple Pear, Black and Blue Berry and Yumberry Pomegranate. The products will be in stores this year, the company said.

Coca-Cola, based in Atlanta, said Wednesday it would introduce an extension of its Sprite line with the Truvia sweetener.

A version of this article appeared in print on December 18, 2008, on page B7 of the New York edition.

[Forever21]

Thanks for sharing. I'm a big fan of Stevia.

[aim1]

Interesting. I too use stevia to sweeten tea. I was just reading another forum where one poster claims that stevia does impact the glycemic index:

"SWEETENERS/SUGARS
Sugars and sweeteners, despite the caloric or carbohydrate content, are capable of high glycemic reaction levels. Sweeteners previously believed to have a glycemic response of zero have recently been proven to have definite glycemic properties. .

STEVIA
Doses as low as 1g of Stevia elicit a glycemic index in clinical trials. As doses of Stevia increase, so does the glycemic index."

No link to the clinical trails was provided, but I was under the impression that stevia has zero calories, carbs and glycemic impact.

[zoolander]

aim1, can you please reference those comments.

Some (actually most) of the 'no-after taste' stevia powders available on the market are greater than 90% maltodextrin (1). The GI of maltodextrin, quoted below as being the same as maltose, which is 150 (2).

for of you who cannot get access to reference 2

In 'The South Beach Diet' (St. Martin's Press, 2003; 83 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list) Arthur Agatston, MD, a cardiologist from nearby Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, alarmed the major US brewer by criticizing the consumption of beer because of its alleged content of maltose and the fact that maltose has a high glycemic index.

The glycemic index (GI) is explained on the South Beach Diet website. It is a measure of the rise in the level of glucose that occurs in the bloodstream after food is ingested. The arrival of glucose causes the release of insulin, which in turn causes the body to store excess sugar as fat, inhibit the burning of previously stored fat and signals the liver to make cholesterol.

Agatston and others advocate the consumption of foods with a low glycemic index, the basis of the criticism of maltose.

The GI figures that Agatston quotes are fructose 32, glucose 137 (relative to white bread at 100) and maltose 150.

Evidently, Agatston's message got around because on 23 April 2004 Anheuser-Busch, the aforesaid brewing company, took out full-page advertisements in 31 newspapers, including The New York Times. The message read:

'Have a Beer

With Your South Beach Diet.

There's No Maltose to Worry About.'

Agatston, when challenged, conceded readily and with good grace that Anheuser-Busch was generally right about maltose. There is maltose in beer but most of it is fermented out. He said he hired a graduate student to look into the question.

I decided to do the same with an undergraduate student and an assistant working in my laboratory for the summer, Tiffany Biason and Mari Park. Together we measured the total carbohydrate content of 8 beers and the amount of glucose released by a mixture of alpha-amylase and glucoamylase, identical to the enzymes that we use in our digestive system to bring about the conversion of starch into glucose. The measurements provide, on the one hand, 'total carbs' and on the other the 'net carbs' that give rise to the metabolizable glucose that determines the glycemic index.

We also carried out paper chromatography of the beers and confirmed what generally had been agreed both by Agatston and Anheuser-Busch, that there was essentially no maltose to be seen. But we could see very clearly larger molecules that corresponded to the net carbs we had measured. These are collectively termed maltodextrins.

In the beer-making process, starch is acted on by a mixture of amylases to form glucose, maltose, maltotriose, and higher saccharides containing both alpha-1, 4- and alpha-1 6-glucosidic linkages. Yeast readily ferments glucose and maltose to ethanol, but has a harder time with the higher saccharides, the maltodextrins.

What is the significance of all this? The significance is that the glycemic index of maltodextrins is exactly the same as that of maltose. As long as there are significant amounts of maltodextrins in the beer, the claim by Anheuser-Busch that there is no maltose in beer is irrelevant. If Agatston's claim that maltose gives you a beer belly is correct, then so should the maltodextrins. I have not seen this aspect mentioned in the debate about maltose.

It seems to me that Anheuser-Busch, by proclaiming that 'there is no maltose to worry about', while ignoring that beer contains something, in terms of what is being argued about, that may be just as bad as maltose, has succeeded in grasping the tar baby of American folklore.

And, when a Washington University School of Medicine nutritionist is quoted on Realbeer.com as saying that 'the carbohydrates in beer are not sugar. Basically all the sugar is converted to alcohol during fermentation', he is also begging the question. Whatever one may choose to call the net carbohydrates in beer, they undergo exactly the same metabolic fate as does maltose, when we digest them, and they have the same glycemic index.

For the record, the net carbs determined by Ms. Biason in Budweiser beer corresponded to 2.5% wt/vol and about half that amount in Bud Light. The lowest quantities of net carbs that she found were in Michelob Ultra Beer, at 0.14% and Miller Lite at 0.11%, which border on the insignificant.

You can get a source of no-after taste stevia without the maltodextrin here in Australia as well as in China.

[Mind]

So as far as anyone knows, Stevia without maltodextrin has near zero or zero GI?

[wydell]

So as far as anyone knows, Stevia without maltodextrin has near zero or zero GI?

There are some studies out there that say it can affect insulin levels. I can't recall exactly what effect it had and to what extent. Certainly more cost effective than xylitol, but I tend to favor xylitol as it is near identical in taste to sugar, especially with respect to cooking.

[EmbraceUnity]

This is good news. It is amazing how quickly the FDA can move when a company like Coca Cola decides something is in their interest.

I agree xylitol is good stuff too, but it isn't a magic bullet and certainly isn't as cheap. Stevia will find many good niches in the US consumer market.

[zoolander]

So as far as anyone knows, Stevia without maltodextrin has near zero or zero GI

Keep in mind
"The Glycemic index (also glycaemic index) or GI is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels."

The reason why maltodextrin has an affect on blood glucose levels and therefore GI is because it is made up of maltose which is a disaccharides made from glucose+glucose.

Note the following "Steviol is the basic building block of stevia's sweet glycosides: Stevioside and rebaudioside A are constructed by replacing the bottom hydrogen atom with glucose and the top hydrogen atom with two or three linked glucose groups, respectively."

therefore because stevia(ol) contains glucose, if digested by enzymes in the small intestine, it would release glucose into the blood stream and hence affect blood glucose level and thus have a GI. However, stevia is labelled as a non-caloric sweetener and therefore it must pass through the small intestine undigested.

the following supports this assumption

J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Oct 22;51(22):6618-22.

Metabolism of stevioside and rebaudioside A from Stevia rebaudiana extracts by human microflora.
Gardana C, Simonetti P, Canzi E, Zanchi R, Pietta P.

Department of Food Science and Microbiology, Division of Human Nutrition, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy.

Stevia rebaudiana standardized extracts (SSEs) are used as natural sweeteners or dietary supplements in different countries for their content of stevioside or rebaudioside A. These compounds possess up to 250 times the sweetness intensity of sucrose, and they are noncaloric and noncariogenic sweeteners. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro transformation of stevioside and rebaudioside A after incubation with human microflora, the influence of these sweeteners on human microbial fecal community and which specific groups metabolize preferentially stevioside and rebaudioside A. The experiments were carried out under strict anaerobic conditions in batch cultures inoculated with mixed fecal bacteria from volunteers. The hydrolysis was monitored by HPLC coupled to photodiode array and mass spectrometric detectors. Isolated bacterial strains from fecal materials incubated in selective broths were added to stevioside and rebaudioside A. These sweeteners were completely hydrolyzed to their aglycon steviol in 10 and 24 h, respectively. Interestingly, the human intestinal microflora was not able to degrade steviol. Furthermore, stevioside and rebaudioside A did not significantly influence

Additionally, a recent reveiw paper discusses the multi benefits of stevia, on top of it's ability to sweeten the **** out of everything it comes within 10 foot of

Pharmacol Ther. 2008 Oct 27.

Stevioside and related compounds: Therapeutic benefits beyond sweetness.
Chatsudthipong V, Muanprasat C.

Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama 6 Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.

Stevioside, an abundant component of Stevia rebaudiana leaf, has become well-known for its intense sweetness (250-300 times sweeter than sucrose) and is used as a non-caloric sweetener in several countries. A number of studies have suggested that, beside sweetness, stevioside along with related compounds, which include rebaudioside A (second most abundant component of S. rebaudiana leaf), steviol and isosteviol (metabolic components of stevioside) may also offer therapeutic benefits, as they have anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diarrheal, diuretic, and immunomodulatory actions. It is of interest to note that their effects on plasma glucose level and blood pressure are only observed when these parameters are higher than normal. As steviol can interact with drug transporters, its role as a drug modulator is proposed. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the pharmacological actions, therapeutic applications, pharmacokinetics and safety of stevioside and related compounds. Although much progress has been made concerning their biological and pharmacological effects, questions regarding chemical purity and safety remain unsolved. These issues are discussed to help guide future research directions.

Edited by zoolander, 21 December 2008 - 12:21 PM.

[Forever21]

So is it good or bad (if you're trying to avoid sugar)?

[StrangeAeons]

Pharmacol Ther. 2008 Oct 27.

Stevioside and related compounds: Therapeutic benefits beyond sweetness.
Chatsudthipong V, Muanprasat C.

Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama 6 Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.

Stevioside, an abundant component of Stevia rebaudiana leaf, has become well-known for its intense sweetness (250-300 times sweeter than sucrose) and is used as a non-caloric sweetener in several countries. A number of studies have suggested that, beside sweetness, stevioside along with related compounds, which include rebaudioside A (second most abundant component of S. rebaudiana leaf), steviol and isosteviol (metabolic components of stevioside) may also offer therapeutic benefits, as they have anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diarrheal, diuretic, and immunomodulatory actions. It is of interest to note that their effects on plasma glucose level and blood pressure are only observed when these parameters are higher than normal. As steviol can interact with drug transporters, its role as a drug modulator is proposed. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the pharmacological actions, therapeutic applications, pharmacokinetics and safety of stevioside and related compounds. Although much progress has been made concerning their biological and pharmacological effects, questions regarding chemical purity and safety remain unsolved. These issues are discussed to help guide future research directions.

Stevia: The next adaptogen?

[luminous]

Great news! I've been waiting for this to happen for a long time. Stevia had been banned by the FDA (as an additive), which was ridiculous.

[luminous]

This article cites studies on stevia's health benefits, including effects on blood sugar and insulin:
http://www.vitacost....ess-of-Stevia-1

One of the main benefits of stevia, which is also known as "honey leaf," is that it passes through the digestive tract without being absorbed, making it non-caloric.

Studies have shown that natural stevia extract may hold other health benefits, including anti-viral properties, the prevention and reversal of diabetes, and even lower blood pressure.

In a 1986 study published in the Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, it was found that stevia may effectively reduce blood sugar levels. And in an animal study published in the journal Metabolism, stevia and one of its chief components, steviol, were shown to enhance insulin secretion. This indicates that stevia may effectively lower blood sugar in those with Type 2 diabetes. Various studies have shown that stevia may contribute to lower blood pressure, as it contains several chemicals that widen blood vessels. In a 1985 study published in Biochemical Pharmacology, it was found that natural stevia corrected high and low blood sugar. It is also thought that stevia may improve the heart's muscle tone and promote the body's water loss, and both of these properties may contribute to lower blood pressure.

As stevia is free of calories and sugar, it is understandably an effective weight loss tool, and may reduce craving for sweets and fatty foods. Unlike sugar, stevia extract normalizes blood sugar levels and promotes a consistent energy flow. It is thought that stevia may hold antiviral, as well as antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. It has been used for relieving bleeding gums, sore throats and cold sores. Stevia has been shown to inhibit plaque formation and bacterial growth causing gum disease and tooth decay, and will not cause cavities.

Among its other health qualities, stevia has displayed potential benefits for improved digestion and gastrointestinal function, including upset stomachs and reductions in gas and stomach acidity. Stevia may be beneficial for various skin problems, serving as an effective cover-up for blemishes, pimples and wrinkles. It may also benefit dermatitis and eczema, and may speed up the healing of cuts and scratches.

[luminous]

Does anyone know when Coca-Cola plans to start selling Coke with stevia in the United States?

[Forever21]

this is the brand i use

http://www.steviashop.com/portadaf.php