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| {{Inc| | | {{SPlantbox |
| Stevia: for the Stevia of florists, see Piqueria. True Stevias are described in horticultural literature, but it is not known that any of them are now in the American trade. | | |familia=Asteraceae |
| | |genus=Stevia |
| | |Min ht metric=cm |
| | |Temp Metric=°F |
| | |jumpin=This is the plant information box - for information on light; water; zones; height; etc. If it is mostly empty you can help grow this page by clicking on the edit tab and filling in the blanks! |
| | |image=Stevia(July).JPG |
| | |image_width=180 |
| | |image_caption=A young ''Stevia rebaudiana'' plant |
| }} | | }} |
| | '''''Stevia''''' is a [[genus]] of about 150 [[species]] of [[herb]]s and [[shrub]]s in the sunflower family ([[Asteraceae]]), native to [[subtropical]] and [[tropical]] [[South America]] and [[Central America]]. The species ''[[Stevia rebaudiana]]'' Bertoni, commonly known as '''sweetleaf''', '''sweet leaf''', '''sugarleaf''', or simply '''stevia''', is widely grown for its sweet leaves. |
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| {{Taxobox
| | ==Cultivation== |
| | color = lightgreen
| |
| | name = ''Stevia''
| |
| | image = Stevia(July).JPG
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| | image_width = 240px
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| | image_caption = A young ''Stevia rebaudiana'' plant
| |
| | regnum = [[Plant]]ae
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| | divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
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| | classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
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| | ordo = [[Asterales]]
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| | familia = [[Asteraceae]]
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| | tribus = [[Eupatorieae]]
| |
| | genus = '''''Stevia'''''
| |
| | subdivision_ranks = Species
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| | subdivision =
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| About 150 species, including:<br/>
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| ''Stevia eupatoria''<br/>
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| ''Stevia ovata''<br/>
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| ''Stevia plummerae''<br/>
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| ''Stevia rebaudiana''<br/>
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| ''Stevia salicifolia''<br/>
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| ''Stevia serrata''
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| }}
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|
| '''''Stevia''''' is a [[genus]] of about 150 [[species]] of [[herb]]s and [[shrub]]s in the sunflower family ([[Asteraceae]]), native to [[subtropical]] and [[tropical]] [[South America]] and [[Central America]]. The species ''Stevia rebaudiana'' Bertoni, commonly known as '''sweetleaf''', '''sweet leaf''', '''sugarleaf''', or simply '''stevia''', is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a [[sugar substitute]], stevia's taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of [[sugar]], although some of its extracts may have a bitter or [[liquorice]]-like [[aftertaste]] at high concentrations.
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| With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for [[low-carbohydrate diet|low-carbohydrate]], low-sugar food alternatives. Stevia also has shown promise in medical research for treating such conditions as [[obesity]]<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&term=stevia%20obese PubMed research articles related to treatments of obesity]</ref> and [[high blood pressure]].<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&term=stevia%20blood%20pressure PubMed research articles on stevia's effects on blood pressure]</ref><ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&term=stevia%20hypertension PubMed articles on stevia's use in treating hypertension]</ref> Stevia has a negligible effect on [[blood glucose]], even enhancing [[glucose tolerance]];<ref>{{cite journal
| | ===Propagation=== |
| | last = Curi
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| | first = R
| |
| | authorlink =
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| | coauthors = Alvarez M, Bazotte RB, Botion LM, Godoy JL, Bracht A
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| | title = Effect of Stevia rabaudiana on glucose tolerance in normal adult humans
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| | journal = Braz J Med Biol Res
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| | volume = 19
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| | issue = 6
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| | pages = 771-4
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| | publisher =
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| | date = 1986
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| | url = http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=3651629&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum
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| | doi =
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| | id =
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| | accessdate = }}</ref> therefore, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to [[diabetes|diabetics]] and others on [[carbohydrate]]-controlled diets.<ref>{{cite journal
| |
| | last = Gregersen
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| | first = S
| |
| | authorlink =
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| | coauthors = Jeppesen PB, Holst JJ, Hermansen K
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| | title = Antihyperglycemic effects of stevioside in type 2 diabetic subjects
| |
| | journal = Metabolism
| |
| | volume = 53
| |
| | issue = 1
| |
| | pages = 73-76
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| | publisher =
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| | date = January 2004
| |
| | url = http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=14681845&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum
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| | doi =
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| | id =
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| | accessdate = }}</ref> However, health and political controversies have limited stevia's availability in many countries; for example, the [[United States]] banned it in the early [[1990s]] unless labeled as a supplement. Stevia is widely used as a sweetener in [[Japan]], and it is now available in the US and [[Canada]] as a [[dietary supplement]], although not as a [[food additive]]. '''Rebiana''' is the [[trade name]] for a stevia-derived sweetener being developed jointly by [[The Coca-Cola Company]] and [[Cargill]] with the intent of marketing in several countries and gaining regulatory approval in the US and EU.
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| ==History and use==
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| For centuries, the [[Guaraní]] [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|tribe]]s of [[Paraguay]] and [[Brazil]] used ''Stevia'' species, primarily ''S. rebaudiana'' which they called '''ka'a he'ê''' ("sweet herb"), as a sweetener in [[yerba mate]] and medicinal teas for treating [[heartburn]] and other ailments.
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| In [[1931]], two [[France|French]] chemists isolated the [[glycoside]]s that give stevia its sweet taste.<ref>{{cite journal
| | ===Pests and diseases=== |
| | last = Bridel
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| | first = M.
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| | authorlink =
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| | coauthors = Lavielle, R.
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| | title = Sur le principe sucre des feuilles de kaa-he-e (stevia rebaundiana B)
| |
| | journal = Academie des Sciences Paris Comptes Rendus
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| | volume =
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| | issue = Parts 192
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| | pages = 1123-1125
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| | publisher =
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| | date = 1931
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| | url =
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| | doi =
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| | id =
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| }}</ref> These compounds were named [[stevioside]] and [[rebaudioside]], and are 250–300 times sweeter than [[sucrose]] (ordinary table sugar), heat stable, [[pH]] stable, and non-[[Fermentation (food)|fermentable]].<ref>{{cite web
| |
| | last = Brandle
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| | first = Jim
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| | authorlink =
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| | coauthors =
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| | title = FAQ - Stevia, Nature's Natural Low Calorie Sweetener
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| | work =
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| | publisher = [[Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada]]
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| | date = 2004-08-19
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| | url = http://res2.agr.ca/London/faq/stevia_e.htm
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| | format = [[HTML]]
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| | doi =
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| | accessdate = 2006-11-08 }}</ref>
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| In the early [[1970s]], [[Japan]] began cultivating stevia as an alternative to artificial sweeteners such as [[cyclamate]] and [[saccharin]], suspected [[carcinogen]]s. The plant's leaves, the aqueous extract of the leaves, and purified steviosides are used as sweeteners. Since the Japanese firm Morita Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. produced the first commercial stevia sweetener in Japan in 1971,<ref>{{cite web
| |
| | title = Stevia
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| | publisher = Morita Kagaku Kogyuo Co., Ltd.
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| | date = 2004
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| | url = http://www.morita-kagaku-kogyo.co.jp/e/index.htm
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| | format = [[HTML]]
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| | accessdate = 2007-11-06 }}</ref> the Japanese have been using stevia in food products, [[soft drink]]s (including [[Coca Cola]]),<ref>{{cite book
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| | last = [http://leslietaylor.net/ Taylor]
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| | first = Leslie
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| | authorlink =
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| | coauthors =
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| | title = The Healing Power of Natural Herbs
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| | publisher = Square One Publishers, Inc.
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| | date = 2005
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| | location = Garden City Park, NY
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| | pages = (excerpted at weblink)
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| | url = http://rain-tree.com/stevia.htm
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| | doi =
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| | id = ISBN 0-7570-0144-0 }}</ref> and for table use. Japan currently consumes more stevia than any other country; it accounts for 40% of the sweetener market.<ref name="NebGuide">{{cite web
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| | last = Jones
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| | first = Georgia
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| | authorlink =
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| | coauthors =
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| | title = Stevia
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| | work =
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| | publisher = NebGuide: [[University of Nebraska–Lincoln]] Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources
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| | date = September 2006
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| | url = http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=609
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| | format = [[HTML]]
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| | doi =
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| | accessdate = 2007-05-04 }}</ref>
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| Today, stevia is cultivated and used in food elsewhere in east Asia, including in [[China]] (since [[1984]]), [[Korea]], [[Taiwan]], [[Thailand]], and [[Malaysia]]. It can also be found in [[Saint Kitts and Nevis]], in parts of [[South America]] ([[Brazil]], [[Colombia]], [[Peru]], [[Paraguay]], and [[Uruguay]]) and in [[Israel]]. China is the world's largest exporter of stevioside.<ref name="NebGuide" />
| | ==Species== |
| | | About 150 species, including:<br/> |
| Stevia species are found in the wild in [[semi-arid]] [[Habitat (ecology)|habitat]]s ranging from grassland to mountain terrain. Stevia does produce [[seed]]s, but only a small percentage of them [[germinate]]. Planting [[vegetative reproduction|cloned]] stevia is a more effective method of reproduction.
| | ''[[Stevia eupatoria]]''<br/> |
| | | ''[[Stevia ovata]]''<br/> |
| ==Extracting sweetness== | | ''[[Stevia plummerae]]''<br/> |
| Tips for Growing Stevia:
| | ''[[Stevia rebaudiana]]''<br/> |
| 1. Plant outside after all danger of frost.
| | ''[[Stevia salicifolia]]''<br/> |
| 2. Place in six to eight hours of sun.
| | ''[[Stevia serrata]]'' |
| 3. Mulch with compost or bark up to three inches deep and two feet in diameter. Make sure to leave an open collar about two inches wide around the small plant at first.
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| 4. Keep plants well irrigated.
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| 5. Harvest small amounts often or cut bush to about two inches above the ground in early summer and again in late summer/early fall just before flowering.
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| 6. In cold areas, bring plants in and place under 14 hours of fluorescent lighting hung three inches above the plants or treat as an annual.
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| Tips for Using Fresh Stevia:
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| 1. Add several leaves to any cup of hot liquid.
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| Approximately 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Stevia equals one cup of Sugar or 1 teaspoon processed Stevia extract powder.
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| 2. Make a fresh whole leaf extract:
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| Bring water to a boil and turn off.
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| Pack tea ball with leaves.
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| Steep leaves in water for 30 minutes.
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| Add this liquid to foods where the green appearance would be unwelcome.
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| Tips for Using Dried Stevia:
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| 1. Dry in a warm dark dry area.
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| 2. Grind dried leaves to a fine powder with a small coffee/spice grinder.
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| 3. Store in an airtight container out of light.
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| 4. Approximately 1 tablespoon of dried Stevia powder equals one cup of sugar or 1 teaspoon processed Stevia extract powder.
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| Sweetness of leaves vary so quantities of dried Stevia powder needed may vary. There is definitely room for experimenting with Stevia in different proportions and different foods. It should not be thought of as just a substitute for sugar. Its unique flavor adds an earthiness to other spice blends as well.
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| ===Availability===
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| Stevia has been grown on an experimental basis in [[Ontario]], [[Canada]] since [[1987]] for the purpose of determining the feasibility of growing the crop commercially. In the United States, it is legal to import, grow, sell, and consume stevia products if contained within or labeled for use as a dietary supplement, but not as a food additive. Stevia has also been approved as a dietary supplement in [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]]<ref name="Nexus">{{cite journal
| |
| | last = Hawke
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| | first = Jenny
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| | authorlink =
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| | coauthors =
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| | title = The Bittersweet Story of the Stevia Herb
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| | journal = [[Nexus magazine]]
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| | volume = 10
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| | issue = 2
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| | pages =
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| | publisher =
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| | date = February-March 2003
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| | url = http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/stevia.html
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| | doi =
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| | id =
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| | accessdate = 2007-05-04 }}</ref> and [[Canada]]. In Japan and South American countries, stevia may also be used as a food additive. Stevia is currently banned for use in food in the [[European Union]]<ref name="EC">[[European Commission]] Scientific Committee on Food (June 1999). [http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scf/out34_en.pdf Opinion on Stevioside as a Sweetener]</ref> It is also banned in [[Singapore]] and [[Hong Kong]].<ref name="sing">Simon LI (Legislative Council Secretariat Research and Library Services Division) (27 March 2002). [http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr01-02/english/sec/library/0102fs04e.pdf Fact Sheet: Stevioside]</ref>
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| '''Rebiana''' is the tradename for a [[patent]]-pending, calorie-free, food and beverage sweetener derived from stevia and developed jointly by [[The Coca-Cola Company]] and [[Cargill]]. In May 2007, Coca-Cola announced plans to obtain approval for its use as a food additive within the United States by 2009. Coca-Cola has also announced plans to market rebiana-sweetened products in 12 countries that allow stevia's use as a food additive. The two companies are conducting their own studies in an effort to gain regulatory approval in the United States and the European Union.<ref>{{cite news |title=Coke and Cargill teaming on new drink sweetener |author=Stanford, Duane D. |publisher=Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=2007-05-31 |accessdate=2007-05-31 |url=http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/coke/stories/2007/05/31/0531bizcoke.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Coke, Cargill Aim For a Shake-Up In Sweeteners |author=Etter, Lauren and McKay, Betsy |publisher=Wall Street Journal|date=2007-05-31 |accessdate=2007-06-01 |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118058140982419717.html?mod=rss_whats_news_us}}</ref> | |
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| ==Controversies==
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| [[Image:Steviol.svg|thumb|left|Steviol is the basic building block of stevia's [[steviol glycoside|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.]]
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| ===Health controversy===
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| A [[1985]] study reported that steviol, a breakdown product from stevioside and rebaudioside (two of the sweet [[steviol glycoside]]s in the stevia leaf) is a [[mutagen]] in the presence of a [[liver]] extract of pre-treated rats<ref>{{cite journal
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| | last = Pezzuto
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| | first = JM
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| | authorlink =
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| | coauthors = Compadre CM, Swanson SM, Nanayakkara D, Kinghorn AD
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| | title = Metabolically activated steviol, the aglycone of stevioside, is mutagenic
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| | journal = Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A.
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| | volume = 82
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| | issue = 8
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| | pages = 2478-82
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| | publisher =
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| | date = April 1985
| |
| | url = http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&list_uids=3887402
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| | doi =
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| | id =
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| | accessdate = }}</ref>
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| — but this finding has been criticized on procedural grounds that the data were mishandled in such a way that even [[distilled water]] would appear [[mutagenic]].<ref>{{cite journal
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| | last = Procinska
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| | first = E
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| | authorlink =
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| | coauthors = Bridges BA, Hanson JR
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| | title = Interpretation of results with the 8-azaguanine resistance system in Salmonella typhimurium: no evidence for direct acting mutagenesis by 15-oxosteviol, a possible metabolite of steviol
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| | journal = Mutagenesis
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| | volume = 6
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| | issue = 2
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| | pages = 165-7
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| | publisher =
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| | date = March 1991
| |
| | url = http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&list_uids=2056919
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| | doi =
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| | id =
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| | accessdate = }}
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| – article text is reproduced [http://www.cookingwithstevia.com/interpretation.html here].</ref>
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| More recent animal tests have shown mixed results in terms of toxicology and adverse effects of stevia extract, with some tests finding steviol to be a weak mutagen<ref>{{cite journal
| |
| | last = Matsui
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| | first = M
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| | authorlink =
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| | coauthors = Matsui K, Kawasaki Y, Oda Y, Noguchi T, Kitagawa Y, Sawada M, Hayashi M, Nohmi T, Yoshihira K, Ishidate M Jr, Sofuni T
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| | title = Evaluation of the genotoxicity of stevioside and steviol using six ''in vitro'' and one ''in vivo'' mutagenicity assays
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| | journal = Mutagenesis
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| | volume = 11
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| | issue = 6
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| | pages = 573-9
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| | publisher =
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| | date = November 1996
| |
| | url = http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&list_uids=8962427
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| | doi =
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| | id =
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| | accessdate = }}</ref>
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| while newer studies find no safety issues.<ref>{{cite journal
| |
| | last = Klongpanichpak
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| | first = S
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| | authorlink =
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| | coauthors = Temcharoen P, Toskulkao C, Apibal S, Glinsukon T
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| | title = Lack of mutagenicity of stevioside and steviol in Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100
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| | journal = J Med Assoc Thai
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| | volume = 80
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| | issue = Suppl 1
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| | pages = S121-8
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| | publisher =
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| | date = September 1997
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| | url = http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&list_uids=9347659
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| | doi =
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| | id =
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| | accessdate = }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
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| | last = Geuns
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| | first = JM
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| | authorlink =
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| | coauthors =
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| | title = Stevioside
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| | journal = Phytochemistry
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| | volume = 64
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| | issue = 5
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| | pages = 913-21
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| | publisher =
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| | date = November 2003
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| | url = http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14561506&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_ExternalLink
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| | doi =
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| | id =
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| | accessdate = 2005-05-04 }}</ref>
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| | |
| Other studies have shown stevia improves insulin sensitivity in rats<ref>{{cite journal
| |
| | last = Lailerd
| |
| | first = N
| |
| | coauthors = Lailerd N, Saengsirisuwan V, Sloniger JA, Toskulkao C, Henriksen EJ
| |
| | title = Effects of stevioside on glucose transport activity in insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant rat skeletal muscle.
| |
| | journal = Metabolism
| |
| | volume = 53
| |
| | issue = 1
| |
| | pages = 101-7
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| | publisher =
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| | date = January 2004
| |
| | url = http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&cmd=search&term=Effects%20of%20Stevioside%20on%20Glucose%20Transport%20Activity%20in%20Insulin-Sensitive%20and
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| }}</ref> and may even promote additional insulin production,<ref>{{cite journal
| |
| | last = Jeppesen
| |
| | first = P
| |
| | coauthors = Jeppesen PB, Gregersen S, Rolfsen SE, Jepsen M, Colombo M, Agger A, Xiao J, Kruhøffer M, Orntoft T, Hermansen K
| |
| | title = Antihyperglycemic and blood pressure-reducing effects of stevioside in the diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rat.
| |
| | journal = Metabolism
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| | volume = 52
| |
| | issue = 3
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| | pages = 372-8
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| | publisher =
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| | date = March 2003
| |
| | url = http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=PubMed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=12647278&ordinalpos=5&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
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| }}</ref> helping to reverse [[diabetes]] and [[metabolic syndrome]].<ref>{{cite journal
| |
| | last = Dyrskog
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| | first = S
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| | coauthors = Dyrskog SE, Jeppesen PB, Colombo M, Abudula R, Hermansen K
| |
| | title = Preventive effects of a soy-based diet supplemented with stevioside on the development of the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes in Zucker diabetic fatty rats.
| |
| | journal = Metabolism
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| | volume = 54
| |
| | issue = 9
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| | pages = 1181-8
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| | publisher =
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| | date = September 2005
| |
| | url = http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=PubMed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16125530&ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
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| }}</ref> Preliminary human studies show stevia can help reduce [[hypertension]] <ref>{{cite journal
| |
| | last = Hsieh
| |
| | first = M
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| | coauthors = Hsieh MH, Chan P, Sue YM, Liu JC, Liang TH, Huang TY, Tomlinson B, Chow MS, Kao PF, Chen YJ
| |
| | title = Efficacy and tolerability of oral stevioside in patients with mild essential hypertension: a two-year, randomized, placebo-controlled study.
| |
| | journal = Clinical Therapeutics
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| | volume = 25
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| | issue = 11
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| | pages = 2797-808
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| | publisher =
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| | date = November 2003
| |
| | url = http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=PubMed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=14693305&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus
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| }}</ref> although another study has shown it has no effect on hypertension.<ref>{{cite journal
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| | last = Ferri
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| | first = L
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| | coauthors = Ferri LA, Alves-Do-Prado W, Yamada SS, Gazola S, Batista MR, Bazotte RB
| |
| | title = Investigation of the antihypertensive effect of oral crude stevioside in patients with mild essential hypertension.
| |
| | journal = Phytotherapy Research
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| | volume = 20
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| | issue = 9
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| | pages = 732-6
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| | publisher =
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| | date = September 2006
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| | url = http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=PubMed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16775813&ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
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| }}</ref> Despite these more recent studies establishing the safety of stevia, government agencies have expressed concerns over [[toxicity]], citing a lack of sufficient conclusive research.<ref>[[European Commission]] Scientific Committee on Food (June 1999). [http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/stevioside.pdf Opinion on ''Stevia Rebaudiana'' Bertoni plants and leaves]</ref><ref>[[Food Standards Agency]] (August 2000). [http://archive.food.gov.uk/pdf_files/stevia.pdf FSA note on Stevia and stevioside]</ref>
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| Whole foods proponents draw a distinction between consuming (and safety testing) only parts, such as stevia extracts and isolated compounds like stevioside, versus the whole herb. In his book ''Healing With Whole Foods'', Paul Pitchford cautions, "Obtain only the green or brown [whole] stevia extracts or powders; avoid the clear extracts and white powders, which, highly refined and lacking essential [[phyto-nutrients]], cause imbalance".<ref>{{cite book
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| | last = Pitchford
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| | first = Paul
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| | authorlink =
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| | coauthors =
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| | title = Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition (3rd ed.)
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| | publisher = North Atlantic Books
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| | date = 2002
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| | location = Berkeley, CA
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| | pages = <!-- someone please add this -->
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| | url =
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| | doi =
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| | id = ISBN 1-55643-430-8 }}</ref> However, this statement is not backed by published scientific evidence, other than the general findings about refined foods being less beneficial.
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| In [[2006]], the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) performed a thorough evaluation of recent experimental studies of stevioside and steviols conducted on animals and humans, and concluded that "''stevioside and rebaudioside A are not genotoxic ''[[in vitro]]'' or ''[[in vivo]]'' and that the genotoxicity of steviol and some of its oxidative derivatives ''[[in vitro]]'' is not expressed ''[[in vivo]]''.''"<ref name="WHO">
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| {{cite journal
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| | last = Benford
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| | first = D.J.
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| | coauthors = DiNovi, M., Schlatter, J.
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| | title = Safety Evaluation of Certain Food Additives: Steviol Glycosides
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| | journal = WHO Food Additives Series
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| | volume = 54
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| | issue =
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| | pages = 140
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| | publisher = [[World Health Organization]] Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
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| | date = 2006
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| | url = http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2006/9241660546_eng.pdf
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| | format = [[PDF]] – 18 MB }}</ref>
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| The report also found no evidence of [[carcinogen]]ic activity. Furthermore, the report noted that "''stevioside has shown some evidence of [[pharmacological]] effects in patients with [[hypertension]] or with [[type-2 diabetes]]''"<ref name="WHO"> </ref> but concluded that further study was required to determine proper dosage.
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| Indeed, millions of Japanese people have been using stevia for over thirty years with no reported or known harmful effects.<ref>{{cite web
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| | last =
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| | title = Products and Markets - Stevia
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| | work =
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| | publisher = Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - Forestry Department
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| | date =
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| | url = http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0917e/A0917e03.htm#P1014_193167
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| | format = [HTML]
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| | accessdate = 2007-05-04 }}</ref>
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| Similarly, stevia leaves have been used for centuries in South America spanning multiple generations in [[ethnomedical]] tradition as a treatment of [[type II diabetes]].<ref>{{cite journal
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| | last = Abudula
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| | first = R
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| | coauthors = Jeppesen PB, Rolfsen SE, Xiao J, Hermansen K
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| | title = Rebaudioside A potently stimulates insulin secretion from isolated mouse islets: studies on the dose-, glucose-, and calcium-dependency
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| | journal = Metabolism
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| | volume = 53
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| | issue = 10
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| | pages = 1378-81
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| | publisher =
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| | date = October 2004
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| | url = http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=15375798&itool=iconabstr&query_hl=8&itool=pubmed_docsum
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| }}</ref>
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| ===Political controversy===
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| [[Image:Stevia-rebaudiana-total.JPG|thumb|right|The stevia plant may be grown legally in most countries, although some countries restrict or ban its use as a sweetener.]] | |
| In [[1991]], at the request of an anonymous complaint, the [[United States]] [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) labeled stevia as an "unsafe food additive" and restricted its import. The FDA's stated reason was "toxicological information on stevia is inadequate to demonstrate its safety."<ref>[[Food and Drug Administration]] (1995, rev 1996, 2005). [http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/ora_import_ia4506.html Import Alert #45-06]: "Automatic Detention of Stevia Leaves, Extract of Stevia Leaves, and Food Containing Stevia"</ref> This ruling was controversial, as stevia proponents pointed out that this designation violated the FDA's own guidelines under which any natural substance used prior to [[1958]] with no reported adverse effects should be [[generally recognized as safe|generally recognized as safe (GRAS)]].
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| Stevia occurs naturally, requiring no [[patent]] to produce it. As a consequence, since the import ban in 1991, marketers and consumers of stevia have shared a belief that the FDA acted in response to industry pressure.<ref name="Nexus" /> [[Arizona]] congressman [[Jon Kyl]], for example, called the FDA action against stevia "a [[restraint of trade]] to benefit the artificial sweetener industry."<ref>Kyl, John (R-Arizona) (1993). Letter to former FDA Commissioner [[David Aaron Kessler]] about the 1991 stevia import ban, quoted at [http://www.herbalremedies.com/stevquotandc.html herbalremedies.com].</ref> Citing privacy issues, the FDA has not revealed the source of the original complaint in its responses to requests filed under the [[Freedom of Information Act]].<ref name="Nexus" />
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| The FDA requires proof of safety before recognizing a food additive as safe. A similar burden of proof is required for the FDA to ban a substance or label it ''unsafe''. Nevertheless, stevia remained banned until after the [[1994]] [[Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act]] forced the FDA in [[1995]] to revise its stance to permit stevia to be used as a [[dietary supplement]], although not as a food additive — a position that stevia proponents regard as contradictory because it simultaneously labels stevia as safe and unsafe, depending on how it is sold.<ref>{{cite web
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| | last = McCaleb
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| | first = Rob
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| | authorlink =
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| | coauthors =
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| | title = Controversial Products in the Natural Foods Market
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| | work =
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| | publisher = Herb Research Foundation
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| | date = 1997
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| | url = http://herbs.org/greenpapers/controv.html#stevia
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| | format = [[HTML]]
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| | doi =
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| | accessdate = 2006-11-08 }}</ref>
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| Although unresolved questions remain concerning whether metabolic processes can produce a mutagen from stevia in animals, let alone in humans, the early studies nevertheless prompted the [[European Commission]] to ban stevia's use in food in the [[European Union]] pending further research.<ref name="EC" /> [[Singapore]] and [[Hong Kong]] have banned it also.<ref name="sing" /> However, more recent data compiled in the safety evaluation released by the World Health Organization in [[2006]]<ref name="WHO" /> suggest that these policies may be obsolete.
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| ==Names in other countries==
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| Both the sweetener and the stevia plant ''Stevia rebaudiana'' Bertoni (also known as ''[[Eupatorium]] rebaudianum'' Bertoni<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ipni.org/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do?id=100800-2&back_page=%2Fipni%2FeditSimplePlantNameSearch.do%3Ffind_wholeName%3DEupatorium%2Brebaudianum%26output_format%3Dnormal | title=Asteraceae ''Eupatorium rebaudianum'' Bertoni | work=[[International Plant Names Index]]}}</ref>) are known and pronounced as "stévia" in [[English-speaking countries]] as well as in France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Israel, and Sweden — although some of these countries also use other terms as shown below. Similar pronunciations occur in Japan (''sutebia'' or ステビア in ''[[katakana]])'', and in Thailand (''satiwia''). In some countries (India, for example) the name translates literally as "sweet leaf." Below are some names for the stevia plant in various regions of the world:<ref>The [http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Stevia.html Multilingual Multiscript plant name database] has terms for the Stevia plant in various languages.</ref>
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| *[[Afrikaans]]-speaking countries: ''heuningblaar'' (honey leaf)
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| *[[China]]: 甜菊 (''tian jü'' – sweet chrysanthemum), 甜菊叶 (''tian jü ye'' – stevia leaf)
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| *[[English-speaking countries]]: candy leaf, sugar leaf, sweetleaf ([[United States|USA]]), sweet honey leaf ([[Australia]]), sweet herb of Paraguay
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| *[[German speaking countries]] (also [[Switzerland]]): ''Süßkraut'', ''Süßblatt'', ''Honigkraut''
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| *[[Hungary]]: ''jázmin pakóca''
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| *[[India]]: ''madhu parani'' ([[Marathi]]), ''madhu patra'' ([[Sanskrit]]), ''seeni tulsi'' ([[Tamil language|Tamil]]), ''madhu patri'' ([[Telugu language|Telugu]])
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| *[[Japan]]: アマハステビア (''amaha sutebia'')
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| *[[Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries|Portuguese-speaking countries]]: ''capim doce'', ''erva doce'', ''estévia'' ([[Brazil]]), ''folhas da stévia''
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| *[[Spanish-speaking countries]]: ''hierba / yerba dulce'', ''estevia'', ''ka´a he´ê'' (Guaraníes, Natives of [[Paraguay]])
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| *[[Thailand]]: ''satiwia'', หญ้าหวาน (''ya wan'', or ''sweet grass'' in [[Bangkok]])
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| ==See also==
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| *[[Asteraceae]]
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| *[[Sugar substitute]]
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| *[[Glycoside]]
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| *[[Steviol glycoside]]
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| ==Notes and references== | | ==Gallery== |
| {{wiktionarypar|Stevia}}
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| {{reflist}}
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| ==Further reading== | | <gallery perrow=5> |
| * Pitchford, Paul (2002). ''Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition'' (3rd ed.). Berkeley: North Atlantic Books (ISBN 1-55643-430-8).
| | Image:Upload.png| photo 1 |
| * May, James (2003). ''The Miracle of Stevia''. New York, NY: Twin Stream Books (ISBN 0-7582-0220-2).
| | Image:Upload.png| photo 2 |
| * Kirkland, James (1999). ''Sugar-Free Cooking with Stevia''. Arlington, TX: Crystal Health Pub. (ISBN 1-928906-11-7).
| | Image:Upload.png| photo 3 |
| * Goettomoeller, Jeffrey (1999). ''Stevia Sweet Recipes: Sugar-Free-Naturally''. Bloomingdale, IL: Vital Health Pub. (ISBN 1-890612-13-8).
| | </gallery> |
| * [[Ray Sahelian]] (1999). ''The Stevia Cookbook''. Garden City Park, NY: Avery (ISBN 0-89529-926-7).
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| == External links== | | ==References== |
| *[http://www.steviainfo.com SteviaInfo.com] - Stevia Research Studies, News, Recipes and Background Information
| | <references/> |
| *[http://www.cspinet.org/nah/4_00/stevia.html Stevia: A Bittersweet Tale] — article from the [[Center for Science in the Public Interest]] | | *[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963 |
| *[http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr01-02/english/sec/library/0102fs04e.pdf Hong Kong Legislative Council Secretariat] ([[Portable Document Format|PDF]] file)
| | <!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 --> |
| *[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(03)00426-6 Journal review article on Stevia's safety] <!-- should be cited, not here in External links --> | | <!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 --> |
| *[http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/additives_stevia.html Stevia: Not Ready For Prime Time] | | <!--- xxxxx *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608 --> |
| *[http://www.angelfire.com/de2/steviaok/osna2.html Article by Daniel Mowrey, Ph.D.] in assoc. with Health Freedom Resources (http://www.healthfree.com/).
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| *[http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read,1048,4813.html Diabetes Health] - Article on Stevia and Diabetes. | |
| *[http://www.eustas.org/ European Stevia Association]
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| *[http://www.margonaut.com/stevia.htm The Sweet Secret of Stevia] - article on the controversy around Stevia
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| *[http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/stevia.html The Bittersweet Story of the Stevia Herb] from Nexus Magazine
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| {{Herbs & spices}} | | ==External links== |
| | *{{wplink}} |
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| [[Category:Asteraceae]]
| | {{stub}} |
| [[Category:Glycosides]]
| | __NOTOC__ |
| [[Category:Herbs]]
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| [[Category:Medicinal plants]]
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| [[Category:Sweeteners]]
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