Stevia’s sweet; is it safe?

Stevia has arrived.

Visit the sweetener aisle of your local grocery store, and you’ll find not just pink, blue and yellow packets to sweeten your coffee, but also green and white ones touting the flavor of zero-calorie stevia.

Soda giants Coke and Pepsi are producing packaged sweeteners and using them in some of their diet beverages.

But some doctors and dietitians urge caution.

Though extracts of the super-sweet herb have been sold as supplements at health-food stores for more than a decade in the United States, stevia is fast making its way into the mainstream.

Stevia extracts can be found in table sweeteners such as Truvia and PureVia and in drinks such as SoBe Lifewater and VitaminWater10.

In December 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the stevia extract rebiana, also known as reb-A, a “generally accepted as safe” status, effectively making the extract a food additive instead of a dietary supplement.

Part of rebiana’s increasing popularity is that it does not have the bitter aftertaste associated with other stevia extracts, said Ian Eisenberg, co-founder of Seattle-based Zevia, which introduced an all-natural zero-calorie soda made with stevia extracts in 2007.

Eisenberg said the company switched from earlier extracts of stevia to rebiana last year.

“Our flavor improved a lot with reb-A,” Eisenberg said.

Some studies have shown stevia extracts to be safe and sometimes beneficial to people, even lowering blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

While people in other countries have consumed stevia as a medicinal or culinary herb for many years, critics of its newfound American celebrity worry about consumers drinking it in larger quantities, specifically in gallons of soda.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer watchdog group, recommends using caution with stevia and rebiana until more extensive testing proves their safety.

The center cites research that has connected stevia to fertility problems and genetic mutations in rodents.

“Just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s healthy or safe or works the way it’s supposed to. Nicotine is natural,” said Dr. Margaret Lewin, a leading preventative care expert in private practice in New York and medical director of Cinergy Health.

Lewin said the things that are promising about stevia — including its ability to lower blood pressure or blood sugars — could cause drug interactions or negatively affect people with certain health problems.

She recommends consuming stevia only in moderation, a packet or two a day. Pregnant or nursing women should check with their doctors first, Lewin said.

“We just don’t know enough about this stuff,” Lewin said. “Maybe it’s time to start drinking plain iced tea.”

Certified nutritionist Karen Lamphere of Whole Foods Nutrition of Edmonds said she would recommend stevia over artificial sweeteners.

“I think it’s a great, more natural alternative for people who have issues with blood sugar or diabetes,” Lamphere said.

Lamphere, who teaches nutrition and health classes throughout Snohomish County, puts about five drops of liquid stevia in her daily coffee. She wouldn’t however, consume much more than a quarter teaspoon a day.

“As with all things, but especially sweet things — with or without calories — moderation is always a good idea,” she said.

Moderation, of course, isn’t the path of many Americans, said Michelle Babb, a registered dietitian and adjunct faculty member at Bastyr University in Kenmore.

She recommends using stevia in small amounts, or better yet, using no sweeteners at all, even for a trial period.

“People are often surprised how quickly their palates can adjust when they’re really being more aware and more cautious,” she said. “If you’re constantly bombarding your palate with these sweeteners, that need for sweetness is still going to be very strong.”

Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.

Resources

WebMD explains possible drug interactions and effects of stevia. See tinyurl.com/steviawebmd.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest offers advice about numerous food additives, including rebiana at www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm.

Learn more about stevia products and the research behind them at www.stevia.com, www.truvia.com, www.zevia.com, www.purevia.com and www.sweetleaf.com.