Stevia as sweetener, a threat?

My Blog Tweet this morning:  “Stevia may be linked to genetic mutations in lab animals.” In its natural form? My doubt provokes research http://tinyurl.com/6k82ha

In this linked article, it was stated that “Stevia may be linked to genetic mutations in lab animals.” This statement provokes this blog post that has required a little bit of research.  I’ve read for several years now that stevia failed the FDA as a safe sugar substitute and was then approved only as a dietary supplement.  Herbie folks (those that follow and study herbs) all asked the question why?  Most answered the question that it was really politics and money.  We all knew that Japan had already embraced stevia as its national sugar substitute.  American Corporations funding other sugar substitutes would stand to lose if stevia showed up as the poster child for natural sugar substitute without health risk. Many made the conclusion like I did that it was economics and politics that had prevented stevia from being a sugar substitute.   But the plot thickens!

Now we read all over the internet that stevia can cause cancer and/or cause DNA mutation in lab animals. The phrase pops into my head here…forgive me but my engineering training is a part of me. – “lies damn, lies and statistics.”  This phrase I bring up in the meaning that statistics can be modified and changed to pretty much look like anything you want it to look like with a little tweak here and there.  I realize this might seem like serious allegations and I’ve no proof to go with it by any means but these are the thoughts that swirl in my head when I read so many wide swing statements written about this one plant. (done ranting…now down to the facts.)

According to wikipedia, stevia: “With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Stevia also has shown promise in medical research for treating such conditions as obesity^[1] and high blood pressure.^[2][3] Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, even enhancing glucose tolerance;^[4] therefore, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to diabetics and others on carbohydrate-controlled diets.^[5] However, health and political controversies have limited stevia’s availability in many countries; for example, the United States only permitted it in the early 1990s if 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.PureVia is PepsiCo‘s brand of stevia-based sweetener which is supplied by Pure Circle. 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. Truvia is Cargill’s consumer brand of Rebiana-based sweetener.”

See why I draw these conclusions? Pure Circle and Cargill (and then Pepsi and Coke) stand to make a LOT of money if their versions of stevia are approved by the FDA as sugar substitutes.  Great! Capitalism at its finest…

My nagging question is What is wrong with stevia in its natural form? Americans are all about large quantities of sugar and/or sugar substitutes. (this could be why FDA didn’t see issues with aspartame and saccarin when they did their initial testing…the rules changed- larger quantities consumed.)

“Cancer: Steviol has successfully been converted into a mutagenic compound, which may promote cancer by causing genetic mutation of a cell’s DNA. The catch? Scientists don’t yet know if this will happen in human cells. ” – (source: http://www.steviacafe.net/dangers-of-stevia)

“Here’s what troubles toxicologists:

Reproductive problems. Stevioside “seems to affect the male reproductive organ system,” European scientists concluded last year. When male rats were fed high doses of stevioside for 22 months, sperm production was reduced, the weight of seminal vesicles (which produce seminal fluid) declined, and there was an increase in cell proliferation in their testicles, which could cause infertility or other problems.¹ And when female hamsters were fed large amounts of a derivative of stevioside called steviol, they had fewer and smaller offspring.² Would small amounts of stevia also cause reproductive problems? No one knows.

Cancer. In the laboratory, steviol can be converted into a mutagenic compound, which may promote cancer by causing mutations in the cells’ genetic material (DNA). “We don’t know if the conversion of stevioside to steviol to a mutagen happens in humans,” says Huxtable. “It’s probably a minor issue, but it clearly needs to be resolved.” – (source: http://www.cspinet.org/nah/4_00/stevia.html)

Are you asleep yet? no? whew! Good then! This is a huge topic that can’t really be discussed in one blog post.  I’m going to stop here for now and let us all chew on this data.  What is my most significant finding in this research so far?  …the rules changed- larger quantities consumed. It’s time for more testing. Was this data that sites DNA changes done with Organic stevia or treated stevia?

Am I going to stop growing it organically in my garden and using this wonderful herb/plant? NO! What are your thoughts? Do you use or grow stevia today? Tell us about it!

Happy washing!

~Regina