Stevia is the new Splenda
Stevia Rebaudiana is an herb in the Chrysanthemum family which grows wild as a small shrub in parts of Paraguay and Brazil. The glycosides in its leaves, including up to 10% Stevioside, account for its incredible sweetness.
The FDA's position on Stevia is somewhat ambiguous. In 1991, citing a preliminary study, the FDA blocked the importation and sale of Stevia in the U.S. Then, in September of 1995, the FDA revised its import alert to allow Stevia and its extracts to be imported as a food supplement but not as a sweetener.
Stevia can be found as a prepackaged replacement for sugar and artificial sweeteners. It has been used in various food products, including the Japanese sugar-free versions of Wrigley's gums, yogurts and even diet Coke. Last year, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal, Coca-Cola filed 24 patent applications for a new calorie-free natural sweetener made from Stevia, tentatively called Rebiana.
Stevia leaves are reported to be 10-15 times sweeter than table sugar. The refined extracts of Stevia called steviosides (a white powder, 85-95% Steviosides) claim to be 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar.
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Stevia can be found as a prepackaged replacement for sugar and artificial sweeteners. It has been used in various food products, including the Japanese sugar-free versions of Wrigley's gums, yogurts and even diet Coke. Last year, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal, Coca-Cola filed 24 patent applications for a new calorie-free natural sweetener made from Stevia, tentatively called Rebiana.
Stevia leaves are reported to be 10-15 times sweeter than table sugar. The refined extracts of Stevia called steviosides (a white powder, 85-95% Steviosides) claim to be 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar.
More "old" vs. "new" food trends:
- Acai is the new pomegranate
- Bison is the new beef
- Garbanzo is the new edamame
- Grapeseed is the new olive oil
- North Carolina is the new Napa
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Stevia is a fantastic alternative to artificial sweeteners. Zevia is a natural alternative to diet soda and uses stevia as an ingredient/supplement. Moreover, I can barely decipher the stevia taste in the "soda". Zevia is sugar and carbohydrate free! There are three flavors natural cola, twist, and orange. Zevia is free of all artificial sweeteners, flavors, and colors. I highly recommend trying Zevia if you are a stevia supporter or interested in consuming healthy beverages.