A natural sweetener, extracted from a wild South American plant, may be a major weapon in tackling the obesity crisis threatening the wellbeing of millions of people around the world. Stevia is 300 times sweeter than traditional beet or cane sugar, but with none of the calories, meaning you can satisfy your sweet teeth without the guilt of weight gain.
According to Dr Margaret Ashwell, a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Global Stevia Institute, an information service provided by the main suppliers of stevia, you cannot understate the health benefits of the sweetener. ‘Stevia can help people enjoy natural-origin sweetness while reducing calories as part of a healthful, balanced diet,’ she said. ‘There are enormous opportunities for industry to meet national and international pledges to reduce sugar in products to help the obesity crisis.’
South American cooking has used the sweetener in food for thousands of years, as well as believing it to have wellness benefits for those suffering from high blood pressure, heartburn, gout and type 2 diabetes. However, in just a few years, the plant used for centuries by Paraguay’s Guarani Indians has shot from relative obscurity to being a key ingredient in a range of low-calorie products from multi-national food companies, such as Coca-Cola and Danone.
But can a calorie-free supplement actually help in long-term fat loss diets? Dr Robert Lustig, author of Fat Chance: The Bitter Truth About Sugar, argues that your body expects real sugar, and this may get in the way of your weight loss diet. Dr Lustig is one of several critics who doubt the health benefits of stevia, but that hasn’t stopped the popularity of the sweetener. Stevia was added to fizzy drink Sprite in March this year, in order to reduce the full-fat version’s calorie content by 30%. However, fans fear it will have an unusual aftertaste.
According to a spokesman from Coca-Cola, which manufactures Sprite, ‘We are introducing Sprite with Stevia in the UK. This will contain 30% fewer calories and, instead of being added as a mid-calorie addition to the Sprite range, it will completely replace the current Sprite. Stevia, a sweetener from natural origins, is sweeter than sugar but without the calories. It is an extract from the leaf of the stevia plant which is native to Paraguay. Stevia has been used for centuries as a source of intense, natural sweetness.’
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