Natural Sweetener Stevia Aims to Replace Artificial Sweeteners

Settle down hippy, that’s not what you think it is, but you could bake it into brownies.

Stevia, or “sweet leaf,” has been eaten for hundreds of years, but it gained attention in 2008 when PepsiCo announced a Stevia derived sweetener named “PureVia.”

Tribes in Paraguay and Brazil believe it eases heartburn, and scientists suggest stevia may help treat obesity and high blood pressure.

And now, major food producers are getting ready to rip out sugar and artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, and stick in stevia.

With obesity and diabetes spinning out of control and consumers demanding more natural and organic foods, stevia offers a high-intensity, all-natural sweet taste and most importantly, zero calories.

Right now, stevia may be priced out because mass-production is still in the development phase, so it is more expensive than artificial sweeteners, but people’s demand for something natural may eventually see it in a lot of foods, namely beverages.

But health-wise, the jury is still out on stevia. Metabolizing stevia may produce a mutagen in animals or humans. Sweet! X-Men here we come. I want heat vision.

Via Food Navigator.

Image credit: Stevia Rebaudiana