Stevia info

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Why has there been so much controversy concerning Stevia, a very useful herb

with such great health benefits? Stevia was used in the United States in the

1980's as a sweetener. Celestial Seasonings, one of the world's largest herbal

tea companies used it as a flavoring in many of their teas until 1986, when

without warning the FDA raided their warehouse and seized their entire stock of

Stevia. The FDA gave no reason for this action; the company was simply told they

could no longer use Stevia in their teas.

Prior to the 1980's Stevia was on the FDA's GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe)

list. Strangely, it was removed from that list at the same time Aspartame

entered the scene and saccharin was found to be a carcinogen. In 1991 the FDA

banned Stevia, claiming (as it still does) that it was an " unsafe food

additive, " even though it has been used extensively in South America, Japan,

China, Germany, Malaysia, Israel, and South Korea, and is available in many

other countries. Stevia extracts are used in the Far East as a sweetener in

items produced by American companies, such as Diet Coke and sugar free versions

of Wrigley's gum and Beatrice Foods Yogurts, as well as for its therapeutic

value. The FDA was forced to lift the ban on Stevia due to the Dietary

Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. Since that time Stevia has been

legal in the U.S., but only if specifically labeled as a dietary supplement. It

cannot be used commercially in food products as a sweetener or labeled as a

sweetener. In 1998, the FDA made a raid on a Stevia producer located in Texas

and attempted to burn all of the books in their warehouse. One book relays the

story of FDA's suppression of Stevia and another is a cookbook, which makes use

of Stevia as a sweetener, not a supplement. There has been much speculation

about the FDA's actions and policies concerning this beneficial herb, but

evidence points to the very real probability that these things are the result of

lobbying pressure exerted by chemical companies producing synthetic sugar

substitutes.