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The first FAQs listed relate to stevia in general and, as you scroll down, you’ll see the FAQs for the book Sensational Stevia Desserts from the author Lisa Jobs.
I. Stevia FAQs
Many of these are based on Chapter 9 of Stevia Rebaudiana Nature's Sweet Secret by David Richard.
What is stevia?
Stevia Rebaudiana (pronounced stee’-vee-ah re-bau’-dee-ah-nah) is an herb in the Chrysanthemum family which grows wild as a small shrub in different parts of the world including South America and Asia. The glycosides in its leaves, including up to 10% stevioside, account for its incredible sweetness, making it unique among the nearly 300 species of stevia plants. There are indications that stevia (or Ca-he-he) has been used to sweeten a native beverage called maté since Pre-Columbian times. However, natural scientist, Antonio Bertoni first recorded its usage by native tribes in 1887.
In 1970 the Japanese began extracting the pure sweet powder found in the leaf for testing and commercial use. Stevia sweeteners have been fully approved and widely used in Japan since 1970 in food products and soft drinks and for table-top use. It is also fully approved and in use in Brazil, where it is also recommended for diabetics.
Why isn’t it more widely known and used in the U.S.?
Stevia is restricted for sale as a dietary supplement in the United States, according to FDA guidelines. Consequently, it has limited distribution and marketing in health food stores, natural health grocers and the Internet. Since stevia technically cannot be sold as sweetener in the USA, it cannot be used in commercial food applications. However, after you purchase it, you can use stevia in whatever way you choose at home.
How is stevia different from other sugar alternatives?
First, stevia is all natural and derived from an herbal plant grown primarily in Asia and South America, whereas artificial sweeteners are made with chemicals in a laboratory. Stevia also has no known side effects, whereas other alternatives do. Reports indicate that aspartame, a well-known artificial sweetener, actually has had the highest number of consumer complaints reported to the FDA. Second, stevia has also been used the longest…traced back to the Paraguan Indians hundreds of years ago. In modern times, the Japanese have used stevia safely in various commercial applications for over 20 years where stevia dominates the sweetener market with a 52% share. Third, raw herbal stevia has nutritional value, including about 100 phytonutrients and volatile oils, while the others have no nutritional value. The nutrients in the white powdered extract will be minute considering the more refined nature of it.
What is the FDA's position on stevia?
It is currently legal in the United States as a dietary supplement and must be labeled as such. In September of 1995, the FDA allowed stevia and its extracts to be imported as a food supplement but not as a sweetener.
Can stevia be used in cooking and baking?
A) Absolutely! Industrial research in Japan has shown that stevia and stevioside extracts are extremely heat stable in a variety of everyday cooking and baking situations. Please note, stevia does not caramelize nor brown as sugar does.
How much stevia is used around the world?
Many thousands of metric tons.
Where is stevia cultivated?
Primarily in South America and Asia.
How has stevia been used in food applications?
First, as a prepackaged replacement for sugar and artificial sweeteners in countries outside the USA. Second, it has been used in various food products, including the Japanese sugar-free versions of Wrigley's gums, Beatrice Foods yogurts and even diet Coke. It has also been used in Japanese style pickles, dried seafood, fish, meat products, vegetables and seafood boiled down with soy sauce, confectioneries and a host of other products. Whether it will reach into food applications such as these in the U.S. market will depend largely on the FDA's regulatory position and health industry efforts to re-classify stevia as a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) substance.
Is stevia safe?
Stevia has been thoroughly tested around the world and found to be completely non-toxic. It has also been consumed safely in massive quantities (thousands of tons annually) for the past 30 years.
For a detailed discussion and informaton on where to find these studies online, visit the “Stevia Research” page of this website or you can purchase Stevia Rebaudiana: Nature's Sweet Secret by David Richard.
Can stevia replace sugar in the diet?
Yes. Refined sugar is virtually devoid of nutritional benefits and, at best, represents empty calories in the diet. At worst, it has been implicated in numerous degenerative diseases. Stevia has none of sugar's or artificial sweeteners’ unhealthy drawbacks.
Can stevia replace artificial sweeteners in the diet?
Japanese and Brazilian usage indicates stevia offers a safe, all-natural, alternative to chemical sugar substitutes. Industrial usage in Japan proves that this substitution is both practical and economical.
How many calories are in stevia?
Virtually none. And the refined stevia extracts are considered to be non-caloric.
Will stevia raise my blood sugar levels?
Not at all.
Can I use stevia if I am diabetic?
Diabetes is a medical condition that should be monitored and treated by a qualified physician or health care practitioner. Stevia can be part of a healthy diet for anyone, including those with blood sugar problems, since it does not raise blood sugar levels. Always ask your doctor when changing your diet. If they do say no to stevia, ask them politely for the current research to support their opinion.
Will stevia harm my teeth?
Two tests conducted by Purdue University's Dental Science Research Group have concluded that stevioside is both fluoride compatible and "significantly" inhibits the development of plaque, thus stevia may actually help to prevent cavities.
II. Sensational Stevia Desserts Q & A:
Why should people use stevia as an alternative to sugar or artificial sweeteners in dessert recipes?
There are so many reasons so I’ll try to summarize. First, stevia has no calories, no carbs, no fat, no known side effects, and no aftertaste when measured properly. Secondly, it tastes great with virtually no aftertaste as long as you buy a high quality stevia product. When you use stevia instead of sugar, you greatly reduce or, in some recipes, virtually eliminate the carbs and thus your sugar intake. Using an all-natural alternative to sugar reduces the chemicals you are ingesting and, for many people, will eliminate undesirable side effects they’ve experienced from artificial sweeteners.
Why do you recommend preparing desserts with stevia when people can use sucralose that is also suitable for baking?
I prefer all-natural ingredients over anything artificial or chemically made. Also, stevia’s been around a lot longer and is an herb grown on farms. Sucralose, on the other hand, is a brand new chemical substance made in a laboratory. It may start with sugar as an ingredient, but once it goes through chemical processing and adds chlorine to the existing chemical structure, no natural substance is left. I also prefer the fact that stevia has no known side effects whereas the other alternatives are so controversial and very questionable at best.
Who can benefit from desserts using stevia?
Everyone! Whether you’re diabetic, overweight, hypoglycemic, health conscious or simply want to reduce your sugar intake or carbs, stevia can be part of a healthy diet. With Americans ingesting over 150 lbs. of sugar annually, we can all use a little less in our diet!
Are these recipes appropriate for diabetics?
Absolutely! Pure stevia doesn’t affect glucose levels, so it is of particular interest to diabetics. I would still recommend checking with your physician before adding anything new to your diet.
How can these “sensational” dessert recipes help people lose weight?
When combined with a healthy diet, using these desserts instead of those with sugar will reduce your calories, carbs, and sugar intake. In some cases, the recipes also help reduce fat content. When this is done over a consistent basis, losing weight can be the result.
How do low-carb dieters benefit from the recipes in SSD?
The elimination of added sugar in these recipes greatly reduces the amount of carbohydrates, thus making them very attractive to low-carb dieters. In addition, the healthier ingredients also help to foster a better diet overall.
Can all traditional sugar dessert recipes be converted to stevia dessert recipes?
No, not really. Traditional meringue recipes that need sugar’s volume or those that require caramelizing may not be appropriate. But, for the most part, other recipes can be converted with a combination of “trial and error” and knowing what ingredients can replace the volume lost from the elimination of the sugar. That’s why SSD is so convenient…all the work is already done for you! With the most variety of stevia desserts available, SSD also includes nutrition comparisons of the stevia desserts to traditional recipes using sugar, so you can see the eye-opening differences!
Do desserts made with stevia taste exactly the same as those made with sugar?
Not exactly, but the similarity in taste varies with the recipe, stevia brand used; amount of stevia used in recipe and your personal sweetness preference. Many stevia users insist that there is no aftertaste; while others say that the aftertaste is very slight and taste much better than that offered with other alternatives.
Are stevia desserts easy to prepare?
Yes, many are easy, like the Strawberry Yogurt and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fudge, but it depends on the recipe. In effect, using stevia doesn’t really require any more or less time than traditional recipes. I think the Chocolate Layer Cake, Almond Pound Cake and Truffles require the most time compared with the others in the book, but are well worth the extra effort.
Measuring stevia properly can be tricky. How do you address this in your book?
SSD is the first and only stevia cookbook to offer measurements for three different stevia brands. So, measuring stevia accurately is easier than ever before. I know how frustrating it can be to go thru the “trial and error” phase of recipes with stevia since its potency varies widely by brand. Additionally, your own sweetness preference really plays a role in the amount of stevia to include, so use my amounts as guidelines and adjust to your likeness the second time you prepare the same recipe.
What are some of the nutritional differences you noticed in the comparisons you make between some of your stevia dessert recipes and the traditional “sugar” recipes?
Basically, you’ll find significant reductions in carbs, sugar and calories. For instance, the recipe for Sinfully Cinnamon Cream Cheese Pie has 281 calories, 14g carbs and less than 1g sugar, while the traditional sugar recipe for this pie has 612 calories, 66g carbs and 56g sugar! Incredible isn’t it? And with no loss in flavor!
What are your favorite recipes in the book? Why?
Actually, I have many that I truly enjoy. At the beginning of most chapters in SSD, I’ve listed my favorites. The top five would probably be Chocolate-Cherry-Vanilla Truffles; Positively (Divine) Peanut Butter Pie; Italian Cannoli; Almond Pound Cake and Chocolate-Hazelnut Bread Pudding.
This information may not copied or reproduced without the expressed written permission from HLP and the author Lisa Jobs.
All information on this Web site is Copyright 2005 by Healthy Lifestyle Publishing.
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