Stevia Research: Coke and Pepsi Are At It Again
Stevia rebaudiana, commonly called stevia, grows natively in Asia, South America, Mexico, and Central America. Many know it as a sweetener and it is actually an herb that is quite exotic. It has been used by natives of these countries for many years to treat plethora of conditions.
However, it’s not an herb that is going to cure disease or eliminate the AIDS epidemic. Instead, it could potentially allow you to indulge your sweet tooth without any calories! Stevia is made from the herb’s leaves and the extract is 300 times sweeter than refined sugar. Beyond its incredible sweetness level it is even more amazing because it has no calories!
Coke and Pepsi
When you imagine what a super sweet, no calorie sweetener could do for the diet soda business you can easily see why Coke and Pepsi are involved. One of the only problems with stevia from a soda standpoint was that it has an aftertaste that is similar to licorice. This would change the flavor of soda too much, so companies like Coke and Pepsi have been trying to create a safe stevia formula that keeps all the benefits while eliminating the licorice taste.
Coke and Cargill have devised a super sweetener called Truvia, with no licorice aftertaste. Pepsi and Merisant have come up with PureVia. The problem here is that no matter how great Truvia or PureVia may make Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi taste, the FDA may not allow it. This is a little confusing to many because stevia may be purchased in either liquid or powder form at your local health food store. So, why would Coke and Pepsi go to the effort to test stevia and create its own formulas if it’s not allowed by the FDA? The answer is they are simply waiting for the FDA to approve it! Both companies have done several studies that show there is no harm in using stevia in their diet soft drinks. Therefore, now it is up to FDA to make a decision.
Dangers of Stevia: Why Won’t the FDA Approve It?
To this point, the FDA has not approved stevia for use in food and drink products because some studies have suggested that it could interfere with human reproduction. Other issues are that it could be a carcinogenic or a mutagenic. The University of California conducted a study independently of any company that suggests stevia could potentially cause DNA breakage and even chromosomal damage.
To date, the FDA is allowing stevia to be tested on rats and mice. So far, no conclusive evidence shows that stevia could cause health problems nor do the studies prove that it won’t. Until there is more conclusive evidence one way or the other stevia will not be allowed for Coke or Pepsi to use to create that special new diet cola!
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8 Responses to “Stevia Research: Coke and Pepsi Are At It Again”
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TOTALLY CONFUSED, FIRST SPLENDA AND ASPARTAME WERE CONSIDERDED SAFE, NOW THEY SAY DO NOT USE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, IM A DIABETIC AND HAVE TO DRINK SOMETHING W/O SUGAR AND I LOVE CARBONATION, ESPECIALLY DR. PEPPER NOW IVE FOUND THIS STUFF CALLED STEVIA ! CAN YOU TELL ME IF OR ISNT SAFE OR NOT ? EVERY DAY ITS SOMETHING NEW, DONT USE, DO USE,ETC..NOW I SEE THE THE FDA HAS NOT APPROVED OR TESTED STEVIA, WHATS GOING ON…?
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It is safe. It has been used for hundreds of years. The problem is the large corporations that use aspartame and would lose billions. Stevia is the safest sweetener they could use, but the FDA, don’t want the World to have anything healthy just like their current efforts to ban vitamins and natural supplements for big Pharma. They look out for the deadly “Eugenics” corporations now, not the consumer. If they use the correct part of the plant, the natural green leafy sweetener will benefit everyone who uses it. But since it is too healthy for everyone, they will likely try to modify by adding a deadly additive and/or synthetically manufacture it.
Could you imagine all those diet soda drinkers going into withdrawls and then feeling better after stopping the use of Aspartame? Breaking an unknown addiction to a deadly sweetener. That wouldn’t be good for the diet soda companies.
The only reason they have not approved it is because it would put a MAJOR kink in the chain of the Rockefeller population reduction plan.
This has been an answer to my prayers. I love Coke and I refuse to have sugar. I don’t need the calories and I don’t need the possibility of diabetis. I don’t want any artificial sweetners in my body. I carry stevia with me and put it in Tea’s from Starbucks or latte’s. I use it to make ice tea (celestial seasoning tea) at home. Now the possibility to be able to have a Coke how absolutely wonderful.
I’ve tasted stevia it has a terrible taste
I just bought Truvia this week in a regular grocery store (not an organic grocery store) a box and have been using it in my foods and drinks. I notice that it looks like regular sugar and comes darn near close to the taste, better than Splenda. I also notice when I mix a pack or two in my drinks, I have to wait a minute or two for the crystals to dissolve. They will fall to the bottom of the glass and I keep stirring quite a while for they are all dissolved. I never had to worry this with the blue, pink and yellow sweetners. They dissolve instantly. I just relate Truvia with natural sugar and sugar has to be stirred and stirred in cold tea before every dissolving, too. I am going to stay with this for I do like the taste very much.
@ Carol
Like everything else, if you’re not used to powdered Stevia, you won’t like it. Consider giving it another shot. Maybe you can learn to like it. Remember that you only need a tiny–TINY–bit to sweeten your drinks. It’s sweeter than sugar and adding too much will make it taste grassy. Once you get used to it, you’ll be able to tolerate more.
I’d also like to add that Stevia is a natural herb that’s a lot of fun to grow while aspertame is a chemical made in a lab somewhere. Which do you think is healthier??
I personally do not want to promote anything that Coke or Pepsi puts out. But I have found a good use for sugar. Google Water Kefir (Tibicos) and give that a try. It is probiotic, carbonated, and good for you. Mine taste like lemonade because I use the simplest method out there. Water, Sugar, Lemon, some fruit, and the Water Kefir grains. Yummy. For my teas and anything else, I do use Stevia. I started out with the Stevita brand, but now, there are so many out there, it’s great. I just look for the cheapest price. Besides, if it’s been used all over the world and Japan has been using it like, forever, even in their chewing gum, and no side effects, how much more testing can we do?
Happy Healthy New Year.
May 2010 bring every one good health.