- Extracts of leaves from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni have been used for many years in traditional treatment of diabetes in South America. Paraguay's rural and indigenous populations have used Stevia rebaudiana for the control of fertility.
- Stevia rebaudiana standardized extracts are used as natural sweeteners or dietary supplements in different countries for their content of stevioside or rebaudioside A. These compounds possess up to 250 times the sweetness intensity of sucrose, and do not have any calories. Stevioside, a natural plant glycoside isolated from the plant Stevia rebaudiana, has been commercialized as a non-caloric sweetener in Japan for more than 20 years.
- Stevia is not generally recognized as safe (GRAS) nor approved as food additives by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Stevia may be imported only if "explicitly labeled as a dietary supplement or for use as a dietary ingredient in a dietary supplement." Although stevia may be marketed as a dietary supplement or an ingredient of a dietary supplement under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), products that are labeled as using stevia plant parts or extracts as flavoring agents, sweeteners, or for other food additive purposes are deemed as "unsafe." Regulatory agencies in Canada and Europe also have not approved use of stevia as a food additive. However, rebaudioside A (reb-A) is a steviol glycoside that is extracted from stevia and obtained FDA GRAS status as of December 2008.
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Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni)
Contents
- Barriocanal LA, Palacios M, Benitez G, et al. Apparent lack of pharmacological effect of steviol glycosides used as sweeteners in humans. A pilot study of repeated exposures in some normotensive and hypotensive individuals and in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2008;51(1):37-41.
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View Abstract - Carakostas MC, Curry LL, Boileau AC, et al. Overview: the history, technical function and safety of rebaudioside A, a naturally occurring steviol glycoside, for use in food and beverages. Food Chem Toxicol 2008;46 Suppl 7:S1-S10.
View Abstract - Chan P, Tomlinson B, Chen YJ, et al. A double-blind placebo-controlled study of the effectiveness and tolerability of oral stevioside in human hypertension. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2000;50(3):215-220.
View Abstract - Chatsudthipong V, Muanprasat C. Stevioside and related compounds: therapeutic benefits beyond sweetness. Pharmacol Ther 2009;121(1):41-54.
View Abstract - Chen TH, Chen SC, Chan P, et al. Mechanism of the hypoglycemic effect of stevioside, a glycoside of Stevia rebaudiana. Planta Med 2005;71(2):108-113.
View Abstract - Ferri LA, Alves-Do-Prado W, Yamada SS, et al. Investigation of the antihypertensive effect of oral crude stevioside in patients with mild essential hypertension. Phytother Res. 2006 Sep;20(9):732-6.
View Abstract - Gregersen S, Jeppesen PB, Holst JJ, et al. Antihyperglycemic effects of stevioside in type 2 diabetic subjects. Metabolism 2004;53(1):73-76.
View Abstract - Hsieh MH, Chan P, Sue YM, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of oral stevioside in patients with mild essential hypertension: a two-year, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Clin Ther 2003;25(11):2797-2808.
View Abstract - Koyama E, Kitazawa K, Ohori Y, et al. In vitro metabolism of the glycosidic sweeteners, stevia mixture and enzymatically modified stevia in human intestinal microflora. Food Chem Toxicol 2003;41(3):359-374.
View Abstract - Maki KC, Curry LL, Carakostas MC, et al. The hemodynamic effects of rebaudioside A in healthy adults with normal and low-normal blood pressure. Food Chem Toxicol 2008;46 Suppl 7:S40-S46.
View Abstract - Mizushina Y, Akihisa T, Ukiya M, et al. Structural analysis of isosteviol and related compounds as DNA polymerase and DNA topoisomerase inhibitors. Life Sci 9-9-2005;77(17):2127-2140.
View Abstract - Raskovic A, Jakovljevic V, Mikov M, et al. Joint effect of commercial preparations of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni and sodium monoketocholate on glycemia in mice. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 2004;29(2):83-86.
View Abstract - Wong KL, Chan P, Yang HY, et al. Isosteviol acts on potassium channels to relax isolated aortic strips of Wistar rat. Life Sci 3-26-2004;74(19):2379-2387.
View Abstract - Wong KL, Yang HY, Chan P, et al. Isosteviol as a potassium channel opener to lower intracellular calcium concentrations in cultured aortic smooth muscle cells. Planta Med 2004;70(2):108-112.
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