Could Stevia be the Answer to Diabetes Treatment?

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Could Stevia be the Answer to Diabetes Treatment? JoAnn Guest Jan 27, 2005

21:40 PST

by Patrick B. Massey, M.D.

 

http://www.NOWfoods.com

Posted in the Daily Herald on Monday, May 20, 2002

 

Diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases in this country,

especially in the adult population. People with the disease oftenare

prone to high blood pressure, vision changes and decreases in

arterial blood flow, which can lead to heart disease or stroke.

 

There are many reasons for the explosive increase in diabetes, among

them obesity, sedentary lifestyles, genetics and " sugar consumption " .

 

In the United States, the average person consumes more than 120 pounds

of sugar each year. Humans seem to be born with a sweet tooth. This has

spawned a multibillion-dollar industry for the development of sugar

alternatives.

 

Interestingly, nature has provided a sugar substitute called stevia.

Wild stevia is a perennial shrub native to the Amambay mountain

region in Paraguay.

 

It has been used for centuries by the natives as a sweetener and in the

1800s was " re-discovered " and used throughout Latin America. In 1931,

stevioside was isolated as the active part of the stevia leaf.

 

The Japanese use it and today it accounts for about 41 percent of their

total artificial sweetener market.

 

They market a diet pop sweetened exclusively with stevia.

 

Stevia has some very interesting properties. It has no calories but has

actions similar to several currently used medications.

 

It stimulates the " release " of insulin and " normalizes " the response to

glucose, especially in type 2 diabetes.

 

It is used in Latin America as an inexpensive therapy for hyperglycemia.

 

 

In good medical studies, regular consumption of stevia also reduces

high blood pressure without reducing normal blood pressure.

 

Medical publications have shown that it affects calcium transport in

a way that is similar to a class of drugs called " calcium channel

blockers " (like verapamil), which commonly are used to treat high

blood pressure.

 

In laboratory animals, stevia also can induce 'diuresis' or water

release, similar to diuretics also used to treat high blood pressure.

 

One study even showed that stevia could prevent infection by the

" rotovirus " , a common viral infection among school-age children.

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/SugarBlues.html

 

=====================================================================

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant: Calorie Control Council

---

This presentation article was written before the FDA banned

importation of Stevia for use in foods (reportedly at Monsanto/

NutraSweet's request).

 

It has a sales slant to it, but it has some very useful information in

it.]

 

http://www.holisticmed.com/sweet/stv-ej.txt

 

STEVIOSIDE, " NATURALLY " !

A Special Presentation

 

To:

The Calorie Control Council

23rd Annual Meeting

Tucson, Arizona

 

November 4-7, 1990

 

Prepared By:

Dr. R. Elton Johnson, Jr.

P.O. Box 1356

Fayetteville, Georgia 30214

TeL. / FAX - (404) 719-2134

 

Introduction

------------

We are living at a time when consumers, and consequently food

processors, are being drawn magnetically by four words that make up

two key descriptive expressions:

1) " all-natural " and 2) " low calorie. "

 

Our product, Stevioside, is exactly that and more!

 

This exciting " new " product has actually been around for centuries. Man

does not produce it, synthesize it in a laboratory or manufacture it.

 

Man simply *extracts* it, just like nature produced it from the tiny

leaf of a beautiful little South American plant.

 

Thus Stevioside is not " artificial " or " synthetic " or even

" nature-identical " ...it is truly an ALL_NATURAL product.!

 

Stevioside is also a " low-calorie " product.

 

In fact, it is better than that...Stevioside has absolutely NO

CALORIES!

=====================================================================

 

History

-------

Modern scientific interest in the Stevia plant dates to the turn of

this century. But long before Spanish and Portuguese colonial

intrusions into South America in the sixteenth century, the local

Guarani and Mato Grosso Indians already knew, appreciated and used

its leaves to sweeten their medicines and teas, or just to chew as a

sweet treat. They called the plant CAA-HEE (Honey Leaf).

 

Later the early white settlers of the region learned from the local

indigenous population about the sweetening quality of the Stevia

plant. They began using the leaves to sweeten their teas, foods and

drinks.

 

They called it Yerba Dulce (Sweet Herb). The Gauchos of the

region later used Stevia leaves to sweeten their Mate tea.

 

The plant is native to the area of the Amabai Mountains of the

Cordilleras Range along the Brazil-Paraguay border. Stevia

rebaudiana (Bert.) Bertoni was first botanically described by the

Paraguayan botanist M.S. Bertoni.

 

In 1899 he originally classified the plant as of the genus Eupatorium,

then in 1904 he reclassified it into the genus Stevia, a perennial herb

belonging to the Compositae family.

 

The property of the species which called attention to the plant was

the intense sweet taste of the leave and aqueous extracts.

 

In 1908 Rasenack reported the presence of various sweeteners in

Stevia and in 1931 Briedel and Lavieille were able to crystallize

Stevioside.

 

In 1941, during World War II, the British seriously studied the

possibility of commercially extracting Stevioside as an alternative

to their threatened sugar supplies.

 

It was a good idea that was ahead of its time since there was no

industrial-scale production of the raw material and the necessary

technology was lacking. It was not then a viable, cost-effective option.

 

 

Around 1970 Japan began to prohibit (limit) the use of artificial

sweeteners such as " sodium cyclamate " and " dulcine " , and as the

questions

arose about the safety of " saccharine " , this intensified the already

ongoing Japanese studies as to the potential for commericial

production and applications of Stevioside.

 

By 1977 the Maruzen Kasei Co., Ltd. started extracting Stevioside on a

commercial basis in Japan.

 

For more than a decade Stevioside has been approved and widely used

in Japan.

 

It is also approved and used in Brazil, and in some ten

countries altogether.

 

We know of applications as a table top sweetener, in soft drinks, baked

goods, pickles, fruit juices, tobacco products, confectionery uses, jams

and jellies, candies, yogurts, pastries, chewing gum, sherberts, etc.

 

Stevioside is of special interest to diabetics, persons with

hyperglycemia and the " diet conscious " .

 

Toxicology

----------

Of very special significance is the fact that numerous toxicological

studies have consistently demonstrated the safety of Stevioside for

human use.

 

As early as 1900 there were studies performed by Rebaudi that affirmed

its safety. Studies in 1915 by Kober, and in 1935 by

Pomaret and Lavieille reaffirmed Stevioside's safety.

 

In their 1975 study Akashi and Yamamoto reported an LD50 of 15g/kg in

oral administration, and in 1976 Mitsuhashi reported an LD50 of 8.2 g/kg

in subcutaneous administration. [LD50 is the dose required to kill 50%

of the lab animals. 15g/kg means 15 grams of Stevioside for every 1 kg

(2.2 lbs.) of body weight.]

 

The 1982 study by Kurahashi et al reported results very similar to the

results reported by Akashi and Yokoyama (1975) and Mitsuhashi (1976).

 

Thus, considering that the annual per capita sucrose consumption as

reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 1985 was 130

pounds, the daily consumption for the average individual is 2.5 g/kg

of weight.

 

Since the LD50 for Stevioside was reported as 15 g/kg., and considering

that Stevioside is some 300 times sweeter than

sucrose, this would mean that the LD is some 1,800 times greater than

the amount that an average person would need to ingest daily to

satisfy his sweetening needs.

 

Perhaps one of the most revealing indicators as to the safety of

Stevioside for human use appears, ironically, in John M. Pezzuto's

1984 study on metabolically activated steviol, a study which some

have wrongfully used to create a mutagenicity concern.

 

In his closing remarks Pezzuto clearly acknowledges,

 

" Finally, it should be emphasized that no reports have thus far

appeared indicating that adverse effects have resulted from

human use of Stevia products. Other substances found in the diet are

known to mediate mutagenic responses with no apparent impact on health. "

 

 

The Production

--------------

 

The Stevioside described and specified in this presentation is

extracted by INGA'STEVIA INDUSTRIAL, S.A., of Maringa', Parana',

Brazil.

 

On May 7, 1990 contracts were signed at the corporate

offices of ---------- giving ------- the

exclusive rights to import and market the natural sweeteners

extracted by INGA'.

 

Stevioside is produced on a commercial scale by Japan and

Brazil.

 

Japan's production is so limited by climatic and soil conditions that

they cannot meet the growing demands of their own internal market.

 

Consequently, Japan is now importing Stevioside from INGA' STEVIA

INDUSTRIAL, S.A., which is the only source for Stevioside in the Western

Hemisphere.

INGA' has the important advantage of being located where the plant is

native thus having all the ideal soil and climatic conditions for

abundant production.

 

In addition to the company's own plant development and study farm,

INGA' has an area of 100 hectars (about 250 acres) that are fully

irrigated and in cultivation.

 

Currently there are also some 250 other growers in the region under

contract to produce Stevia leaves for the company, under INGA's strict

technical supervision. INGA's production facility was built with the

capacity to expand to five times the market demands. INGA's extraction

facilities, technology and equipment were all locally financed and

developed and are justifiably, the object of great pride and support in

the community and area.

 

I recently visited the company with a consultant who for many years

worked for the FDA.

 

He was under contract to us checking on the G.M.P. (Good Manufacturing

Practices) of the plant, to see how they would fare in an FDA

inspection. After a detailed, thorough and

exhaustive inspection and report, he stated in his concluding

remarks:

 

" This firm is being operated by a highly qualified staff who is

intent on producing a quality product. The facility is

relatively new and in an excellent state of repair. Based

on my physical examination of the operation of this facility,

the operation is essentially in compliance with the United

States Code with respect to a food product production. "

---

 

The Product

-----------

 

Stevioside is a white, crystalline powder extracted from the leaves

of the Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.) Bertoni plant, an herbal shrub

native to the Brazil-Paraguay border. Its chemical identification

and quantitative compositions are attached for those with a more

scientific interest in the product.

 

Of special importance to this Council and to consumers in the general

are Stevioside's very special characteristics, which include:

 

- 100% NATURAL

- NO CALORIES

- 250-300 times sweeter than sugar

- Heat stable to 198-200 Celsius

- Non-fermentable

- Flavor enhancer

- Anti-plaque

- Anti-caries

- Recommended for diabetics

- Non-toxic

- Extensively tested in animals

- Extensively used by humans with no adverse effects

 

Stevioside has not yet been approved by the FDA for use in the U.S.

I have met several times with the FDA officials and we are working

with a world-renowned laboratory in preparation for the necessary

testing.

The interest in Stevioside, however, is already running high.

 

" Food Processing " magazine did a feature editorial story about us and

our product in their August 1990 issue in the " Foods of Tomorrow " insert

(attached).

 

We have received approximately 200 inquires as a result, from

practically everybody who is anybody in the food industry. Research and

development people are working with our samples of Stevioside and we are

beginning to get reports.

 

We have sample experimental products such as chewing gum (excellent),

toothpaste and mouthwash (outstanding) and even an anti-smoking lozenge.

A major bakery chain experimented with various products and wrote that

Stevioside is an important " breakthrough " for the baking industry.

 

I have been meeting with corporate representatives and R & D

people of companies that make up a significant list that would look

like a veritable " who's Who " of American businesses. Aside from

Stevioside's intense sweetness the primary interest seems to be that

it is: 1) NATURAL, 2) NON-CALORIC, 3) Heat Stable, and 4)

Anti-Plaque/Anti-Caries.

 

Under contract to us Purdue University's Dental Science Research

Group has done three special studies. The first demonstrated that

Stevioside is 100% compatible with fluoride. The second showed that

Stevioside " significantly " inhibits plaque growth.

The third, now being written, indicates close to a 20% reduction in

cavities (attached).

 

The researchers called this " statistically significant. "

We agree!

 

 

The Conclusion

--------------

 

We are staring at what I sincerely consider to be the next generation

of sweeteners. One scientist with whom I have discussed it has been

researching Stevioside for four years and just concluded his

post-doctoral studies in England researching the Stevioside molecule.

 

He was so totally caught up by the product that he declared that he

saw Stevioside as " a noble molecule " with tremendous potentials, some of

them so great he said that someday we will look back and feel we have

" insulted " the Stevioside molecule by thinking of it merely as a

sweetener!

 

My personal conviction is that even if none of his lofty

anticipations ever come true, and all that Stevioside is ever used

and valued for is as a non-caloric sweetener, flavor enhancer and

anti-plaque/anti-caries agent, that could weel be enough to make

Stevioside one of the most significant breakthroughs in the food

industry in this generation!

 

Directing the Stevioside Project has been one of the great challenges

and privileges of my life. Should anyone desire to pursue the subject

further with me, please feel free to contact me.

 

Thank you for the opportunity of meeting with you and presenting

Stevioside to you at this important conference.

 

Respectfully presented November 6, 1990.

Dr. R. Elton Johnson, Jr.

Tel. / FAX:

(404) 719-2134

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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