5 things you need to know about stevia

Stevia's sweetness has the big guys drooling. Calorie-free, natural and 200 to 300 times sweeter than regular sugar, stevia's characteristics recently wooed soft drink makers Coca-Cola and PepsiCo to add it to a few of their drinks in the U.S., so you might expect to find it in food products sold in Canada soon.

Read on for five things you should know about this natural sweetener.

1. Stevia is an herb
Stevia's botanical name is Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni. Its concentrated sweetness comes from components inside the leaves -- steviodside and rebaudioside A -- which are extracted and used as a sugar substitute. Stevia also has two new aliases known as Truvia and Purevia. They're recent brand names of rebaudioside A (or Reb A), which are in select sodas and drinks sold south of the border.

2. Stevia is not new
The stevia shrub is native to Paraguay but it's also cultivated in different parts of the world, including Canada. Natives in South America have enjoyed stevia for centuries and it has been in Japan' s commercial foodstuffs since the 1970s. In Canada, many nutrition nuts have used it in their home-cooked meals for years -- it's available at health food stores in place of other low-cal sweeteners.

3. Stevia recently hit the mass market in the U.S.
December 2008 was an important month for stevia. That's when the herbal sugar substitute debuted commercially in a few PepsiCo drinks and Coca-Cola's new Sprite Green and some of its Odwalla bevies.

A strong push from customers was a driving force behind why stevia-based sweeteners were added to Coca-Cola items. "Consumers were looking for a great-tasting, natural and zero-calorie beverage and the Coca-Cola Company has provided just that," explains Kristy Payne, spokesperson for Coca-Cola Canada. So far, drinkers have positively responded to these newer, healthier options.

4. Stevia is not yet approved for commercial use in Canada
Health Canada bans the commercial use of stevia extracts, such as steviodside, in foodstuffs. Christelle Legault, a spokesperson for Health Canada, explains that steviodside as an additive was reviewed at one point, but there wasn't enough evidence available to prove its safety.

But it just might be a matter of time before Health Canada lifts its ban on stevia. "The examination of the use of stevia extracts as food additives must be triggered by the request from the food industry," says Legault. "It would be up to the petitioner to provide all scientific data necessary to demonstrate the safety of their proposal."

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Cargill, the company that co-developed Truvia, which is now used in the aforementioned Coca-Cola products, did exactly that in the States -- they showed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration evidence that the sweetener was safe. In December 2008, the FDA approved rebaudioside A as an acceptable sweetener to use in commercial foods and drinks.

While Canadians may have to wait to buy a stevia-sweetened soda within our borders, we can enjoy the sugar substitute at home now. For years, stevia has been approved for personal use as a dietary supplement and you could find it at health food shops and some grocery stores. 

5. How to use stevia
You can use stevia wherever you want a hit of sweetness. Try it in hot and cold drinks, cereal, yogurt, sauces and dressings. It also works well in desserts. Pick up a stevia cookbook for guidance on using just the right amount in your baking. Try The Stevia Cookbook: Cooking with Nature's Calorie-Free Sweetener (Avery, 2004) by Ray Sahelian, MD, and Donna Gates.

For at-home use, go with a powdered or liquid form of stevia. Powdered versions are good for baking and adding to hot drinks, whereas the liquid mixes better into dressings, cold drinks, cereals and sauces.

Remember, stevia is very sweet so use a bit at a time as you become familiar with its taste. Add a drop or light sprinkle to your food or drink, stir, taste it, then gradually add more according to your preferences.

Why try stevia?
Stevia isn't perfect. Some people report that it has an aftertaste -- comparable to that of diet foods and drinks -- and it's more expensive than sugar. You can expect to pay $10 to $20 for about 60 mL.

But stevia has several advantages over sugar. It's calorie-free so it can help you to manage your weight, it's über sweet so a little bit goes a long way and it doesn't cause a spike in blood sugar so it can help people with diabetes safely satisfy a sweet craving.

In comparison to low-calorie sweeteners, stevia is natural. Can you say that about other sugar substitutes? Unlike many artificial sweeteners, stevia is heat-stable to about 390F, so you can use it in baking.

It's worth giving stevia a try. If you like it, you'll have another way -- perhaps a healthier way -- to satisfy your sweet tooth. Here's to adding more sweetness to your life!