Stevia Leaf (Stevia rebaudiana; Tian Ju Ye) Cut & Sifted: 1 lb

Stevia is also known as Sweetleaf or Candyleaf. Stevia is a safe all-natural alternative to artificial sweeteners and refined sugar in the diet. It has neither calories nor carbohydrates is suitable for diabetics doesn't cause tooth decay and has been shown to reduce hypertension. Stevia has been used for centuries by the Guarani Indians of Paraguay both as a sweetener and as medicine. Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni was popularized and named by Dr. Moises Santiago Bertoni the director of the College of Agriculture in Asuncion. He first heard of the herb in 1887 and encountered a live plant for the first time in 1903. In 1908 the first stevia crop was harvested and plantations began to spring up. A 1913 memo from the official public scientific laboratory in Hamburg Germany warned the established sugar industry 'specimens received are of the well-known plant which alarmed sugar producers some years ago.' In 1960s Japan there was a popular movement against adding chemicals such as artificial sweeteners to food. Manufacturers there were on the lookout for a natural alternative to sugar and Stevia was introduced to the Japanese market in 1970. It is currently used in many products there and makes up 40% of the Japanese sweetener market. The Japanese use it in sugar-free versions of Wrigley's gums and diet Coke. Stevia is about 300 times sweeter than sugar in its natural state and much more so when processed. Its medicinal uses include regulating blood sugar preventing hypertension treatment of skin disorders and prevention of tooth decay. Other studies show that it is a natural antibacterial and antiviral agent as well. Stevia is actually good for you! Recently there have been studies linking stevia extract with normalization of blood sugar and insulin in diabetics. In China Stevia and stevioside is used in herbal medicines and toothpaste. In China Korea and Japan Stevia extract Stevioside is used as a table top sweetener because it has 0 calories 0 carbohydrates 0 fat and is many times sweeter than sugar. Stevia has no fat no carbohydrates making it perfect for diabetics low-carb diets and people with candida. It has undergone dozens of tests world-wide and was found to be free of toxins. As a real threat to the vast sugar-aspartame industry Stevia continues to be highly politicized in the US. While no one in Japan has complained about any Stevia related health problems for the past thirty years over 75% of food-additive related complaints in the US are about Aspartame which is supposedly safe. In 1995 the FDA balancing public pressure with industry pressure approved Stevia as a 'nutritional supplement' but not as a sweetener in the United States. Like other natural sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup Stevia has its own special flavor and does not taste exactly like sugar. You may not like the way it tastes in coffee but find it great with tea. Unlike artificial sweeteners it doesn't break down with heat so you can learn to cook with it too. An excellent index of Stevia info can be found at http://www.practicalhippie.com/stevia.htm. Much of the article above comes from the indeed Practical Hippie. Ray Sahelian M.D.: Stevia helpful for diabetes and hypertension: Ray Sahelian M.D. is the bestselling author of many books (more than 1 000 000 copies sold) including: Mind Boosters: A Guide to Natural Supplements that Enhance Your Mind Memory and Mood The Stevia Cookbook a wonderful no-calorie natural sweetener I use every day Saw Palmetto: Nature's Prostate Healer reduce the frequency of overnight visits to the bathroom 5-HTP: Nature's Serotonin Solution eat less weigh less sleep more feel better but be careful http://www.raysahelian.com/stevia.html: The popularity of stevia continues to grow as more and more people find out about this amazing no-calorie herbal sweetener. One of the primary constituents of stevia that gives it its sweet taste is stevioside which has been commercialized as a sweetener in Japan for more than 25 years. Lately studies have shown that stevia in addition to being a sweetener has certain health benefits too particularly for diabetics and those with elevated blood pressure. Stevia has been used for many years in the treatment of diabetes among Indians in Paraguay and Brazil. However the mechanism for the blood glucose-lowering effect remains unknown. A study conducted at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark found that stevioside enhances insulin secretion from mouse pancreatic islets in the presence of glucose. The researchers state 'Stevioside stimulates insulin secretion via a direct action on pancreatic beta cells. The results indicate that the compounds may have a potential role as an anti-hyperglycemic agent in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.' A double-blind placebo-controlled study in Taiwan studied 106 Chinese hypertensive subjects ages ranging from 28 to 75 years. Each subject was given capsules containing 250 mg stevioside or placebo three times daily and followed-up at monthly intervals for 1 year (the average person who uses stevia ingests about 100 mg a day of stevioside). After 3 months the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of the stevioside group decreased by about 6 points and the effect persisted during the whole year. Blood biochemistry including lipid and glucose showed no major changes. No significant adverse effects were observed. Dr. Sahelian comments: Stevia is a wonderful alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners for those who have diabetes. The first study mentioned above gives us one more reason to recommend diabetics take advantage of this safe no-calorie herbal sweetener. The second study indicates that not only stevia is safe for those with hypertension but can actually reduce blood pressure. Reference: Jeppesen PB et al. Stevioside acts directly on pancreatic beta cells to secrete insulin. Metabolism 2000 Feb;49(2):208-14. HEALTH SUPPLEMENT RETAILER: March 1996: The Many Benefits of Stevia By James A. May James A. May is founder and president of United American Industries Inc. He has been using researching and experimenting with stevia for 14 years and he established the method of grading the quality of stevia that is currently used in Paraguay. Whether in dry-leaf or concentrate form stevia has the wonderful ability to help the body regulate blood sugar. Several researchers have reported that in these natural forms stevia seems to correct both high and low blood sugar1. Other scientists have stated that stevia appears to lower blood pressure but does not seem to affect normal blood pressure2. Stevia leaves and the water-based concentrate are sold in some South American countries as aids for people with diabetes hypoglycemia and high blood pressure. Research has demonstrated that stevia liquid concentrate inhibits the growth and reproduction of harmful bacteria and other infectious organisms including those that are a problem for the food and cosmetic industries3. Stevia also inhibits the growth of the bacteria that cause gum disease and tooth decay and in many countries it is used in oral-hygiene products. Because such products are not yet allowd by the FDA many Americans simply add several drops of stevia concentrate to a small amount of water swish thoroughly in the mouth and swallow. This ability of stevia to destroy infectious organisms may help explain why stevia users report a lower incidence of colds and flu4. Less known but no less remarkable is the ability of water-based stevia concentrate to help heal numerous skin problems including acne seborrhea dermatitis and exzema. It also has been observed that placing it in cuts and wounds brings more rapid healing without the scarring. This will cause a severe stinging for several seconds but is followed by a significant lowering of pain5. Physicians have reported using stevia concentrate to heal psoriasis and burns while others have reported that it is extremely helpful in healing various lip sores. The stevioside mentioned earlier although more intensely sweet than the leaf or concentrate and certainly safe for diabetics and hypoglycemics does not retain any of the healing properties described above. It is far too sweet to be eaten by itself but it is in high demand by consumers who want a noncaloric sweetener. Virtually all scientific researchers who have studied stevia and stevioside have attested to their complete safety. Daniel Mowrey Ph.D. a renowned scientist and director of the American Phytotherapy Research Laboratory has written the following: 'Few substances have ever yielded such consistently negative results in toxicity trials as has stevia. Almost every toxicity test imaginable has been performed on stevia extract or stevioside at one time or another. The results are always negative. No abnormalities in weight change food intake cell or membrane characteristics enzyme and substrate utilization or chromosome characteristics. No cancer no birth defects no acute and no chronic untoward effects. Nothing.'6 References: 1) Bracht A.K Alvarez M. and Bracht A. 'Effects of Stevia Rebaudiana Products on Rat Liver Mitochondria ' Biochemical Pharmacology Vol.34 6 p.873-882 1985. 2) Boeckh E.A. 'Stevia Rebaudiana (Bert.) Bertoni: Clinical Evaluation of its Acute Action on Cardio-Circulatory Metabolic and Electrolitic Parameters in 60 Healthy Individuals.' Third Brazilian Seminar on Stevia Rebaudiana (Bert.) p.22-23 July 1986. 3) Laboratory analyses performed by BBC Laboratory Tempe Ariz. and ANR Laboratory Phoenix Ariz. 4) Mowrey D.B. Life With Stevia: How Sweet It Is. p.9 5) Mowrey op. cit. p.10. 6) Mowrey op. cit. p.12.