Our constant search for sugar replacements leaves a bitter taste. (Photos.com)
The natural sweetener made from the plant stevia was banned from being sold as a food additive in 1991. The FDA claimed that the evidence of safety was “inadequate.” Since the FDA does not regulate the supplement industry, stevia is currently permitted as a supplement but not as a food. Still, Dr. Betty Martini of Mission Possible World Health International agrees with all the naturalists who seek stevia on the supplement shelves of health food stores when she writes, “Pure stevia with no additives is fine.” It’s Truvia and PureVia she’s worried about. She states, “Coke and Pepsi can take a good thing, pure stevia, and make it into something that is not fit to drink.”
What ingredients do Truvia and PureVia contain that might make these products “not fit to drink?” Truvia is made from a sugar alcohol called erythritol, the chemical extract of stevia called Rebiana, and natural flavors. PureVia is made from the same sugar alcohol erythritol, the chemical extract of sucrose called isomaltulose, a chemical extract of stevia called Reb A, the chemical extract of cellulose fiber called cellulose powder, and natural flavors.
Truvia is really a chemically extracted portion of stevia called rebaudioside A, says Nutritionist Sarah Vaughter. “Nobody knows the side effects of chemically refined, genetically manipulated, plant-derived Rebiana plus whatever chemicals they add to the mix,” she says. Though it is fairly easy to find stevia as the ingredient contained in the Stevia Supplement at health food stores, Truvia or PureVia are packaged with a mix of chemical extracts.
You may wonder why Coke and Pepsi don’t just use stevia rather than concoct a new chemical food? The answer is likely because it is not legal to patent a natural substance, and therefore it is not profitable. In fact, critics of the FDA’s original ban on stevia have claimed it has been banned all these years specifically to bolster profits for the fake sweetener industry. Dr. Martini claims, “The FDA will do anything for industry.” Vaughter is floored to see how the FDA consciously allows Splenda, a chlorocarbon poison insecticide, and aspartame, a neurotoxic drug, to be used in America’s food supply based on pressure and money from the food industry.
Vaughter is already compiling a list of Truvia’s side effects at SteviaZone.org. So far, her site has collected stories from people who say that Truvia has caused problems from bad breath and joint pain to itching and hives. Many of the people on the site have not only used pure stevia in the past without adverse reactions, but also notice that their symptoms disappear when they stop using Truvia. On her site, Vaughter agrees with Dr. Martini’s claims about the FDA, saying, “We are being hoodwinked again by the FDA and big business,” shaking her head at the Coca-Cola Company who has “managed to beg, bribe, and bully the FDA into approving Truvia.”
Even more controversial is the claim by the makers of the documentary, "Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World," that Donald Rumsfeld used his political position in 1981 to overturn the ban on aspartame while he was the CEO of Searle Pharmaceutical Company, who holds the patent on aspartame.
Finally, Mauro Alvarez, Ph.D., who has reviewed the studies concerning stevia, writes “One concludes that these FDA scientists are incompetent and irresponsible, or if not, they must belong to some sort of conspiracy group to carry on a sinister agenda.” After all of that, Vaughter tells us that Truvia has been given the FDA safe status, while stevia is still banned. Go figure.
James and Kim are certified nutrition and lifestyle coaches who assist pregnant moms and new parents to achieve optimal health. They can be contacted at FitForBirth@gmail.com or through their Web sites GetFitForBirth.com and SecretsofPainlessChildbirth.com
