A DIFFERENT WINDOW: SUGAR IS SWEET AND SO IS STEVIA

We all love sugar. We know it makes us fat. We know it is only Iempty calories with no nutritional value. But we still crave sweets. Do you know that sugar is not only empty of any nutrition, it actually depletes other nutrients from your body? According to Linda Page, N.D., Ph.D, sugar depletes calcium, worsens arthritis by creating an acid condition in the body, and also drains the body of B vitamins.

Eating the so called "sugar free" foods does not mean we are not eating sugar. Food producers can lawfully label a food as sugar free if it doesn't contain sucrose, what we call table sugar. However such foods are commonly loaded with sugar in other forms. Sugar is sugar whether it is called fructose, dextrose, honey, lactose, sorbitol or any other name. Anything ending in ose.' or lol' is a form of sugar. Even powdered artificial sweetners are about 96 percent glucose (dextrose).

Sugar is considered natural, so even food that is labled "all natural" can contain sugar. Even though sugar is considered natural, it is illegal to sell unproccesed sugar in the United States. The sugar that is sold in the United States is as far from being natural as plastic, (and is just as nourishing).

What about artificial sweeteners? We know they probablv aren't good for us even though we've been assured they are safe. Apartame has been linked to headaches, dizziness.. allereic reactions, and tumors. Aspartame is not heat stable and its sweetness is destroyed in cooking. Saccharine is linked to bladder cancer. Andrew WeiI M.D. , the well-known author and physician, calIs saccharine a known carcinogen that should be avoided. The FDA tried to ban it's use in 1977, but withdrew the ban when consumers protested. Saccharine is heat stable, but it leaves a bitter taste.

Is there any other option besides artificial sweeteners or sugar? How about a natural sweetener that has no calories, no side effects, does not increase bIood sugar and is actually good for you? It can be used in cooking and inhibits the formation of cavities and plaque.

Stevia rebaudiana is a plant from the same family as chrysanthemum. It is native to South America. The leaves of this plant are made into a powder that is used as a sweetener and flavor-enhancer in Japan, Israel, Brazil, China, Taiwan and Korea. It is banned as a sweetener by the FDA in the United States.

In the 1970's stevia was becoming popular in the US. Linda Rector Page states, "The FDA admits it received trade complaints from sweetener companies about stevia in the early 80's." In 1991 the FDA put an import ban on all stevia products. "On May 19, 1998 the FDA demanded a Texas-based stevia company to burn all its stevia books. The truth is that stevia was literally driven out of the marketplace by a money-driven conspiracy of manufacturers of other sweeteners."

Richard Bernstein, M.D., in his book Diabetes Solution, states that stevia need not be restricted even in a diabetic diet because it does not raise blood sugar. He further recommends that diabetics avoid all powdered sweeteners except stevia. Some studies even state that stevia may actually stabilize blood sugar.

Can we get stevia in the United States without breaking the law? Yes. The FDA will not allow stevia to be sold as a food. But it can be sold as a dietary supplement. You can buy it in health food stores but it cannot be labeled as a sweetener.

Natural health practitioners consider stevia to be a potent herbal antibiotic. Stevia users report that they have fewer colds and flus. Some studies suggest stevia lowers blood pressure in people with high blood pressure, but does not affect normal blood pressure. Stevia has been reported to lower cravings, not only for sweet foods but also for tobacco and alcohol. Stevia can be dabbed on facial blemishes to clear them.

Stevia is sold in powdered form or as a liquid extract. It is calorie free, fat free, and good for you. Your health food store also has literature about stevia and you can find information oil the internet or in book stores. Find out more about stevia and try it for yourself.