Stevia About to Explode Onto the Market (and They Used to Fight Us About It!)
Stevia is about to become mainstream! Discover the many uses of our delicious Stevia Liquid Concentrate with our Stevia Cookbook. Packed with easy stevia recipes, you can enjoy sweet tastes without the side effects.
Stevia, once banned by the FDA, is about to be accepted for use in products like Coca-Cola.
Many of us have been using stevia for years, happy that the FDA at least approved its sale as a supplement. We quietly watched the unfulfilled promise of artificial sweeteners and were not surprised about the outcry against them that started to gain momentum. It is most likely this outcry that led Coca-Cola and other compnies to begin examining stevia as a better alternative.
Stevia has had a long and interesting history.
After the initial FDA ban, stevia was approved for use as a natural supplement, but cannot currently be used as a sweetener in commercial products. In other countries, however, that is not the case. About a dozen countries, including Japan, Brazil and China, have used stevia as a sugar substitute in food for years.
Here in the US, we’ve been waiting for the day when the FDA approves stevia for all kinds of foods and drinks.
And it looks like our wait may soon be over!
Body Ecology and the Stevia Story
In my own quest to find healthy sweeteners that would not spike blood sugar or feed candida, I came across stevia about 14 years ago. After trying the dark liquid with a bitter aftertaste, two Chinese friends introduced me to the white powdered form of stevia. 300 times sweeter than sugar, this extract of the stevia rebaudiana plant appeared to be an amazing calorie-free alternative to sugar and harmful substitutes.
Because I had a chapter in my new The Body Ecology Diet book devoted to the use of stevia, my friends secured an extremely high-quality source of the delicious extract of stevia with a high rebaudiana content for our use. But as soon as it arrived in the US, the FDA put a ban on it. The ban meant that I was not forbidden to sell stevia but was not allowed to import it. So I did.
I knew that people would benefit from this amazing natural sweetener and began the educational effort to teach people all over the country about its history and safety. Over the years and with the help of many others (like Drs Robert Atkins, Andrew Weil, Julian Wittaker), we have spread the benefits of stevia and introduced stevia recipes to tens of thousands of people. It has become an important part of the Body Ecology system for health and healing… because to become healthy everyone needs to be entirely off caloric sugars.
Now that FDA approval seems imminent and big companies like Coca-cola are getting on board with stevia, it will become even more mainstream.
With the increased use of stevia, I’m excited for the possibilities of defeating obesity and diabetes and ending our children’s sugar addiction. I believe that stevia will have a global impact on health and wellness, none of which could take place now if we had not bought and used stevia for years already.
By setting the trend, “voting with our pocketbooks,” and supporting FDA approval of stevia, we have paved the way for its widespread use and the potential for planetary healing.
For more details on Coca-cola and stevia, read Body Ecology’s Insights on Coca-Cola’s Announcement That it Will Use Stevia: A Must-Read Q&A with Body Ecology Founder Donna Gates
Coca-Cola and the FDA
Soft drink giant Coca-Cola has teamed with Cargill to develop stevia for the US market. As part of their agreement, they are petitioning the FDA to approve stevia for use as a natural sweetener.
Because stevia has a track record of safe use, most industry analysts believe that FDA approval is just a matter of time. Meanwhile, stevia manufacturers and other food companies are ready to get into the stevia business.
What does this mean for you and me?
We will soon be able to purchase more foods and beverages that are sweetened with stevia instead of with white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or sugar substitutes.
Expect to see a few different kinds of stevia on the market and get ready for soft drinks, juices and other foods that are made with this revolutionary sweetener.
Lakanto: The Next Generation of Sweeteners
Right now is an exciting time for all of us, because we are once again on the forefront of many nutritional breakthroughs. In the day and age with our knowledge and our many excellent health products, no one should be unwell.
And in the sugar-free category, more and more sweeteners are entering the market, which gives us choices we never had before. I am very excited about this and at the same time, I want to educate others about how to choose a sweetener in harmony with our health.
In fact, while we naturally desire and even need the sweet taste to make balance in our body, some sweeteners, even the natural ones like honey, feed candida and spike your blood sugar. They definitely contribute to early aging and disease. To find out more, read: Honey, Sugar, Molasses, Agave, Stevia & Other Natural Sweeteners: Which Are Actually Good for You?
The truth is that while Stevia was once the perfect answer to a zero-calorie natural sweetener that does not raise blood sugar or feed candida, it was not the answer to making delicious baked goods. This really bothered me. Personally I don’t eat baked products and have no desire for candy… but I work with children who have autism, ADD, adrenal fatigue, eczema and I know how hard it is for their moms when they have to deprive their kids of birthday cakes and holiday treats. A series of emails circulating around our BEDROK group about this made me even more determined to find a solution for them and everyone else. And as you know by now… our intentions work!
As I kept searching for a solution like our stevia, that also tasted like sugar and baked like sugar, my intention was fulfilled by what I call a “Divine Arrangement”. Our answer was waiting for us in Japan. The Japanese Ministry of Health had approved Lakanto over ten years ago (and they in factrecommend it.)
Lakanto is our brand new all-natural, calorie-free sugar substitute that looks like sugar, tastes like sugar and even bakes like sugar! This one-for-one sugar substitute means that you can enjoy delicious baked goods and sweet drinks without the calories or blood sugar spike you get with sugar.
We certainly still enjoy using the Body Ecology Stevia Liquid Concentrate. It’s easy to carry around with you in your pocket or purse and tastes great in beverages and many other recipes. In fact, we are constantly told it is by far the best-tasting stevia on the market today. But if you still long for a granulated “sugar” then look no further than Lakanto.
Lakanto has:
- Zero glycemic index
- Zero additives
- Zero calories
- No influence on your blood sugar and insulin release
Made by using a patented process of combining the super-sweet extract of the LuoHan Guo fruit and erythritol, a special fermented sugar alcohol, Lakanto truly is the best natural alternative to sugar ever!
Lakanto is the next generation of natural sweeteners. This zero-calorie, zero glycemic sugar substitute is about to break new ground. Be among the first to make traditional recipes with no added sugar this holiday season using our exclusive Lakanto.
Lakanto is safe for:
- Diabetics
- Children
- Those with candida
- Anyone who wants to slow the signs of aging
- Hypo-glycemics
- Weight loss
Good Health: Sweeter Than Sugar
I am so pleased with this latest innovation in health and wellness and am happy to pass it on to you. Hopefully it will not be long before both Stevia and Lakanto are common staples in a new, healthier American diet.
If you are reading this article, you are someone who wants to take charge of YOUR health and I acknowledge you for that. And if you have been using stevia for years and have been spreading the word and sharing its benefits with others, congratulations. We’ve won the battle!!!
Go ahead and love your sweets. Share them with your family. But choose the all-natural sweeteners that show your body some love as well. It’s an act of self-love that is sweeter than anything else!
Sources:
“Why All the Fuss About Stevia?” NutraIngredients.com, 27 Nov 2007. http://nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=81612