With one in three children overweight in Greece, Italy and Slovenia, according to recent data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, here was a heightened focus on helping consumers of all ages find ways to cut excess sweetener calories from their diet at the recent 21st European Congress on Obesity in Sofia, Bulgaria.
As a complement to the congress, Dr Margaret Ashwell spoke at a dinner event focused on educating health professionals about stevia, a zero-calorie, plant-based sweetener. Hosted by the Global Stevia Institute (GSI), Ashwell, a member of the GSI advisory board, documented the conclusions of more than 200 studies asserting the safety of stevia along with the health benefits of this zero-calorie sweetener alternative.
“High-purity stevia extract can be one part of a larger set of obesity solutions,” Ashwell said. “It works particularly well in beverages to bring down excess calories while maintaining a natural sweetness consumers have come to expect. Best of all, stevia ticks all the boxes consumers want. It is plant-based, natural origin, and has zero calories.”
With an almost 500% increase in stevia products from 2009 to 2013, according to market research firm Mintel, it is quickly becoming the preferred option for the food and beverage industry.
“Not only is stevia natural origin, but it works well in blends with other sweeteners like sugar in a wide variety of foods and beverages ranging from carbonated beverages to yogurt, and all without sacrificing taste,” said Dr Cathy Kapica, Advisory Board Chair of the Global Stevia Institute.
Similar to other ingredients of plant origin, like sugar cane or vanilla pods, stevia is first extracted from the plant material itself, which is the leaf in this case. The extraction process for stevia involves steeping the dried leaves of the plant, like a tea, and then separating and purifying the desirable sweet compounds known as steviol glycosides.
Cathy Kapica
“The steviol glycosides can be anywhere from 200 to 400 times sweeter than sugar,” Kapica said. “And because stevia is intensely sweet, less of the ingredient is needed to sweeten foods and beverages compared with a typical caloric sweetener, resulting in a sustainable crop that helps preserve our natural resources. High purity stevia leaf extract is a new tool to help promote a healthy weight, and overall well-being.”