Ask Dr. Denton: Free and Sweet, Truvia, Sweet Leaf? What is this new natural sweetener?

Move over aspartame and other similar products. Here comes a newer natural sweetener.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (Catholic Online) - The main sweetener in each of these products is an extract from the leaves of the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni). The sweet products of the plant are glycosides named steviol, stevioside (ent-13-hydroxykaur-16-en-18-oic acid), and rebaudiosides A and C.

These glycosides (stevia) are non-synthetic compounds. Stevia rebaudiana is a native plant of South America and has been around for centuries.

The Guarani and the Mato Grosso Indians of Brazil and Paraguay used this plant's leaves as a sweetener for their tea. In the 16th century Spanish Conquistadors brought stevia back to Spain.

The compound stevioside is 300 times sweeter than sugar in a weight to weight comparison. The plant does not have the caloric nor tooth decay issue seen with sugar products.

Stevia was, until just recently, only offered in the United States as a dietary supplement. It is offered by a group of companies.

A small family owned company from Virginia has recently released a new product on the market under the name of "Free and Sweet". www.freeandsweet.com

This family formula is sold as a dietary supplement which has combined simple stevioside with two soluble fiber products already consumed daily in America. The concept is excellent for the person who is interested in weight loss. The product has the sweet flavor of stevia mixed with a filling fiber.

"Sweet Leaf" is a company which offers many products based on stevia glycoside extracts. The company has a solid reputation and sells both liquid and powder forms. Coca-Cola and Cargill have teamed up to release a product which impart comes from the stevia rebaudiana plant, and Pepsi is now working on their own chemical version.

The reason that stevia was not released as an official sweetener in the United States was a lack of formal research. Fortunately, that research has now been completed.

The Australian food authority FSANZ has approved the natural sweetener steviol glycosides (stevia), as an ingredient in foods and beverages in Australia and New Zealand. Stevia is considered the primary zero calorie sugar substitute in Japan, a country which does not allow artificial sweeteners.

Cargill and Coca-Cola have developed a form of rebaudiosides A which they have called rebiana. This is the main compound in their new sweetener Truvia.

In May 2008, a series of studies driven by the Cargill and Coca-Cola venture were published in the scientific journal Food and Chemical Toxicology. In their pursuit of establishing Truvia's safety, Cargill and Coca-Cola documented the long awaited safety of stevia's unaltered glycosides. D.J. Brusick published a study looking at the toxicity of steviol and the other glycosides. In his review, neither stevioside nor steviol have been shown to react directly with DNA or demonstrate genotoxic damage in essays relevant to human risk.

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Dr Denton D. Weiss, M.D. is board certified in both Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. He is sought after for his cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Weiss' approach to his medical practice flows from his convictions about the meaning of life which are deeply rooted in his Catholic Faith. He and his wife, Michelle strive for an integrated approach to life which recognizes the unity of the body, mind and soul. They call this approach "Bella Vitae"... or "Beautiful Living". He is a contributing writer to Catholic Online.

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