Stevia – can it be the solution for America’s obesity and diabetic crisis?
Abstract
Obesity is becoming a global epidemic. Overconsumption of sugar by the population is the major reason underlying this epidemic. Stevia rebaudiana was used by native people in South America to treat blood pressure and obesity. In 2008, FDA approved rebaudioside A as a sweetener. In this article, I review the various pharmacological properties of this herbal sweetener and based on my findings suggest that this may have a role in solving global obesity epidemicDownloads
References
Natural Medicines. (2019). Stevia [Monograph]. Retrieved from https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/databases/food,-herbs-supplements/professional.aspx?productid=682
Jones G. (2014). Stevia. Nebraska Extension. Retrieved from: http://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/html/g1634/build/g1634.htm
Carrera-Lanestosa, A., Moguel-Ordóñez, Y., & Segura-Campos, M. (2017). Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni: A Natural Alternative for Treating Diseases Associated with Metabolic Syndrome. Journal of Medicinal Food, 20(10), 933–943. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2016.0171
El-Mesallamy, A. M. D., Mahmoud, S. A., Elazab, K. M., Hussein, S. A. M., & Hussein, A. M. (2018). Attenuation of Metabolic Dysfunctions in the Skeletal Muscles of Type 1 Diabetic Rats by Stevia Rebaudiana Extracts, via Ampk Upregulation and Antioxidant Activities. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Technologia Alimentaria, 17(3), 289–297. https://doi.org/10.17306/J.AFS.2018.0567
Assaei, R., Mokarram, P., Dastghaib, S., Darbandi, S., Darbandi, M., Zal, F., … Omrani, G. H. R. (2016). Hypoglycemic Effect of Aquatic Extract of Stevia in Pancreas of Diabetic Rats: PPARγ -dependent Regulation or Antioxidant Potential. Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology, 8(2), 65–74. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=114261868&site=ehost-live
Thomas J. E. and Glad M. J. (2010) Stevia: It’s Not Just About Calories. The Open Obesity Journal, 2, 101-109. Retrieved from: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/fd0b/5df46a776069b89244000885d65f0277318b.pdf
CHRISTAKI, E., BONOS, E., GIANNENAS, I., KARATZIA, M. A., & FLOROU-PANERI, P. (2013). Stevia rebaudiana as a novel source of food additives. Journal of Food & Nutrition Research, 52(4), 195–202. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=92877769&site=ehost-live
Anton, S. D., Martin, C. K., Han, H., Coulon, S., Cefalu, W. T., Geiselman, P., & Williamson, D. A. (2010). Effects of stevia, aspartame, and sucrose on food intake, satiety, and postprandial glucose and insulin levels. Appetite, 55(1), 37–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2010.03.009
Ashwell M. (2015). Stevia, Nature's Zero-Calorie Sustainable Sweetener: A New Player in the Fight Against Obesity. Nutrition today, 50(3), 129–134. doi:10.1097/NT.0000000000000094
Petruzzello M. (2017) Stevia. Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/plant/stevia-plant
Iuliano, J. (2010). Killing Us Sweetly: How to Take Industry out of the Fda. Journal of Food Law & Policy, 6(1), 31–87. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=fsr&AN=58714355&site=eds-live&scope=site
Wu, W. (2014). Leaf Sweeteners : Resources, Processing and Health Effects. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=906210&site=eds-live&scope=site