How about Stevia?
The plant Stevia is a perennial shrub native to South and Central America. It has been used for centuries as a sweetener in that region.
Stevia sweetener is zero-calorie and do not have a significant effect on blood glucose levels. It can be a good option for people with diabetes
Stevia was first introduced in the United States in the mid 1990s as part of the low-carb diet craze because it does not have calories or carbohydrates. However, it was sold only as an herbal supplement. In time, and only after much controversy, it was granted approval by the FDA and is now available as a food product.
Stevia was banned in Europe. The European Commission approved Stevia sweeteners in late 2011.
There are controversies about Stevia having adverse effects on fertility, but there is limited scientific research available. However, it has been confirmed scientifically that when Stevia is being broken down by bacteria in colon, it produces mutagenic compounds – agents that cause mutations and possibly cancer (1).
The World Health Organization announced that 4 mg of Stevia per kg of body weight is safe.
The problem is that food manufacturers are using Stevia as a 0 calorie “healthy” sweetener in drinks, nutritional bars, cereals, vitamins, supplements, and health foods. If people are using Stevia as a sweetener in these foods and in cooking and baking at home, then we are exceeding the safe limit.
The question is: what is a healthy sweetener? To be continued…
1. M.Matsui et al. Evaluation of the genotoxicity of stevioside and steviol using six
in vitro and one in vivo mutagenicity assays. Mutagenesis 11:573-9 (1996).