Stevia--FDA warning

saluki

Yahoo! News

FDA warns Hain over stevia use and calls herb unsafe

2 hours, 6 minutes ago

U.S. health regulators warned Hain Celestial Group Inc about a potentially unsafe herb in some of its herbal teas, saying it might be dangerous to blood sugar, reproductive, cardiovascular and renal systems.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a letter to Hain dated August 17 calling the herb, a natural sweetener made from a South American herb called stevia, "an unsafe food additive." The agency released the letter on its Web site on Tuesday.

Stevia is being eyed by big beverage makers looking for new low-calorie sweeteners. In May, Coca-Cola Co and Cargill Inc said they would work together to market the new sweetener, despite lack of FDA approval. Stevia has been approved in a dozen other countries including Japan, China and Brazil.

The FDA letter said that although it has received requests to use stevia in food, "data and information necessary to support the safe use have been lacking."

It also said "literature reports have raised safety concerns," including those "about control of blood sugar, and the effects on the reproductive, cardiovascular and renal systems."

A spokeswoman for Boulder, Colorado-based Hain had no immediate comment.

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Anonymous

Wow, Susie, that's interesting.  If China approves it's use I don't know if I would want to use it.  However, I do have some in my pantry. 

Shirley

NativeMainer

I can't tell from the article if the FDA hasn't approved Stevia because it has been proven unsafe, or if the FDA hasn't seen what it considers acceptable research.  Stevia has been available for years in health food store and online and I haven't seen any reports of problems.  It would be really interesting to find out if the FDA statement was prompted by a complaint coming from the makers of artificial sweeteners (NutraSweet, Equal, etc) who don't want their profit margin cut into. 

JoanofArdmore

I have NO, repeat ,NO confidence in ANYTHING the FDA says!After what we've been through with pet food poisoning (here in my new home, another neighbor has lost a cat to the poisoning), and the fact that the FDA ALLOWED tainted food (human) through and continues to trade w/China!!!!They will only "discover" anything wrong after people start to croak.It is obvious to me that FDA is a sham and only in it for the money!

Stevia--why chose that?(Because they have the smallest lobby.Like none.) I have seen countless complaints against "the pink sugar", "the blue sugar', the "yellow sugar", I have seen it written that THESE sweetners affect our livers and are harmful to diabetics.I would imagine ANY false sweetner/chemical would be harmful. at least that's what many doctors , including Weil, say.Plus-no one would use the amounts necessary to equal amounts given to rats in testing!Boxes of the stuff, in your tea?

Stevia was just roundly touted as much LESS dangerous, because you need so much less!AND it is an herb, not a chemical.But NOOOO the FDA (food watchdog?I recently saw them referred to as Food Lapdog) had to pick on a pure herb (that doesnt have a million dollar lobby)

I was watching the news the other day.It's something I do since I got Woody, my sweet dog.It is something familiar to him, so I make an effort to do it.And I saw plenty of complaining, babbling, "reporting" about Stevia.

I, like Shirley, have it in my cupboard, and DO use it if something absolutely isnt good "straight"

But I like to use Celestial Seasonings "Antioxident" green tea, along w/2 other kinds, in morning.

And have been unable to find it in WF lately.

So when I saw that on TV, I thought "hmmmm" and looked at my present box.Yep, contains a bit of stevia, along w/citrus flavorings.

So I called the number on the box, and Celestial told me it has NOT been recalled, that the"news" was actually old, although the media grabbed it now.So old that Celestial had time to assuage the lapdog by writing "Nutritional Suppliment"on the box bigger.What a joke!

I called WF, got the grocery guy, who actually found me a box of it waaay in back, but said the tag for it is still there, which means WF is still selling it.The shelf was apparantly too crowded and the other teas moved over, and Antioxident Green didnt get ordered..

So that's the story about stevia & Celestial Seasonings.And I'm happy to learn it & share it!(And now I'll go pick up the box waiting or me at Customer Service).

rubytuesday

AMEN JOAN!!!  I also don't have ANY faith in ANYTHING the FDA says or does.  Like nutrasweet (made in a chemical plant) and splenda (chlorinated sugar) are good for us????????????????????????????????????  NOT!!!  The FDA is all about big pharma and big business. 

Jaybird627

Joan, as far as I know W.F. will continue to carry Stevia (until the gov't says we can't!) but you might want to stock-up on your fave products just in case.....

Jaybird

JoanofArdmore

Thanks, Janice.My Whole Body person told me today that they (you) must sell Stevia in the WB section, as a "suppliment", not in grocery near the sugars.

I really dont use stevia.But I do love that CS antioxident tea.Far's I'm concerned they can drop the stevia if necessary, as long as they keep making the tea.

Trader Joe's carries a citrus green tea.I dont know if THAT has stevia.

But I drink my green tea unsweetened..I can take it!

RUBY-- it's probably why I can do shots of ACV!!

Glad to hear someone else scorns the lapdog.

acgw

I tried stevia once.

Way too sweet for me so I will stick to my cane sugar.

You do have to wonder what the FDA is up to. Although I am sure  some folks at the FDA have our health in mind I am much more skeptical about the FDA's leadership. There is just too much big business influence in how government makes decisions in general.  

acgw

I tried stevia once.

Way too sweet for me so I will stick to my cane sugar.

You do have to wonder what the FDA is up to. Although I am sure  some folks at the FDA have our health in mind I am much more skeptical about the FDA's leadership. There is just too much big business influence in how government makes decisions in general.  

Anonymous

Joan, I feelings exactly (about the FDA)! 

They tell us taking supplements are proven safe..........well..........what about all the stupid drugs we have to take!?  They aren't safe and they're proven to be not safe....look at the possible SEs!

Don't get me started!    

Shirley

saluki

Shirley--I have as much distrust of the FDA as you and Joan--Maybe more.  How many of our pets died while they were covering the butts

of the pet food companies.

And just a few weeks ago they went after red rice yeast----You know  Merck had to be behind that one since red rice yeast is really Mevacor--the natural substance it contains cholestin is identical to lovastatin---Mercks patented product which is known as Mevacor.

I wouldn't have given the alert another thought until I saw the words

reproductive, renal and cardiovascular. 

As far as I knew the only warnings were that it may lower the blood pressure and to diabetics who may need their insulin adjusted.

Also, since Coca Cola wants to use the stuff in their products---wouldn't they have enough clout to out lobby everyone---can't imagine it's a lobbying stunt. 

 
I think the concern is with the potential toxicity of steviol, a metabolite of stevioside. There is a genetic concern.

Here is a little more info on stevia

http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/additives_stevia.html