What it is:
“[Stevia] is a plant leaf, crunched up into a nice powder or added to a liquid extract, that is naturally sweet,” says Mona Morstein, ND, chairwoman of nutrition at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Ariz.
Pros:
Stevia is popular with nutritionists and consumers because it doesn’t bump your blood sugar levels and it’s noncaloric. “It’s innocuous,” says Morstein. “There are no real health problems associated with it.” Early studies on rodents indicated potential issues with birth defects, but the old research has since been debunked. “Now, stevia is not contraindicated in pregnant women,” says Morstein.
Cons:
“Some people don’t care for the taste,” says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a certified diabetes educator in Sarasota, Fla., and spokeswoman for the
American Dietetic Association. Stevia can taste bitter, and it lacks the sweetness of sugar when used in cooking or baking. Some people find the glycerin drops more palatable than the powder form.
Retailer tip:
Until recently, stevia had to be sold as a supplement, but the Food and Drug Administration gave the go-ahead in December 2008 for stevia to be used in foods and beverages.
Click here for new ways retailers are merchandising stevia products.