A Sweet Deal

There might just be a sweet revolution following the news that corporate giants Coca Cola and Cargill filed for 24 U.S. patents related to stevia, a South American herb used for centuries to sweeten food and drinks. Stevia is the world’s only zero-calorie, zero-glycemic, all-natural sweetener. Media reports say Coke and Cargill are working to petition the FDA for the product's approval.

"The tide is changing for this little leaf. It’s almost a perfect storm," May says.

For quick-service restaurants, that could mean that one day, green packets of stevia sweeteners will be as omnipresent as white, pink, and blue packets at coffee counters. And since all-natural extracts are part of everything from sodas to marinades, the change could even cross over into the kitchen.

Cargill plans to experiment with various food products, adding its stevia extracts to "anything it makes sense to add it to—ice creams, desserts," says Anne Tucker, spokeswoman for the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based company. "People are more concerned about where things come from, what’s in their food. There’s nothing added to this. It’s an all-natural, zero-calorie sweetener."

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My Comment:

Stevia is a great way to reduce your sugar intake. I use it in tea and to make hot cocoa.
Click here for more information on Stevia.

The only downside is that you cannot use Stevia to make baked goods like cookies, cakes, etc.

Now there is a great new natural sweetner that you can use for baked goods. It's called Lakanto.
Click here for more information on Lakanto.

In general, I recommend staying away from baked goods and staying away from sweets. But, Lakanto and Stevia are good alternatives to use if you absolutely need to have a "treat".

They are good for people who are weaning themselves off of sugar for a variety of health reasons, like candida (yeast infections), diabetes, cancer, hypoglycemia and obesity.