Lyme Disease Study Presents Stevia as a Potential Treatment

The bacteria that causes Lyme, Borrelia burgdorferi, is tricky to manage. Antibiotics are used to treat it, but according to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), they only work for 80-90% of cases. The other 10-20% develop into chronic Lyme, as the bacteria is able to change form and hide in the body. Conventional medicine is still divided as to whether Chronic Lyme actually exists, so it makes sense that they can only offer management solutions instead of actual treatment. Patients increasingly find themselves turning to alternative medicine. A recent study suggests there is yet another treatment available in the alternative arsenal: stevia.

Conventional medicine is still divided as to whether Chronic Lyme actually exists, so it makes sense that they can only offer management solutions instead of actual treatment. Patients increasingly find themselves turning to alternative medicine. A recent study suggests there is yet another treatment available in the alternative arsenal: stevia.

Will the Real Stevia Stand Up?

Stevia is a naturally sweet herb that is more than 100 times sweeter than sugar, but unlike sugar, it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels. Originally from South America, stevia has been around for more than 1,500 years, but it hasn’t gained public popularity until recently. Stevia is incredibly concentrated and doesn’t feed Candida in the body the way other sweeteners do.

The best form of any food, nutritionally, is in its natural state. The pure stevia leaf, whether fresh, dried, or in a tincture, is the best way to use the plant along with all of its flavonoids, sterols, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. But not all stevia is created equal. Many of the widely available stevia powders are bleached and altered with other chemicals and additives like erythritol and dextrose.

It’s the Little Things in Life

The phytonutrients in stevia are powerful. A new study from researchers at the University of New Haven found that stevia leaf extract is more effective at dealing with Lyme disease in all of its forms than any of the currently used antibiotics. The bacteria that causes Lyme disease is a spiral-shaped bacteria, and the common antibiotics used like doxycycline, cefoperazone, and daptomycin can be effective in dealing with the bacteria in that form. Unfortunately, Borrelia burgdorferi can morph into a dormant round body under unfavorable conditions, and in this form, antibiotics are more likely to miss it. In fact, antibiotics increased the bacteria in its dormant form.

Is Stevia is a Better Idea than Antibiotics?

Stevia and antibiotics were both effective against the Borrelia burgdorferi is its spiral form. Stevia reduced the bacteria in its dormant form, whereas the antibiotics increased its resistance to the next antibiotic treatment and may have even helped it to multiple. Antibiotics, even when they work as intended, damage to the body. They suppress the immune system and kill off good bacteria, effectively ridding the body of its natural defenses. Is there really any question as to which treatment is better?

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Are You Buying Stevia or Something Else?

Stevia is a zero calorie sweetener that comes from a herbaceous plant, Stevia rebaudiana, a relative of the sunflower that is native to South America. It has been used as a sweetener and a medicine by the Guaraní people of Brazil and Paraguay for more than 1,500 years.

First, we heard this natural sweetener that is from 200 times to 400 times sweeter than sugar, has no calories, and doesn’t raise glucose levels in the blood. Next, we heard possible health benefits, especially for diabetics. It may even be a wonderful antioxidant that lowers cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, and helps fight cancer. But is the stevia you are buying at the grocery store the same sweetener with these health benefits?

Stevia leaves can be dehydrated and crushed to make a whole food sweetener with definite health benefits including an array of antioxidants. But, as is often the case, this healthy food is probably not what you are buying. Stevia’s sweetness comes from glycosides contained in the leaves. The two primary glycosides are stevioside and rebaudioside (though there are as many as seven). Stevioside has an aftertaste some experience as bitter while others say it tastes like licorice. Rebaudioside is sweeter without an aftertaste. When you buy stevia, you may be buying stevia extract that is just rebaudioside. And stevia may not be the only ingredient. Take Truvia for example.

Truvia’s lists 3 ingredients on their label: erythritol, stevia leaf extract, and natural flavors. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, a calorie-free sugar substitute made from sugar that has been known to cause headaches, diarrhea, and stomach upset when large amounts are ingested. For some people, a regular size portion will cause this reaction. The third ingredient is natural flavors. That could be anything, even aspartame or MSG.

Dr. Axe writes, “According to the United States patent for the Coca-Cola Company, Truvia goes through a 42 step process to make this processed sweetener. First, the rebaudioside is extracted from the stevia leaf then, chemical solvents are added including acetonitrile which is toxic to the liver and is a carcinogen. They then add in a GMO corn derivative in erythritol.”

And yet, when most people buy Truvia, they believe they are buying stevia.

Teas, extracts, and tinctures made with high-quality, whole-leaf stevia, on the other hand, contain up to seven sweet compounds (glycosides) and an array of antioxidants.

Quality Stevia

Green leaf stevia, made by crushing dried stevia leaves into powder, is the least processed. It is 30-40 times sweeter than sugar (rather than 200-400 times) and is a little bitter by comparison to the processed varieties. Dr. Axe recommends the brands Sweet Leaf Stevia and Organic Traditions.

If you want to ensure you are getting the best possible stevia, grow your own! See the link below to Mother Earth News and a great article on growing stevia. They even tell you how to make extract, which is very simple. Just add ½ cup of lightly crushed leaves to 1 cup of almost boiling water and steep it for 40 minutes. Strain and refrigerate. What could be easier?

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Can Stevia Cure Chronic Lyme Disease?

A new study published in the European Journal of Microbiology and Immunology reveals a discovery with the potential to end late stage or chronic Lyme disease.

According to the CDC, Lyme disease is estimated to infect 300,000 Americans per year. While 80-90% of the cases are considered resolved with antibiotic treatment, 10-20% of patients develop the chronic form, a persistent, and sometimes devastating illness that can affect any organ of the body, including the brain and the nervous system.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by a spirochete bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi. Doxycycline and amoxicillin are antibiotics proven to eliminate the spirochetal form of this bacteria, but Borrelia burgdorferi can be found in morphological forms. It exists as spirochetes, spheroplast (or L-form), round bodies, and biofilms. It changes into the dormant round body form under unfavorable conditions and is believed to hide in a biofilm form. When conditions become favorable, it can return to its spirochete form.

Stevia leaf extract contains a number of phytonutrients that are known antimicrobial agents. In this lab study, the antimicrobial effect of stevia extracts was compared to doxycycline, cefoperazone, daptomycin and to combinations of these antibiotics, which had been found to be effective against Borrelia persisters (persistent forms).

The stevia leaf extract was found to be effective against all known forms of the bacteria in the lab tests. It is important to note that four different extracts were tested. One was chosen due to its effectiveness, which was believed to be a result of its growing conditions and the agricultural practices used.

The extract was compared to the three antibiotics and combinations of the antibiotics. The stevia extract alone was able to eliminate the spirochetes and persisters as well as the three antibiotics in combination.

The biofilm form of the bacteria is the most antibiotic-resistant form. The stevia extract was very effective. The individual antibiotics, however, increased the biofilm rather than eliminating it.

In long-term culture studies with persister cells, stevia extract was more effective than the three-drug combination. Doxycycline and cefoperazone were both ineffective.

The study calls for further investigation and clinical trials. This is a promising start given the earlier studies with stevia did not reveal any ill effects from its use, while showing its ability to lower high blood pressure and reduce blood glucose in type II diabetics.

Borrelia burgdorferi is not the only bacteria stevia may be used to fight. In the future, it may be used to treat E. coli, Salmonella and a number of other pathogens.

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Stevia: The Sweet Medicine for Inflammation

Stevia is called Kaahe-he, which means sweet herb, by the native Indian tribe in Paraguay that has used this local herb for centuries for everything from a sweetener for teas to an ingredient in medicines. The Japanese were the first to purify stevia extract in the 1970s and have since used stevia in many of their fermented foods. Stevia is now cultivated in several countries including the United States, China, Brazil, and Mexico. It can be purchased in liquid, powder, or tablet form and is found in both food and dental hygiene products.1

Health Benefits of Stevia

Stevia a natural anti-hyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer agent. It contains zero calories, yet it is up to 300 times sweeter than sucrose, which makes it an excellent sugar substitute. This “miraculous Paraguay herb” may be called such because of its therapeutic properties in controlling type-2 diabetes, preventing cancer, aiding in weight control, and improving overall human health. 2,3

Scientists have identified general health benefits in individuals who consume products derived from stevia. Perhaps the best sweetener on the market, stevia does not appear to have negative health risks associated with consumption as do other sugar alternatives.

While researchers are still working towards identifying how the body utilizes all components contained in stevia, what is understood clearly benefits human health.

Stevia Effectively Breaks Down Sugar and Fat

Some research has found that stevia acts as an anti-hyperglycemic agent, or high blood sugar antagonist, because of its ability to lower glucose levels by up to 35% in healthy individuals and approximately 18% in patients with type-2 diabetes. 2

A 2010 study compared the effects of stevia to other sweetener products. 5 Healthy individuals who consumed stevia had significantly lowered postprandial glucose levels compared to those who consumed sucrose. In other words, the body appeared to stabilize blood sugar much more efficiently than traditional table sugar following food intake. Lower insulin levels were also measured in individuals who consumed stevia compared to those who ate aspartame and sucrose.

A 2015 report, yet to be published in Food and Chemical Toxicology, provides greater support that stevia products reduce insulin resistance not only by enhancing insulin secretion but also by improving both glucose metabolism and the breakdown of fat and bile acid which aids in weight control. 6

The wave-like effect of repeating spikes in blood glucose followed by a dramatic drop leads to insulin resistance, which causes diabetes. Stevia may therefore be an excellent sugar alternative for individuals with metabolic conditions such as diabetes or hyperglycemia or for those with energy imbalances and problems controlling weight.

Anti-inflammatory and Anti-Cancer Agent

Some studies have found that the phagocytic function of cells, referred to as cellular eating because a cell will completely engulf and process particles, aids the immune system in protecting the body from potential threats when stevia is consumed. 2 Two water-soluble compounds contained in stevia, chlorphylls and xanthophylls, have also been named as the reason why stevia exhibits anti-inflammation and cancer protective properties.

Chlorophylls and xanthophylls have been concluded to not only protect the body from the effects of carcinogens linked to numerous health concerns and disorders, but these components have actually been shown to limit tumor-promoting cell growth. 7

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  • Kobus-Moryson M, and Gramza-Michałowska A. Directions on the use of stevia leaves (Stevia Rebauidana) as an additive in food products. Acta Sci Pol Technol Aliment. 2015 Jan;14 (1), 5-13 DOI 1644-0730
  • Salvador RR, Sotelo MH, Paucar LM. Study of Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) ad a natural sweetener and its use in health benefit. Scientia Agricultural. 2014 Sep;5(3):157-163. ISSN: 2077-9917
  • Chatsudthipong V, and Muanprasat C. Stevioside and related compounds: therapeutic benefits beyond sweetness. Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 2009 Jan;121(1):41-54. PMID: 19000919
  • Non-Nutritive Sweeteners (Artifical Sweeteners) – American Heart Association
  • Anton SD, Martin CK, Han H, et al. Effects of stevia, aspartame, and sucrose on food intake, satiety, and postprandial glucose and insulin levels.Appetite2010;55(1):37-43. PMCID: 2900484
  • Holvoet P, et al. Stevia-derived compounds attenuate the toxic effects of ectopic lipid accumulation in the liver of obese mice: A transcriptomic and metabolomics study. Food Chem Toxicol. 2015 Mar;77:22-33. PMID: 25554529
  • Lin K-H, Hsu C-Y, Huang Y-P, et al. Chlorophyll-Related Compounds Inhibit Cell Adhesion and Inflammation in Human Aortic Cells. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2013;16(10):886-898. DOI: 1089/jmf.2012.2558


Is Stevia Safe?

Is stevia a good sugar replacement? Yes, up to a point. Sugar addicted people must stop and heal before switching to stevia.
Stevia, a plant-extract originally from Central and South America, has been used as a sweetener for several centuries. It has been described alternately as either 30 or 300 times as sweet as sugar. Stevia has slowly gained popularity as an alternative to sugar; it was initially marketed in the US as a dietary supplement, and only recently as a sweetener. Stevia has slowly gained popularity as an alternative to sugar, even though it wasn’t marketed until recently.

One would think a food or drug is either safe or not, right? As of September 2009, the Food and Drug Administration has given support to two stevia products, Truvia and Purevia, for use as a sweetener in sodas and other drinks. What changed the stance of a government organization that used a 1985 study that described stevia as a mutagenic agent in the liver (possibly carcinogenic)?

Apparently, Coca-Cola and other large manufacturers of drinks and sodas have twisted the arms of some regulators, because as more people grasp Sugar Bad, Stevia Good, Big Soda needs to give the people soda that appears healthy in order to keep up sales. Trust a corporation to turn something potentially helpful in moderation into something you still shouldn’t consume.

No soda is safe to drink. The primary culprit after sugar is phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid is an industrial solvent used to clean toilets and kill insects. Putting the amount of phosphorus from one soda into your body damages the calcium-phosphorus ratio.

Truvia will eventually be stuffed into the rainbow of packets on the table at our favorite eateries. Presently that rainbow includes white (sugar or sucrose), blue (aspartame), pink (saccharin) and yellow (sucralose). For purely aesthetic reasons how about green for Truvia?

However, don’t eat stevia from these Truvia packs because it will be mixed with dextrose or maltodextrin as the first ingredient (largest amount) in each pack, as is the case with the other colors in the bin. These are sugar derivatives that willadulterate whatever is good and useful about stevia. Mixing good things with bad things only ruins the food value of the beneficial.

So, what is so good about stevia that we actually are cautiously optimistic about the eventual release of small bags of pure stevia powder in the supermarket for use in baking, coffee, grapefruit and lemonade? Well, despite the ignominious beginning to stevia as a sweetener, a study that had been described as being “able to classify distilled water as a mutagen”, enough people have used the product now that there are health studies that show benefits for many diseases.

A study published in 2000 gave stevioside (stevia’s active ingredient) to 60 hypertension patients with a placebo group of 49. Results described as significant for reducing blood pressure supplemented similar animal studies.1

Stevia’s reputed limited effect on blood glucose naturally led to diabetes studies. A Denmark study took blood glucose readings from 12 type-2 diabetes patients before eating stevia or cornstarch with their meals and a couple of hours later. The stevia group showed blood glucose levels at least 18-percent less than the starch group, leading to the possibility that diabetes patients have finally found the sweetener that will allow them to have their sweet cake and eat it, too.2

But after the FDA has spent many years trying to keep stevia out of the U.S. marketplace, we should ask if there are any side effects. A study conducted by the Burdock Group generally supports the safety of stevia, finding no adverse effects in rats at the massive doses such studies use to determine carcinogenic or mutagen properties of foods.3

And so we give stevia qualified support because while almost no information has surfaced to say that this sweetener hurts people, we realize that the weak link in any health plan is the patient. Many of us are unlikely to moderate our consumption of stevia because we just have to have ice cream, chocolate cake, or soda. Too much of a good thing isn’t good. But, on the range of things that are sweet but not named sugar, stevia is a great start.

 

1 Chan, P, et al “A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study of the Effectiveness and Tolerability of Oral Stevioside in Human Hypertension” Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2000 September; 50(3): 215–220. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2125.2000.00260.x

2 Gregersen S, et al. “Antihyperglycemic Effects of  Stevioside in Type-2 Diabetic Subjects.” Metabolism 2004 Jan;53(1):73-76

3 Williams LD, Burdock GA “Genotoxicity Studies on a High-Purity Rebauside A Preparation.” Food Chem Toxicol. 2009 Aug;47(8):1831-1836



Stevia

Stevia comes from the leaves of a tropical plant native to South America. Though it is 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar, stevia is not a sugar. Unlike other popular sweeteners, it has a glycemic index rating of less than 1 and therefore does not feed Candida (yeast) or cause any of the numerous other problems associated with sugar consumption. 

Stevia has been used as a sweetener for centuries, but as is often the case in our country, the interests of big business have superseded common sense and fair play. By law, stevia cannot be sold or labeled as a sweetener or food additive, only as a supplement. 

Some people complain of its strong licorice-like aftertaste, but now some companies claim to have a refining process that eliminates it. Even with its aftertaste, stevia is a perfect sweetener for strong sour flavors such as lemons. (It makes great lemonade!) You can also use stevia with other sweeteners to strengthen the sweetness of a recipe while still preparing a meal with relatively low sugar content. 

For more information about Stevia and the FDA’s decision not to allow stevia as a food additive, check out NaturalNews.com