How much of Stevia actually comes from a plant?
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Manage episode 380177947 series 3513401
Stevia has long been marketed as a natural, plant-based sugar substitute, so you’d assume that it’s made mostly from plant-based material, right? Well… we might have some upsetting news for you.
In this episode, we’re talking about what’s wrong with stevia, including just how little of it actually comes from stevia leaf. We share the controversies behind this so-called natural sugar substitute, what high stakes poker games have to do with saccharin and stevia, and why it’s so freaking hard to figure out what’s actually in all of our food (you’re going to hear some familiar names from last episode).
Disclaimer: We want to emphasize that we're not medical professionals, and none of this podcast should be interpreted as medical or legal advice or counsel. The ingredients we're discussing are all currently approved by the FDA and, as such, are legal in the U. S. And any statements we make about corporations or individuals are opinions based on publicly available information, either published by those entities themselves, or reputable third party journals and sources.
So please digest the following conversation with that in mind. We are just two regular people who are trying to learn about ingredients and share what we learn in good faith, and we hope you enjoy.
In this episode, you’ll learn…
[00:29] An update on the format and content of this podcast going forward, AKA Najwa gets to talk more
[08:08] The difference between sugars, non-nutritive sweeteners, and sugar alcohols, plus the history of stevia
[11:31] What stevia is and how it’s made into the product you see in grocery stores
[17:09] Here’s the tea on stevia controversies… and poker?!
[24:19] Capitalism, lobbyists, and product messaging - it’s all just a game of Whack-a-Mole!
To join the conversation on what’s wrong with food, sign up here. Every week we do the homework on what exactly that hard-to-pronounce ingredient on the nutrition panel is so you don't have to. But we make it, like, fun.
5 episodes