Stevia has a lot of potential
- Stevia is used in over 40,000 products. The market will reach $2.5 billion
- Stevia is a natural sweetener that does not contain calories.
- The pancreatic cancer cell is killed by fermented stevia, but the healthy cells are spared.
Stevia, also known as E960a or E960c, is one of the world’s most widely used natural sweeteners. The sugar substitute is found in everything from soft drinks and sweets to cereals, breads, and breakfast cereals. It’s used in more than 40,000 products around the world.
Its popularity has led to its global market worth of 1.47 billion dollars (EUR1.26 billion). This figure will rise to $2.5bn in 2035, according to Future Market Insights.
Stevia is not only a favorite among manufacturers, but also consumers. It’s because it is natural and doesn’t have the same negative associations with health or the environment that artificial sweeteners do.
A spokesperson from Future Market Insights says that the demand for low-calorie, natural sweeteners has been intensified due to rising health consciousness, obesity, diabetes and sugar taxation in many countries. Stevia has become a popular plant-derived sweetener.
According to a recent study from Japan, stevia is not only natural, calorie free, and has anti-cancer properties, it’s also nutrient-free.
Stevia is a plant that has a sweet taste.
Stevia, a natural sweetener is 200-400 time sweeter than regular sugar.
Stevia rebaudiana is a native plant of Paraguay, Brazil and Paraguay.
The taste of the extract is licorice like or bitter at higher concentrations.
Does stevia contain cancer-fighting properties?
Scientists at Hiroshima University conducted a new study that found when stevia is fermented, it can kill pancreatic cancer without harming healthy kidney cells.
Researchers have suggested in the past that stevia leaves extract may help to fight cancer. However, it has been difficult to isolate and pinpoint specific active components.
Researchers found that fermentation alters the structure of the stevia extract and can lead to new bioactive molecules. These compounds have the ability to influence biosystems.
Masanori Sugiyama, the co-author of the study, says that microbial transformation is an effective way to enhance the efficacy and pharmacological properties of plant extracts. In this study, our goal was to compare LAB fermented and non-fermented plant extracts in order to identify compounds that increase bioactivity. This would ultimately contribute to the effectiveness of herbal medicines for cancer prevention and treatment.
Stevia can be found in many foods and drinks, such as breakfast cereals. (Image: Getty/Image)
Science behind the Study
Researchers fermented the stevia leaf with Lactobacillus Plantarum strain SN13T and then compared the results on cancerous pancreatic cells (PANC-1), as well as non-cancerous HEK-293 human embryonic renal cells, in order to compare the effect of the non-fermented extract.
Sugiyama says that “our findings show that fermented leaf extract exhibits significantly higher cytotoxicity at equal concentrations than non-fermented leaves extract, which suggests that fermentation enhances the bioactivity” of the extract. Fermented stevia extract exhibited less toxicity towards the HEK-293 cell line, and minimal inhibition was observed at even the highest concentration.
Further analyses revealed that the anti-cancer agent is chlorogenic acid (methyl ester). The concentration of chlorogenic acids in the extract decreased sixfold when fermented. This indicates a microbiological transformation.
Narandalai Danshiitsoodol is a study co-author. She says that this microbial change was probably due to enzymes present in the strain of bacteria used. Our data show that the chlorogenic acid-methyl ester has a stronger toxic effect on cells, and a pro-apoptotic effect – encouraging cell death- than chlorogenic acids alone.
Researchers are currently planning to conduct future mouse studies in order to understand better the effects of different dosages on the human body.
Stevia can be found in more than 40,000 products around the world. (Image: Getty/Daisy-Daisy)
Sweeteners: a new image
It remains to be determined whether this research will lead consumers to seek out products that contain stevia. It could help improve the image of natural sweeteners.
PepsiCo and Unilever are among the major food and drink manufacturers that have already replaced sugar in their products with high purity stevia extracts. PepsiCo uses it, for instance, in Gatorade Zero.
As health associations continue to improve, other manufacturers may follow.