Sweet Stevia Rebaudiana arrives to fight diseases in a big way

<a href=www.newindpress.com>newindpress.comSunday June 15 2003 00:00 IST KOCHI: Stevia Rebaudiana, a South American medicinal herb known for its sweetness excelling that of sugar and saccharine, is slowly making a foray into the Kerala market. Stevia is considered to be diabetic-safe and a remedy for a number of diseases. Stevia, native to Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and Paraguay, has several sweet-sounding names: Sweet Leaf of Paraguay, Honey Leaf and Candy Leaf in addition to a number of local names. A perennial shrub belonging to the Chrysanthemum family, the American Indians used `Caa-ehe,' as Stevia was called by them, for over 1500 years to sweeten unpalatable medicinal concoctions. The herb is sweeter than sugar and diabetic-safe,'' says Babu C J, proprietor of Kerala Herbal Nursery, the Thrissur-based private firm which has now started sales of Stevia Rebaudiana, though in a small way. The herb made its entry into India via Australia roughly a year ago, says Babu. An agency in Hyderabad started small-scale cultivation of the herb. Babu imported 5000 saplings into the State from Bangalore a week ago. The climate of Kerala is conducive for the cultivation of Stevia. The herb needs sunlight and water,'' he says. In its natural form, Stevia is approximately 10 to 15 times sweeter than sugar. The white powder extracted by drying the leaves is rated at 70 to 400 times sweeter than sugar. The herb is similar to the tulasi and grows to a height of two feet. The leaf of the plant is dried and powdered to use as a sweetener,'' Babu, who is based at Poothole at Thrissur. A Stevia sapling cost him Rs 35. Stevia has been used in the US and Japan as a popular alternative to sugar as it is considered diabetic-safe and calorie-free. In fact, Stevia accounts for 40 percent of Japan's sweetener market. Other medicinal uses include treatment of high blood pressure, obesity, tobacco and alcohol addiction, indigestion and fungal infections. The herb has also had its share of controversies. In the 1980s, the FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) slapped a ban on the herb, allegedly under pressure from firms promoting artificial sweeteners which sensed competition. Eight years ago, the ban was lifted in the US with the implementation of the Health Freedom Act which approved Stevia for use as a sweetener. In Kerala, there is little information available on the medicinal properties of Stevia. Articles on Stevia describe it as a sweetener and safe for diabetic patients. However, there is little information on the herb in India at present. It is believed to be cultivated in one or two parts of the country though not in Kerala,'' according to Baby Joseph, head of the Department of Agriculture, Nagarjuna ayurveda pharmacy.