Curious about low-calorie sweeteners? You’re not alone. Conflicting information about low-calorie sweeteners seems to be reaching new heights, so we’ve searched high and low for the facts. Here’s the low-down on stevia leaf extract.

1. Fun Fact
Here's a fun fact about stevia for you to leave with...
While the stevia plant may look like a plant from the mint family (Lamiaceae), it’s
actually part of the sunflower family (Asteraceae).
Low-Calorie Sweeteners
What is Stevia Leaf Extract?
Stevia leaf extract comes from the stevia plant, which is native to
South America. Extract from stevia leaves is used as the source for
high-purity, stevia sweeteners which help provide sweet taste
without calories to food and beverage products.
Steviol glycosides are the primary components extracted from the leaf that are
found in stevia sweeteners such as Enliten®, Pure Via®, SPLENDA Naturals
Stevia Sweetener® and Truvia®.
What’s in a Name?
How many Calories?
Stevia leaf extract has no calories.
Some sweeteners are “low-calorie” contributing negligible
amounts of calories and some are “no-calorie” contributing zero
calories.
While stevia leaf extract provides zero calories, packets or
products containing stevia sweeteners can have calories.
Sometimes ingredients with calories are added for flavor or
texture. When this occurs, the amount of these ingredients added
per serving is so small that their calorie contribution is low.
Is it Safe?
EFSA
FAO/WHO
FDA
FSANZ
Health Canada
Yes, stevia leaf extract is safe to consume.
Stevia leaf extract is one of 8 low- and no-calorie
sweeteners permitted by the FDA for use in the US food
supply. Each of the 8 have been rigorously tested and
reviewed.
Who says it's safe? Leading global health authorities
such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA),
FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives
(JECFA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and
Health Canada.
The FDA lists many stevia leaf extracts as Generally
Recognized as Safe (GRAS).
http://bit.ly/steviaGRASnotices
foodinsight.org
@FoodInsight
@FoodInsight &
@FACTSFollowers
A little goes a long way. Because stevia sweeteners are
200 - 350 times
sweeter than sugar, only a tiny amount is needed to
replace sugar while keeping the same level of sweetness.
Sugar Stevia Leaf Extract
Sweet as Sugar?
200-350
1
Sources:
FDA:
http://bit.ly/FDAstevia
IFIC Foundation:
http://bit.ly/FoodInsightStevia