Tasty Sweetleaf

Wisdom Natural Brands First To Bring Stevia Product To Market

2008-05-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

SweetLeaf® Sweetener™ beats competitors with all-natural product now available online and in retailers

GILBERT, Ariz. (May 30, 2008) – The efforts of one man 25 years ago to bring a native plant from Paraguay to the United States is on the verge of changing the way America eats. Available online and in grocery store aisles for the very first time — ahead of any competitors — is an all-natural, zero-calorie, zero-carb, zero-glycemic index alternative to sugar and man-made sweeteners — SweetLeaf® Sweetener™.

This new formulation of SweetLeaf® Sweetener™ has achieved GRAS status (generally recognized as safe), enabling its makers to expand the product beyond the dietary supplements market and sit alongside sugar and other sweetening alternatives in grocery store aisles. In production for a week now, the new sweetener is available on the www.sweetleaf.com Web site and will be in retail outlets as soon as distributors can get it on shelves.

“No pun intended, but for me, this day is sweet victory,” said Jim May, CEO and founder of Wisdom Natural Brands, the makers of SweetLeaf® Sweetener™. May was the pioneer who realized the potential of the Stevia plant when visiting Paraguay. Since his discovery, he has worked doggedly to market the product throughout the world, and is the original U.S. marketer of Stevia with deep historical knowledge of the health benefits and history of the sweet plant.

May, considered the “Father of Stevia” in America and a legend in Paraguay, spoke to an overflow audience in a large auditorium in March 2008 in Asuncion, Paraguay. The speech on history and the future of Stevia was attended by government officials, Stevia farmers, business professionals, including press, TV and magazine journalists.

“I feel like the David that beat Goliath,” May said. “We have been working behind the scenes for months to get SweetLeaf® Sweetener™ to market before any of our competitors, and now that we see they won’t have product available until much later, we definitely have a competitive advantage,” said May.

Unlike other sweeteners which may contain chemicals, formaldehyde, acetic acids and chlorine, SweetLeaf® Sweetener™ is completely calorie-free, all-natural, and has a zero glycemic index. Long used in the United States as a dietary supplement and nutritional additive, Stevia is a naturally sweet plant, native to Paraguay, that is 30 times sweeter than sugar. The pure glycosides that are extracted from the Stevia leaves are 250 to 400 times sweeter than sugar.

To date, more than 1,000 scientific studies and abstracts prove SweetLeaf® Sweetener™ a safe and healthy alternative to sugar and man-made artificial sweeteners.

“Despite the claims of other sweeteners, this is truly the first and only all natural, calorie-free, completely safe alternative to sugar,” May said.

SweetLeaf® Stevia has gained an underground following in recent years among celebrities, health gurus, nutritionists and doctors especially with the focus over the past decade on low-carb, high-protein diets. The product can be used in beverages, cooking, baking and anywhere sugar might be used.

Gilbert, Ariz.-based Wisdom Natural Brands® is the parent company of three highly respected consumer brands: SweetLeaf® Sweetener™, Wisdom of the Ancients® herbal teas, and Sweet & Slender® Natural Sweetener. The company has spent the last year perfecting the formulation in preparation for the re-launch of SweetLeaf® Sweetener™, and also offers new SteviaClear, SteviaTabs™ and a wide variety of Liquid Stevia Flavors.

MEDIA CONTACT:Melanie Blair or Sara Fleury, (602) 277-9530 ext. 229 or 226

Compare Stevia to Other Sweeteners

2008-05-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

Compare Stevia to Other Sweeteners

SweetLeaf® Sweetener™ is the only 100% Natural Sweetener with Zero Calories, Zero Carbs and Zero Glycemic Index!

SweetLeaf® Sweetener™ never includes saccharin, aspartame, refined sugar, fructose or high glycemic fillers of any kind. Safe for diabetics!

Sweet For You, Sweet For The World

2008-05-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

The sweet flavor of SweetLeaf® comes from the Stevia plant

– a natural herb cultivated in the unique climates of South America.

Each time you enjoy the goodness of SweetLeaf®,

you support positive, sustainable production in these countries too.

In fact, farmers are learning

they can earn more growing Stevia

than crops used for illegal drugs.

That makes the world a safer and healthier place for everyone.

America’s First 100% Natural Alternative to Artificial Sweeteners!

2008-05-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

America’s First 100% Natural Alternative to Artificial Sweeteners!

For the first time in the USA, there is a 100% natural alternative

to sugar and artificial sweeteners – SweetLeaf® Sweetener™.

ZERO Calories
ZERO Carbohydrates
ZERO Glycemic Index

Use it in all your favorite foods and beverages.

Welcome to SweetLeaf® Sweetener™!

Try it today!

Oatmeal Apple Muffins

2008-05-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

Oatmeal Apple Muffins

Ingredients

- 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 Cup Rolled Oats
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 3 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
- 2 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp. SteviaClear Liquid
- 1 Egg
- 3/4 Cup Milk
- 1/4 Cup Oil (or 1/4 Cup Applesauce)
- 1 Medium Apple Cored and Course Chopped
- 3/4 Cup Raisins

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Mix first seven ingredients thoroughly. In separate bowl mix remaining ingredients. Gradually mix dry ingredients into moist ingredients. Spoon into greased muffin tins.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes. (Recipe by Vicky Mosser, Excerpted with permission from "Stevia Rebaudiana: Nature's Sweet Secret", Blue Heron Press)

Send this recipe to a friend

Find out more about SweetLeaf Stevia at www.sweetleaf.com.

Blueberry Muffins

2008-05-29T20:37:00.000-07:00

Blueberry Muffins
12 muffins

Ingredients

- 6 oz. pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tablespoons SteviaPlus
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 2 oz. milk
- 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt

Pre heat the oven to 375 F. Oil muffin pans. Soak the oats in the pineapple juice for 10-15 minutes in a small bowl. Beat together the oil, egg, and vanilla in a mixing bowl.
Thin the yogurt with the milk and add to the other liquid ingredients. Beat. Mix in the soaked oats. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring as little as possible. Fold in the blueberries just before the flour is completely blended. Spoon the batter into the muffin pans and bake for 25-30 minutes. (Excerpted with permission from "Stevia: naturally sweet recipes for desserts, drinks and more!", by Rita DePuydt - Book Publishing Co.)

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Find out more about SweetLeaf Stevia at www.sweetleaf.com.

Banana Bread

2008-05-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

Banana Bread

Ingredients

- 2 very ripe, medium to large bananas
- 1/4 tsp powdered Stevia extract
- 1/2 tsp Stevia concentrate
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt or buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat the over to 350 degrees F. Oil a medium-sized loaf pan (7 1/2" x 3 1/2" x 2 1/2").
Mash the bananas in a small bowl.

Mix the Stevia extract, Stevia concentrate, and lemon juice into the mashed bananas.
Set aside. Sift the flour, leavenings, and salt together in a bowl.

Beat the oil and egg together in a mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in the yogurt or buttermilk and the vanilla. Stir the mashed bananas into the liquid mixture. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring as little as possible.

Mix in the walnuts just before the flour is completely blended. Place into the loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour until a toothpick or fork stuck in the middle comes out clean. Turn out the loaf and cool on a rack.

Note: For maximum flavor, use very ripe bananas (brown spotted). (Excerpted with permission from "Stevia: naturally sweet recipes for desserts, drinks and more!", by Rita DePuydt - Book Publishing Co.)

Send this recipe to a friend

Find out more about SweetLeaf Stevia at www.sweetleaf.com.

Mango Papaya Smoothie

2008-05-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

Mango Papaya Smoothie
4 servings
This creamy treat is called Mango Lassi in India.

Ingredients

- 1 quart Mango or papaya juice or a blend
- 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
- 1/3 to 1/2 Tsp SweetLeaf Stevia Extract Powder (to taste)

Mix the ingredients together in a blender until smooth (Excerpted with permission from "Stevia: naturally sweet recipes for desserts, drinks and more!", by Rita DePuydt - Book Publishing Co.)

Send this recipe to a friend

Find out more about SweetLeaf Stevia at www.sweetleaf.com.

Hot Cocoa

2008-05-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

Hot Cocoa
4 - 5 servings
Rich and chocolaty - like Mom used to make.

Ingredients

- 3 tbsp cocoa
- 1/2 tsp powdered Stevia extract
- 4 to 5 cups of soymilk or milk
- 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the cocoa and Stevia extract together in a medium-sized saucepan.
Add about 1/2 cup of the soymilk or milk to the dry ingredients to make a paste.

Gradually thin the paste with about 1/2 cup of the milk.
Add the honey or maple syrup while bringing to a low boil.

Boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rest of the milk to the desired richness.
Add the vanilla and return to burner until heated through.

Note: Be careful not to scorch the cocoa. Use a pan with a heavy bottom and watch closely.

Variation: You may add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. (Excerpted with permission from "Stevia: naturally sweet recipes for desserts, drinks and more!", by Rita DePuydt - Book Publishing Co.)

Milk: Use Nonfat milk for your health.

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Find out more about SweetLeaf Stevia at www.sweetleaf.com.

Green Apple Mojito

2008-05-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

Green Apple Mojito
1 Drink (1 Serving)

Recipes courtesy of Yvan Lemoine, Celebrity Chef, who’s well known for his creative pastries, delicious deserts, and healthy cocktail/mocktails.

Ingredients

- 2 oz green apple juice
- 3 lime pieces (quartered)
- 2 SweetLeaf SteviaPlus packets
- 2 oz vodka- 2 mint sprigs
- Splash of club soda

Place all ingredients except one mint sprig and the club soda in a cocktail shaker. Muddle (crush) the ingredients together, then fill with ice and shake vigorously. Pour into a tall glass and finish with a splash of club soda. Decorate with a straw and the remaining mint sprig. (Cutting Edge Recipes from Master Mixologist/Pastry Chef Yvan Lemoine)

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Find out more about SweetLeaf Stevia at www.sweetleaf.com.

Fuzzy SweetLeaf

2008-05-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

A variation of the SweetLeaf Dreamsicle, this is a "fuzzy navel" like cocktail.

Ingredients

- 1 1/2 oz vodka

- 3 oz fresh squeezed orange juice

- 10 drops Liquid Stevia Apricot Nectar

- orange half wheel,

for garnish Combine the vodka, orange juice and Liquid Stevia in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

Shake vigorously and strain into over ice or into a chilled martini glass.

Garnish with orange slice and vanilla bean, if desired.

Send this recipe to a friend

Find out more about SweetLeaf Stevia at www.sweetleaf.com.

Chocolate Raspberry Bliss

2008-05-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Raspberry Bliss

1 Drink-Desert (1 Serving)

Recipes courtesy of Yvan Lemoine, Celebrity Chef, who’s well known for his creative pastries, delicious deserts, and healthy cocktail/mocktails.
This recipe is part cocktail, part dessert in one martini glass!

First prepare a light yet luscious chocolate mousse.
Refrigerate until semi-solid and top with a delectable "chocolate cosmo" mixture!

Makes three servings.

Ingredients-

For chocolate mousse:

- 3 oz melted chocolate

- 1 oz heavy cream

- 1/2 pint whipped cream

- 1 dropper full of SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia Chocolate Raspberry Flavor

- Whole raspberries

Warm the cream and add the SweetLeaf Chocolate Raspberry Liquid Stevia drops , then add it to the melted chocolate, whisk together and let it cool to room temp.

Slowly add the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture while stirring slowly until it becomes even.

Pour the mixture into martini glasses that have a raspberry at the bottom and refrigerate.

(Cutting Edge Recipes from Master Mixologist/Pastry Chef Yvan Lemoine)

Send this recipe to a friend

Find out more about SweetLeaf Stevia at www.sweetleaf.com.

NEED CULINARY HELP?

2008-05-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

Try some of our favorite recipes!

Check out these tried and true SweetLeaf Stevia recipes.

From flavored water to elaborate desserts,
these sweet concoctions won’t let you down.

SWEETLEAF STEVIA CAN BE USED IN ALMOST ANYTHING!

From flavored water to elaborate desserts, there are so many uses for all-natural, calorie-free, carb-free SweetLeaf Stevia dietary supplement.

Check out the flavorsome low-calorie recipes on our UltraNav and even submit your own tried and true SweetLeaf Stevia recipes!

Find out more about SweetLeaf Stevia at www.sweetleaf.com.

Evaluation of Steviosides Safety, WHO 2007

2008-05-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

The Committee noted that most of the data requested at its fifty-first meeting,
e.g. data on the metabolism of stevioside in humans, and on the activity of steviol
in suitable studies of genotoxicity in vivo, had been made available.

The Committee concluded that stevioside and rebaudioside A are not genotoxic
in vitro or in vivo and that the genotoxicity of steviol and some of its oxidative
derivatives in vitro is not expressed in vivo.

The no-observed-effect level (NOEL) for stevioside was 970 mg/kg bw per day in a long-term study evaluated by the Committee at its fifty-first meeting.

The Committee noted that stevioside has shown some evidence of pharmacological effects in patients with hypertension or with type-2 diabetes at doses corresponding to about 12.5–25 mg/kg bw per day (equivalent to 5–10 mg/kg bw per day expressed as steviol).

The evidence available at present was inadequate to assess whether these pharmacological effects would also occur at lower levels of dietary exposure, which could lead to adverse effects in some individuals (e.g. those with hypotension or diabetes). The Committee therefore decided to allocate a temporary acceptable daily intake (ADI), pending submission of further data on
the pharmacological effects of steviol glycosides in humans.

A temporary ADI of 0–2 mg/kg bw was established for steviol glycosides, expressed as steviol, on the basis of the NOEL for stevioside of 970 mg/kg bw per day (or 383 mg/kg bw per day expressed as steviol) in the 2-year study in rats andsteviol glycosides 141 K2 a safety factor of 200.

This safety factor incorporates a factor of 100 for inter- and intraspecies differences and an additional factor of 2 because of the need for further information. The Committee noted that this temporary ADI only applies to products complying with the specifications.

The Committee required additional information, to be provided by 2007, on the pharmacological effects of steviol glycosides in humans. These studies should involve repeated exposure to dietary and therapeutic doses, in normotensive and hypotensive individuals and in insulin-dependent and insulin-independent diabetics.

COMMENTS

After oral administration, steviol glycosides are poorly absorbed in experimental animals and in humans.

Intestinal microflora metabolize steviol glycosides to the aglycone, steviol, by successive hydrolytic removal of glucose units. Data reviewed by the Committee at its current and fifty-first meetings (Annex 1, reference 149) indicated that this process is similar in rats and humans.

The hydrolysis of rebaudioside A to steviol was slower than that of stevioside. In humans treated orally with stevioside, small amounts of steviol were detected in the plasma, with considerable interindividual variability.

The major route by which steviol is metabolized in humans in vivo appears to be via conjugation with glucuronide and/or sulfate. Studies with liver microsomal preparations indicated that steviol is also metabolized to a number of hydroxy and dihydroxy derivatives via CYP-dependent pathways.

Table 5. Summary of estimates of intakes of steviol glycosides (as steviol)
Estimate Intake (mg/kg bw per day)
GEMS/Food (international)a 1.3–3.5 (60 kg person)
Japan, per capita 0.04
Japan, maximum consumptionb 3
USA, maximum consumptionb 5
GEMS/Food, WHO Global Environment Monitoring System — Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment Programme.

a ‘International’ refers to the international estimates presented in Table 4.
b These estimates were prepared in parallel to those for the international estimates: it was
assumed that all dietary sugars in diets in Japan and the USA would be replaced by steviol glycosides, at a ratio of 200 : 1.
steviol glycosides 139
K2

Stevioside and/or steviol affected a variety of biochemical parameters in models in vitro, indicating possible mechanisms of antihypertensive and antiglycaemic effects that involve modulation of ion channels. High concentrations (e.g. 1 mmol/l) of stevioside were required to produce a maximal increase in insulin secretion, while steviol was effective at a concentration that was about three orders of magnitude lower.

Stevioside also affected a variety of biochemical parameters in different animal species in vivo, mostly with parenteral administration; these studies were considered by the Committee to be of limited relevance to dietary exposure.

No new long-term studies of toxicity or carcinogenicity were available at the present meeting. At its fifth-first meeting, the Committee noted that oral administration of stevioside (purity, 95.6%) at a dietary concentration of 2.5%, equal to 970 and 1100 mg/kg bw per day in male and female rats, respectively, for 2 years was not associated with toxicity. Reduced body-weight gain and survival rate were observed with stevioside at a dietary concentration of 5%. In a new study, stevioside
was found to inhibit the promotion of skin tumours by TPA in a model of skin carcinogenesis in mice.

The Committee reviewed new data on genotoxicity that, considered together with data reviewed by the Committee at its fifth-first meeting, allowed a number of conclusions to be drawn. Stevioside and rebaudioside A have not shown evidence of genotoxicity in vitro or in vivo.

Steviol and some of its oxidative derivatives show clear evidence of genotoxicity in vitro, particularly in the presence of a metabolic activation system. However, studies of DNA damage and micronucleus formation in rats, mice and hamsters in vivo indicate that the genotoxicity of steviol is not expressed at doses of up to 8000 mg/kg bw.

One new study of developmental toxicity was available at the present meeting. Adverse effects on the reproductive apparatus, which could be associated with impaired fertility, were observed in male rats given a crude extract of S. rebaudiana, at a dose corresponding to 1.34 g of dried leaves.

However, at its fifth-first meeting, the Committee reviewed a number of studies of reproductive and developmental toxicity with stevioside (purity, 90% or 96.5%). Doses of up to 2500 mg/kg bw per
day in hamsters and 3000 mg/kg bw per day in rats had no effect in studies of reproductive toxicity.

No teratogenic or embryotoxic effects were observed in rats given stevioside at a dose of up to 1000 mg/kg bw per day by gavage. The Committee considered that the adverse reproductive effects associated with administration of aqueous extracts of S. rebaudiana, noted at the present and fifty-first meeting, were unlikely to be caused by steviol glycosides.

Stevioside is being investigated as a potential treatment for hypertension and diabetes. Administration of stevioside at a dose of 750 or 1500 mg per day for 3–24 months resulted in decreased blood pressure in hypertensive patients, with no adverse effects.

These studies, in a limited number of subjects, provided some reassurance that stevioside at a dose of up to 25 mg/kg bw per day (equivalent to 10 mg/kg bw per day expressed as steviol) for up to 2 years shows no evidence of significant adverse effects in these individuals.

There is no information on the effects of repeated administration of stevioside on blood pressure in normotensive individuals. A small study in 12 patients with type-2 diabetes showed that a single
140 steviol glycosides K2 dose of 1 g of stevioside reduced postprandial glucose concentrations and had no effect on blood pressure.

The Committee evaluated information on intake of steviol glycosides, submitted by Japan and China. Additional information was available from a report on S. rebaudiana Bertoni plants and leaves that was prepared for the European Commission by the Scientific Committee on Food.

All the intake results are presented in terms of equivalents of steviol, based on a conversion of 40% from the steviol glycoside, stevioside (relative molecular mass: steviol, 318, stevioside, 805).

The Committee used the GEMS/Food database to prepare international estimates of intake of steviol glycosides (as steviol). It was assumed that steviol glycosides would replace all dietary sugars, at the lowest reported relative sweetness ratio for steviol glycosides and sucrose, 200 : 1. The intakes ranged from 1.3 mg/kg bw per day (African diet) to 3.5 mg/kg bw per day (European diet).

The Committee evaluated estimates of per capita intake derived from disappearance (poundage) data supplied by Japan and China. The Committee also evaluated estimates of intake of steviol glycosides based on the replacement of all dietary sugars in the diets for Japan and the USA. These results are summarized in Table 5.

The Committee concluded that the replacement estimates were highly conservative and that intake of steviol glycosides (as steviol) would be likely to be 20–30% of these values.

Rebaudioside A directly stimulates insulin secretion

2008-05-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

Rebaudioside A directly stimulates insulin secretion

Rebaudioside A directly stimulates insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells: a glucose-dependent action via inhibition of ATP-sensitive K+-channels

· R. Abudula,11Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism C, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus C, Denmark
· V. V. Matchkov,22The Water and Salt Centre, Institute for Physiology and Biophysics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
· P. B. Jeppesen,11Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism C, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus C, DenmarkPer Bendix Jeppesen, Associate Prof. PhD, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism C, Aarhus University Hospital, Tage-Hansens Gade 2, DK-8000 Aarhus C, DenmarkE-mail:per.bendix.jeppesen@ki.au.dk
· H. Nilsson,22The Water and Salt Centre, Institute for Physiology and Biophysics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
· C. Aalkjær22The Water and Salt Centre, Institute for Physiology and Biophysics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark and
· K. Hermansen11Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism C, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus C, Denmark

· 1Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism C, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus C, Denmark2The Water and Salt Centre, Institute for Physiology and Biophysics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark

*The study was supported by the Velux Foundation, the Institute of Experimental Clinical Research, Novo Nordisk PhD plus Prize, Toyota-Fonden, the Danish Heart Foundation, the Faculty of Health Sciences Aarhus University, the Danish Research Agency and the Danish Council for Development Research (RUF).

Recently, we showed that rebaudioside A potently stimulates the insulin secretion from isolated mouse islets in a dose-, glucose- and Ca2+-dependent manner. Little is known about the mechanisms underlying the insulinotropic action of rebaudioside A.

The aim of this study was to define the signalling system by which, rebaudioside A acts. Isolated mouse islets were used in the cAMP[125I] scintillation proximity assay to measure total cAMP level, and in a luminometric method to measure intracellular ATP and ADP concentrations.

Conventional and permeabilized whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique was used to verify the effect of rebaudioside A on ATP-sensitive K+-channels from dispersed single β cells from isolated mouse islets.

Insulin was measured by radioimmunoassay from insulinoma MIN6 cells. In the presence of 16.7 mM glucose, the addition of the maximally effective concentration of rebaudioside A (10−9 M) increased the ATP/ADP ratio significantly, while it did not change the intracellular cAMP level. Rebaudioside A (10−9 M) and stevioside (10−6 M) reduced the ATP-sensitive potassium channel (KATP) conductance in a glucose-dependent manner.

Moreover, rebaudioside A stimulated the insulin secretion from MIN6 cells in a dose- and glucose-dependent manner. In conclusion, the insulinotropic effect of rebaudioside A is mediated via inhibition of ATP-sensitive K+-channels and requires the presence of high glucose.

The inhibition of ATP-sensitive K+-channels is probably induced by changes in the ATP/ADP ratio. The results indicate that rebaudioside A may offer a distinct therapeutic advantage over sulphonylureas because of less risk of causing hypoglycaemia.

STEVIA FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

2008-05-29T00:54:00.000-07:00

Q: What is a pH level and what is the pH level of your Stevia products? Are your Stevia products acids or bases?
A: The pH level of a solution/element indicates its acidity.
Solutions/elements with a pH of 0 to 6 are acids with a lower number indicating a higher acidity. Solutions/elements with a pH of 8 to 14 are bases (a.k.a. alkaline) with a higher number indicating a stronger alkaline (base) level. Solutions/elements with a pH of 7 are neutral, i.e. neither acid nor base (water has a pH of 7).
Stevioside (white powder) has a pH of +/- 6. That makes it an acid, but a very weak acid.
SteviaClear™ has a pH of about +/- 8. That makes it a rather weak base (alkaline). The combination of the +/- 6 pH of
Stevioside and 7 pH of water (the ingredients of SteviaClear™) make this alkaline.
Stevia Concentrate is also a weak alkaline (base) with a pH of about +/- 8.
Stevia Leaf (HoneyLeaf® powder) has a pH of about 6, which makes it a weak acid.
Based on these pH numbers our Stevia products are essentially neutral in their acidity. They all fall just shy of a pH of 7 on either the acid or base side.

Q: Is Stevia safe for diabetics?
A: Yes.

Q: What is the difference between steviosides and rebaudiosides?
A: The stevia leaf contains glycosides, which are the sweet components of the leaf. The glycosides are known as steviosides. Steviosides include several sweet constituents including rebaudiosides, which are the sweetest compounds in the leaf.Since rebaudiosides are 400 times sweeter than sugar they are more desirable than steviosides. Most stevia on the market is standardized to 80-90 percent stevioside. Rebaudiosides are generally not standardized. SweetLeaf Stevia is further standardized to 40% Rebaudioside. Therefore, our SweetLeaf Stevia Extract is at least 90 percent stevioside, of that 40% is rebaudioside. No other company is the United States uses this high quality product. You will taste the difference.

Q: If steviosides are 90 percent, what constitutes the other ten percent?
A: The other ten percent of SweetLeaf Stevia Extract are natural compounds of the whole stevia leaf that were not removed in the extraction process.

Q: What does the kosher certification of your Stevia products indicate?
A: The red apple with the K in the middle on the SweetLeaf Stevia products indicate that the raw materials and production of our products have been inspected by a rabbi to insure they meet kosher standards. In general, this ensures that the final kosher product has been isolated from any unkosher foods or possible cross contamination from any particles left in or on the processing equipment from prior manufacturing. In addition to the benefits to the kosher-minded consumer this is an additional quality assurance of our products.

Q: Who Kosher certifies your products?
A: Natural Food Certifiers headed by Rabbi Reuven Flamer out of Scarsdale, NY.

Q: What is a glycemic index rating?
A: The glycemic index ranks foods on how they affect our blood sugar levels. This index measures how much your blood sugar increases in the two or three hours after eating.
A GI value tells you only how rapidly a particular carbohydrate turns into sugar, the lower the GI number the better.

Q: Why is the whole leaf powder green and the stevioside white? Do you use bleach to whiten the powder?
A: The whole leaf powder is in its natural, unprocessed state. It is just the leaves of the Stevia plant ground into powder, therefore it retains the natural green color.The stevioside has gone through an extraction process to isolate the sweet glycosides of the leaves thereby making it a much sweeter product. This extraction process removes the naturally occuring chlorophyll and leaves the naturally white glycosides behind. No bleach or other chemical whiteners are used.

Q: How are the glycosides extracted from the Stevia leaves?
A: The stevioside is extracted from the leaf using a potato-derived alcohol based extraction process and membrane filtration. There is no alcohol in the finished product. It evaporates.

Q: Is there any relation between stevioside and genetic diseases?
A: There have not been any studies relating the use of stevioside with genetic disorders or diseases.

Q: What are the nutritional benefits of stevioside?
A: In addition to having a zero glycemic index, zero glycemic load and no calories, stevioside may reduce high blood sugar and lower blood pressure.

Q: Is stevioside absorbed in the body?
A: Contrary to what was previously thought, recent studies have suggested that a small amount of stevioside is absorbed in the body through the intestines during fecal reuptake.

TEA DEDICATED TO HEALTHY LIVING.

2008-05-29T00:33:00.000-07:00

Wisdom of the Ancients is
one of the most respected niche tea lines
in the natural industry.

A tea line dedicated to healthy options,
Wisdom of the Ancients offers teas and more from around the globe,
including Yerba Maté Royale from Paraguay.

Wisdom of the Ancients was the original Wisdom brand
started over 20 years ago
when Founder and CEO Jim May sold teas from the trunk of his car.

Quite an amazing amount of growth for one brand dedicated to healthy natural options.

Wisdom of the Ancients products include:

· Yerba Maté Royale Teas
· Yerba Maté Plain Teas
· Instant Teas
· Healing Teas from South America
· Rooibos Tea
· Honeybush Tea
· Herbal Capsules
· Cream of Coco Hair & Body Soap
· Tea Accessories

To buy Wisdom of the Ancients products,
please visit www.buywisdom.com.

And be on the lookout for the Wisdom of the Ancients website, coming soon!

Luohanguo(羅漢果)

2008-05-28T22:49:00.000-07:00

LUO HAN GUO (羅漢果)

Sweet Fruit Used as Sugar Substitute and Medicinal Herb

by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon

Luo Han Guo (luohanguo) refers to the fruit of Siraitia grosvenori, formerly called Momordica grosvenori, a member of the Curcubitaceae (1).

The fruit is well-known for its sweet taste; this plant family (Gourd family) has other members that contain remarkable sweet components, including additional species of the genus Siraitia (e.g., S. siamensis, S. silomaradjae, S. sikkimensis, S. africana, S. borneensis, and S. taiwaniana 2) and the popular herb jiaogulan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum).

The latter herb, which has both sweet and bitter tasting triterpene glycosides in its leaves, is now sold worldwide as a tea and made into an extract for use in numerous health-care products (3).

Luohanguo has been used as a medicinal herb for treating cough and sore throat (4) and is popularly considered, in southern China, to be a longevity aid (5). These are the same uses as listed for jiaogulan. Luohanguo has more recently been developed into a non-caloric sweetener to compete with other herbal sweeteners such stevioside from the unrelated Stevia leaf. (6).

Luohanguo(羅漢果) is primarily grown in southern China, mainly in Guangxi Province, with most of the product from the mountains of Guilin. The steep mountains provide shade and they are frequently surrounded by mists that further protect against excessive sun, yet the temperature in this southern province is warm.

The wild plant is rare, thus luohanguo has been cultivated in the region for many years. There are descriptions of its cultivation in the area dating back to 1813 (5). Guilin now has a 4,000-acre luohanguo growing area that produces 10,000 pieces of fruit annually (7).

Most of these fields are in Yongfu and Lingui Counties, which are recognized in China as sites having an unusually high number of residents living to an age 100 years or more (8, 9), which some attribute to the consumption of luohanguo, as well as the pristine environment. However, the local residents mainly proclaim the benefits of tranquil lifestyle, simple diet, and regular exercise.

Longjiang Town (Dragon River) of Yongfu County was named "Home of Chinese luohanguo Fruits." Several factories have been established in this region to produce luohanguo extracts and finished products, the oldest being the Yongfu Pharmaceuticals Factory.

A carefully prepared visual presentation of luohanguo cultivation and its environs is offered by the Dragon River Company, a New York based international company that set-up manufacturing in the town of Dragon River

Luohanguo(羅漢果) is collected as a round green fruit that turns brown upon drying. The sweet taste of luohanguo comes primarily from mogrosides, a group of terpene glycosides, present at the level of about 1% of the fleshy part of the fruit (10).

Both the fresh and dried fruits are extracted to yield a powder that is 80% or more mogrosides. The mogrosides have been numbered, 1-5, and the main component is called mogroside-5, previously known as esgoside (see chemical structure diagram below).

Other, similar compounds from luohanguo have been labeled siamenoside and neomogroside. The mixed mogrosides are estimated to be about 300 times as sweet as sugar by weight, so that the 80% extracts are nearly 250 times sweeter than sugar; pure mogrosides 4 and 5 may be 400 times as sweet as sugar by weight.

Recent work on luohanguo includes investigation of the antioxidant activity of the mogrosides (13) and their potential use as cancer prevention compounds (14).

This suggested effect is based on the understanding that antioxidants can produce significant reversal or suppression of the early stage of cancer development, which has been an area of particular interest for tea drinking (15).

Further, luohanguo and its sweetening component are often mentioned in relation to diabetes and obesity, because it can substitute for caloric sugars normally consumed in the diet.

REFERENCES

Ling Yeouruenn, A New Compendium of Materia Medica, 1995 Science Press, Beijing.
Dawson GE, et al., Process and composition for sweet juice from Cucurbitaceae fruit, U.S. patent 5,411,755, May 2, 1995.
Blumert M and Liu Jialiu, Jiaogulan: China's Immortality Herb, 1999 Torchlight Pub., Badger, CA.
Dai Yinfang and Liu Chengjun, Fruit as Medicine, 1986 The Ram's Skull Press, Kuranda, Australia.
Dragon River Health Products, http://www.dragonriver.net/eng/home.html
Kinghorn AD and Soejarto DD, Discovery of terpenoid and phenolic sweeteners from plants, Pure Applied Chemistry 2002; 74(7): 1169-1179.
Guangxi Science and Technology Information Network, http://www.gxsti.net.cn/esti/2resourse.htm
People's Daily Online, Culture: Guilin has more centenarians, November 26, 1999; http://fpeng.peopledaily.com.cn/199911/26/eng19991126R107.html
Strait's Times, Village of longevity gets onto tourist map, http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/mnt/html/webspecial/gallery/livelong/story.html
Hsu HY, et al., Oriental Materia Medica, 1986 Oriental Healing Arts Institute, Long Beach, CA
Croom, EM Jr., Luo Han Guo: A literature review, http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/articles/momordica%20croom.html
Lee CH., Intense sweetener from Lo Han Kuo, Experientia 1975, 31(5): 533-534.
Shi H, et al., Antioxidant property of fructus momordicae extract, 1996 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology International 1996; 40 (6): 1111-1121.
Konoshima T and Takasaki M, Cancer-chemopreventive effects of natural sweeteners and related compounds, Pure Applied Chemistry 2002; 74(7): 1309-1316.
Katiyar SK and Mukhtar H, Tea antioxidants in cancer chemoprevention, Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, Supplement 1997; 27: 59-67.

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2008-05-28T22:07:00.000-07:00

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Luo Han is an intensely sweet fruit native to southern China that has been used by people for centuries for both its sweet flavor and its medicinal properties.

Fructose is a natural fruit sweetener.
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