Here is an excellent comprehensive article on Stevia. I’ve been researching it to the nth degree, trying to find out exactly why the FDA only approves the use of extract and not pure stevia use in foods.
Review article:
NATURAL SWEETENER STEVIA REBAUDIANA:
FUNCTIONALITIES, HEALTH BENEFITS AND POTENTIAL RISKS
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8600158/pdf/EXCLI-20-1412.pdf
or non-pdf.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8600158/
Abstract
Stevia rebaudiana is a South American plant, the cultivation of which is increasing worldwide due to its high content of sweet compounds. Stevia sweetness is mainly due to steviol glycosides, that are ~250-300 times sweeter than sucrose. Many studies have suggested the benefits of Stevia extract over sugar and artificial sweeteners, but it is still not a very popular sugar substitute.
This review summarizes current data on the biological activities of S. rebaudiana extract and its individual glycosides, including anti-hypertensive, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects and improvement of kidney function. Possible side effects and toxicity of Stevia extract are also discussed.
“...FDA only approves the use of extract and not pure stevia use in foods.”
You can grow stevia in your garden. Extract requires a process. Like a factory. Follow the money....................
Stevioside – Cheap extracts sold in stores are typically made up of pure stevioside. It has the strongest aftertaste — a characteristic bitter, licorice-like note. For instance, as I write this, Purisure costs $4.50 per ounce on Amazon. It’s about 60x sweeter than sugar, which means 140mg of this stevioside is as sweet as 2 tsp sugar (8 grams). So, it’s much less sweet than the other extracts below, and you’ll need to use more.
Rebaudioside A (reb A or rebiana) – A step up from stevioside with a better taste but still a noticeable bitter and licorice-like aftertaste. It’s the most commonly used, being 250 to 450 times sweeter than table sugar. As an example, Pyure costs $11 per ounce. This is 320x sweeter than sugar, which means that just 25mg sweetens like 2 tsp of sugar (8g).
Full-spectrum extracts – These retain the complete range of steviosides and rebaudiosides inherent within the leaf (including reb M and reb D). They taste better but still have some aftertaste. They cost about the same as pure reb A. Examples include BetterStevia, which at the moment costs $9.32 per ounce, SweetLeaf $11, and NuNaturals $14. Those are 160x to 115x sweeter than sugar, which means that just 50 to 70mg sweetens like 2 tsp of sugar (8g).
Pure reb M and pure reb D – These are the best-tasting extracts and 250 to 450x sweeter than sugar.