Professor Joseph Kuc

The result of the chemical extraction of the plant is a product containing a minimum of 90-95% of steviosida and/or rebaudiosida a. both sweet glycosides are chemically glycosides labdane, substances composed of two molecules of different types of sugars and a molecule called steviol. This serves as a backbone and is structurally similar to plant hormones GA and acid caurenoico (or caureno). There are several studies that show that the glycosides are partially metabolised in the body releasing molecules of sugars and steviol. Is it safe to use Stevia instead of sugar? It is precisely this compound steviol, the backbone of sweeteners of Stevia, which from many years called attention to the toxicologists, since this substance showed in studies with bacteria and cells, clear evidence of genotoxicity (e.g., is capable of changing the genetic information).

However, studies recent over conducted with mice, rats and hamster, indicated that very high concentrations of steviol is required to initiate a damage to the DNA, the molecule of life, which contains all of the genetic information. There are a variety of toxicological publications about potential adverse effects of extracts of stevia and the results are not very consistent. In particular, the effect of the Stevia on fertility was controversial in the scientific world. A study published in 1968 by the Professor Joseph Kuc of Purdue University in Indiana, USA.UU, started the discussion. Prof. Kuc detected a contraceptive effect with a reduction in the fertility of up to 79% on female rats when they were fed high amounts of Stevia. While the outcome of this study was not confirmed by other groups of scientists, in a study released in 1999 by the Prof. Melis from the University of Sao Paulo confirmed the results of the Group of Kuc and a decrease of sperm in rats male after the application of high doses of glycosides of Stevia.

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