University of Agricultural Sciences’ Department of Crop Physiology has conducted a human study on 27 patients to assess the effects of stevia on non insulin dependent diabetic mellitus (NIDDM) patients and hypertensive cases. The clinical trial was a feeding study of products prepared using stevia.

The human study on 12 NIDDM and 15 hypertensive patients who underwent the clinical trial was carried out for a month. While the NIDDM cases were fed with bun made of stevia. The hypertensive patients were fed with a ground nut sweet (chikki) made of stevia. The two products were selected after feasibility study. Care was taken to ensure that the products are consumed every day by daily visits. The subjects were counselled to adhere to the modified diet as advised by the physicians and were asked to consume these products as snacks in substitution to their daily snacks, Dr AG Shankar, professor, department of crop physiology, University of Agricultural Sciences  told Pharmabiz.

An indicative data suggested positive impact on diabetic and hypertensive patients. To conduct the intervention study, diabetic and hypertensive patients in the age group of 35 to 54 years who were the staff of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Bangalore agreed for the feed study under the supervision of a doctor. The study, which was part of a post graduate thesis in Foods and Nutrition of Savita Manganavar, was embarked on to investigate the possibility of use of stevia in substitution to sugar in various sweet products of local interest at different levels, he added.

The glycemic index of the product selected for the feed study for diabetes and its control were determined in three normal and 3 non insulin dependent diabetic mellitus subjects. Same subjects were served for reference meal, control bun and experimental bun with an interval of 6-7 days.

The cost of developed products was calculated per 100 grams taking the present cost of all the ingredients from the local market and the cost of fuel used.

The results were analysed statistically using Anova, Regression co-efficient  tests among others to determine whether there is any significant change in the parameters of the subjects before and after the study.

The results of sweetness of equivalence of stevia in comparison to sugar is around 300 to 400 times, stated Dr Shankar.

Around 58 per cent of the patients perceived one gram of stevia as equivalent to 20 grams of sucrose followed by 14 per cent subjects each perceived it be 15, 10 and 25 grams of sucrose. 50 per cent of the subjects perceived the stimulus of stevia for more than 40 seconds as compared to only 20 per cent in the case of sucrose.

The University went on the develop ten commonly consumed products like jam, fruit custard, biscuit, grape juice milk shake, tea, white ladu and besan ladu for substitution of sugar with stevia. Oven dried stevia leaved were incorporated into the products at 50, 60, 75 and 100 per cent levels. These products were developed at acceptable levels of substitution for further sensory evaluation.

“After 30 days the study showed that the glycemic index of stevia bun was found to be appreciably reduced in the diabetic and in the hypertensive patients. There is ample proof with us to prove stevia could be used as   recognized as a non calorie sweetener and replace sugar,” stated Dr Shankar.