Rebiana is a non-caloric sweetener extracted from the stevia plant, used as an alternative to calorie-containing sweeteners. It is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar and has no bitter taste. Rebiana products include Truvia and have been studied for safety in humans. Some concerns have been raised about the funding of safety studies.
Rebiana is the common name for Rebaudiside A, an extract of the stevia plant, or Stevia rebaudiana. It serves as a naturally occurring, non-caloric sweetener that is 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. Unlike stevia, Rebaudiside A has a sweet taste without the bitterness found in all herbs.
Products on the market include Truvia, from Cargill and The Coca-Cola Co. It contains rebiana and erythritol, another sugar substitute that is 60 to 70 percent as sweet as sugar and has almost zero caloric value. This is such a small value that it is not necessary to list calories on food labels.
Stevia extract can be used in a variety of foods and beverages as an alternative to calorie-containing sweeteners. One packet of TruVia & trade is equivalent to 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of table sugar. Rebiana products can be found in many supermarkets, restaurants, and in certain beverage and finished food products.
Rebiana was developed in response to restrictions on the use of the whole herb stevia as a result of the herb’s potential adverse effects on the liver. The extract is purified so that it does not contain steviol, the component believed to be responsible for liver damage. Extracting it also removes the bitter taste found in the stevia plant.
Rebiana has been studied for safety in humans. The equivalent of a 150-pound (68 kg) person’s daily intake of up to 2,000 rebiana-sweetened 8-ounce (237 mL) beverages was found to cause no adverse health effects. Also, for people concerned about lowering blood sugar levels, rebiana was found not to raise them.
Stevia has been used around the world since ancient times as a sweetener and medicine for lowering blood sugar levels. In contemporary society, it serves as a valuable zero-calorie sweetener. Stevia extract is especially useful for people on a low-calorie diet and for people who want to reduce their sugar intake, either as a method of better managing their diabetes or for other reasons.
Some concern has been raised about how the safety studies conducted on rebiana were funded by the companies that developed the product, suggesting that there may be bias in the results. Additionally, some of the safety studies supporting rebiana were conducted on another component of stevia: stevioside. However, stevioside is molecularly similar to rebaudiside A and is said to react similarly in the body.
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