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December 18, 2019 (Brussels, Belgium) – The International Stevia Council (ISC) recently unveiled data from its 2019 Online Conversation & Trends Analysis to identify and better understand the attitudes and perceptions around the sweetener stevia in English- and Spanish-speaking countries. The results: the online social conversation doubled. The association worked with Kellen, a professional services firm, to conduct the ISC Conversation & Trends Analysis, using their researchers and Crimson Hexagon, an AI-powered consumer insights company, to analyze data from 2017 to 2018. [There has been a dramatic increase in the total amount of the online conversation talking about stevia. In fact, it has doubled in English- and in Spanish-speaking countries," explains the International Stevia Council`s Executive Director, Maria Teresa Scardigli. The Analysis revealed that when compared to other low and no-calorie sweeteners, stevia remains the most talked about low and zero-calorie sweetener. This was particularly notable when looking at the language specific data. In English-speaking countries, stevia mentions significantly increased, going from 101,697 to 258,669. In Spanish-speaking countries, the mentions also doubled rising from 38,965 to 77,535. Positive/neutral sentiment in English-speaking countries centered around stevia remained at nearly 80 percent, with the positive sentiment increasing to nearly 40 percent, an increase of 5 percent. Positive/neutral sentiment in Spanish-speaking countries around stevia remained at 82 percent, with the positive sentiment increasing to 34 percent, an increase of 11 percent.

Q&A with resident RD for Stevia Stevia-what do you know about it? Wondering if you should use it in your coffee or tea? Perhaps you are seeing the big bag in your local grocery store next to the sugar and you are wondering if it would work in your morning muffin recipe? One thing is certain, stevia is gaining popularity and we are happy about that! But, we want to make sure consumers know everything they need to know about stevia and how to use it and incorporate it into their everyday lives. Make sure to read our Facts page to learn even more about stevia as well as our Safety page. SteviaBenefits` resident RD, Beth Hubrich, answered a few of the top questions consumers have. What is stevia and is it safe? Stevia, is a low-calorie sweetener made from the leaf of the stevia plant. Many people use it to sweeten their favorite foods and beverages instead of sugar to result in fewer calories. There are also many products in today`s marketplace that use stevia. Does stevia have the same qualities when cooking and baking? This is an important one to know with sweeteners. When cooking or baking with any low-calorie sweetener it is best to follow that manufacturers` recipes and recommendations. Sugar provides more than just sweetness in recipes, it can also assist in browning, caramelizing, etc., so recipes will need to be adjusted accordingly. Furthermore, low-calorie sweeteners like stevia are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, so just a small amount of stevia is needed to get the same sweetness as sugar. For some great recipes on stevia, check out our official Pinterest page here to find all types of recipes that use stevia! Is stevia safe for people with diabetes? Stevia is safe for people with diabetes and for others who are looking to control calories, carbohydrate and sugar intake. Before a low-calorie sweetener is allowed on the market it must be studied and proven to be safe, especially for the most vulnerable populations including people with diabetes, the elderly and children.

In the battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak, many of the country's top epidemiologists and physicians, who are also members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, worked in Wuhan, Hubei province, the city hardest hit by the epidemic in China. On the front line of the battle, along with 40,000 medical workers from all over China, they helped the city gradually return to normal.