Apparent lack of pharmacological effect of steviol glycosides used as sweeteners in humans. A pilot study of repeated exposures in some normotensive and hypotensive individuals and in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics.

Steviol glycosides, isolated from the plant Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni, have been used as safe sweetening agents for more than 30 years. Beneficial effects of high doses of steviol glycosides on hyperglycemia and hypertension have been previously described when these abnormalities are present. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of steviol glycosides on blood glucose and on blood pressure (BP) in 3 groups of individuals. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, long-term study in three groups of patients: Group 1: subjects with Type 1 diabetes; Group 2: subjects with Type 2 diabetes; and Group 3: subjects without diabetes and with normal/low-normal BP levels. The subjects in each group were randomly allocated to active treatment (the steviol glycoside stevioside: 250mg t.d.s.) or to placebo treatment and followed-up for 3 months. Post-treatment systolic BP, diastolic BP, glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were not significantly different from baseline measurements, except for the placebo Type 1 diabetics group where a significant difference was observed for systolic BP and glucose. No side effects were observed in the two treatment groups. This study shows that oral steviol glycosides, taken as sweetener are well tolerated and have no pharmacological effect.

Peso y altura en adultos de Asunción y área metropolitana / Annual Reports 1992 / Weight and height inm adults of Asunción and metropolitan area

In Paraguay, there are no updated data about mean values of weight and height in adults. The Instituto de Investigacion en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS) and the German Techinical Cooperation (GTZ) performed a study on cardiovascular risk factors in Asunción and metropolitan area. The aim of that study was the evaluation of the nutritional of the status of the people surveyed. The present work is based on values of weight and eight obtained during that study. Age, sex, boby weight and height were recorded in 1606 volunteers (1094 women and 512 men) with ages between 20 and 74 years. The mean value of weight was 70.3 in women and 78.3 in men while the mean value of height was 156.4 cm in women and 169.7 cm in men. The mean value of weight is high even for urban areas. Height values are closer to the values obtained in 1956 and 1967