STEVIA. THE LEAF WITH A SWEET SIDE.
Stevia is an intensely sweet-tasting plant that has been used to sweeten beverages and make tea since
the 16th century.
The natural sweetener tastes 200 to 300 times sweeter than table sugar.
A non-nutritive sweetener is one that contains little to no calories. Stevia is used as a healthful
alternative to added sugar in many meals and beverages.
Stevia is a nonnutritive sweetener. This means it has almost no calories. If you’re trying to lose weight,
this aspect may be appealing. If you have diabetes, stevia may help keep your blood sugar levels in
check.
Stevia may be used in place of table sugar in your favorite foods and be
Tasty ways to use stevia include:
in coffee or tea
in homemade lemonade
sprinkled on hot or cold cereal
in a smoothie
sprinkled on unsweetened yogurt
1) Diabetes
Research has shown that stevia sweeteners do not contribute calories or carbohydrates to the
diet. They have also demonstrated no effect on blood glucose or insulin response. This allows
people with diabetes to eat a wider variety of foods and comply with a healthful meal plan.
stevia showed minimal to no effects on blood glucose, insulin levels, blood pressure, and body
weight.
2) Weight control
There are many causes of overweight and obesity, such as physical inactivity and increased
intake of energy-dense foods that are high in fat and added sugars. ‘
Stevia contains no sugar and very few, if any, calories. It can be part of a well-balanced diet to help
reduce energy intake without sacrificing taste.
5) Children’s diets
Foods and beverages containing stevia can play an important role in decreasing calories from unwanted
sweeteners in the diets of children.
There are now thousands of products on the market containing naturally-sourced stevia, ranging from
salad dressings to snack bars. This availability allows children to consume sweet foods and drinks without
the added calories while transitioning to a lower sugar diet.
Excessive sugars and calories are linked to obesityTrusted Source and cardiovascular disease.
Side effects of stevia
Current research also suggests that it is safe to consumeTrusted Source the recommended amount of sugar
substitute or less while pregnant.
Safety studies have marked stevia extract as free of side effectsTrusted Source.
orldwide, more than 5,000 food and beverage products currently use stevia as an ingredient. Stevia
sweeteners are used as an ingredient in products throughout Asia and South America such as:
ice cream
desserts
sauces
yogurts
pickled foods
bread
soft drinks
chewing gum
candy
seafood
prepared vegetables
STEVIA HAS ZERO CALORIES—GOOD NEWS FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
Stevia leaf extract may be an excellent option for those looking to maintain a healthy weight and
lifestyle because it has zero calories. The great thing about stevia leaf extract is that it’s a tool that
will allow you to eat some of your favorite sweet foods and beverages, but with less sugar. Managing
your weight suddenly becomes more attainable.
Stevia leaf extract is a high-intensity sweetener that can be 200-350 times the sweetness of sugar.
The intensity of stevia leaf extract is one of the reasons it has zero calories – it takes very little stevia
leaf extract to sweeten to the equivalent of sugar.
The other reason stevia leaf extract has zero calories is the way your body digests it. As your body
processes the sweetener, stevia leaf extract passes through your digestive tract without being
broken down for calories. [1] This is different from the way your body processes sugar: during
digestion, complex sugars are broken down into monosaccharides and are absorbed into the
bloodstream. Stevia leaf extract may be a good option for sweet-enthusiasts trying to maintain a
healthy weigh
USING STEVIA LEAF INSTEAD OF SUGAR
Stevia leaf extract is a sweetener that may help you maintain a healthy weight and can be of great
help to those who need to monitor their blood glucose levels—people with diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Stevia leaf extract makes a great substitute for sugar, though substituting stevia for sugar is not
exactly a one for one exchange. Because stevia leaf extract is so much sweeter than sugar,
manufacturers have added ingredients that help to disperse the sweetness so it is easier to use in
exchange for sugar, such as erythritol or dextrose. Conversion charts and conversion calculators are
available to help make that substitute easier when using for cooking or casual sweetening at dinner.
There are also different forms of stevia-based sweeteners designed to make baking easier, such as
baking blends. A mix of stevia leaf extract and sugar, these blends help you reduce the amount of
sugar in your favorite baked treats, but also enable your recipes to turn out with the proper coloring
and structure that you expect when using sugar alone. When using a sugar and stevia leaf extract
blend as an ingredient, it is important to realize the finished recipe will still contain sugar and those
carbohydrates count if you are managing your overall sugar intake.
