Stevia is an all-natural plant indigenous to South America that has been used as a sweetener by native tribes for hundreds of years.
It has gained instant popularity in Japan and is becoming widely available in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
Due to its incredible health benefits over calorie-laden sugar, Stevia is attracting worldwide interest. The plant is all-natural and has zero calories.
It’s also sweeter than sugar and has a minimal aftertaste. For those considering an all-natural, healthy lifestyle, Stevia is a popular choice because there are no chemicals or preservatives – it is a 100% all-natural herb. Stevia is available in many forms, and its taste varies with each:
- Whole leaves – You can use Stevia in its natural state by chewing on the leaves or putting a leaf in your beverage. The taste is sweet and slightly reminiscent of licorice. There are plenty of companies online that sell Stevia plants and they can be grown indoors or outdoors.
- Dried leaves – The dried leaves are even sweeter than the fresh ones, but you will notice the licorice taste more. Dried leaves are usually packaged in bulk and you can use the leaves to add to your herbal tea blends before brewing.
- White extract powder – To create this powder, the sweetening part of the leaf is removed through an extraction process and then dried. This powder can be up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, has no noticeable licorice taste and is the more popular powder variety. You can find the white powder both in bulk and in little Equal-like packets. However, the packets also contain maltodextrin as a filler.
- Black liquid concentrate – Made using the whole Stevia leaf and boiling it in water. It’s not as sweet as the clear liquid and has a slightly bitter aftertaste. Packaged in an easy-to-use dropper bottle.
- Clear liquid concentrate – Created using only the sweet part of the Stevia leaf and mixing it with distilled water, for a taste up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. It also comes in a dropper bottle.
Stevia can be used in its various product forms to sweeten a multitude of foods and beverages.
Most Stevia users find the liquid concentrate the easiest because of the dropper – you only need 1 or 2 drops to sweeten an entire recipe! When using any Stevia product you need to be aware of the difference in ratio to sugar. Typically, each Stevia product package has a chart on the side, letting you know the equivalent to sugar.
Stevia vs. Sugar
Recently, sugar has come under intense scrutiny, some even referring to it as the “white devil.” In the U.S., sugar is so widespread that it’s hard to imagine life without it. Both children and adults have been addicted to its sweet taste and high caloric food offerings since early childhood.
There have been hundreds of independent and government-funded research studies that link sugar to a variety of health problems including, cancer, diabetes, and tooth decay.
Of course, obesity is a major problem that you can help remedy by switching from sugar to Stevia.
This is from Nutrition Today:
Stevia is a natural-origin sweetener that is increasing the options for reduced sugar and reduced energy foods and beverages. Stevia shows promise as a tool to help lower energy intakes, which may lead to the reduction and prevention of obesity. (1)
A high intake of sugar is also many times the root cause of behavioral problems and hyperactivity in children.
Americans have become so accustomed to eating and drinking sugar-laden foods they don’t stop to realize that their accumulative sugar intake is deteriorating their health. When nutrient-void sugar enters the body it steals vital nutrients like calcium and magnesium from other parts of the body to metabolize it.
Increased Rates of Sugar Intake and Diabetes
Back in 1915, the annual per capita sugar intake was around 17 pounds. That increased dramatically to 124 pounds in 1980 and currently the annual per capita sugar consumption is 155 pounds.
What’s interesting is that the diabetes rate has also increased at an alarming rate. In 1963, 13.6 people out of 1,000 had diabetes. In 2005 the prevalence of diabetes increased to 54.5 per 1,000 people!
And the future of diabetes is not any brighter.
Here’s the grim forecast published by Population Health Management:
In short, diabetes will remain a major health crisis in America, in spite of medical advances and prevention efforts. The prevalence of diabetes (type 2 diabetes and type 1 diabetes) will increase by 54% to more than 54.9 million Americans between 2015 and 2030; annual deaths attributed to diabetes will climb by 38% to 385,800; and total annual medical and societal costs related to diabetes will increase 53% to more than $622 billion by 2030. (2)
Sugar has long been associated with diabetes because a high sugar intake means the pancreas has to work harder to produce enough insulin required to normalize the blood sugar. An overproduction of insulin can end up leaving a body with high blood sugar, resulting in diabetes.
A Safer Alternative
The naturally-sweetened leaves of the plant Stevia have been safely used for centuries in South America and since the 1970s throughout Japan. As a sweetener, Stevia has become so popular in Japan that it now has over 50% share of the commercial sweetener market. It can be found in everything from soy sauce to vegetables to soft drinks.
With no calories, added chemicals, or serious side effects Stevia is quickly growing in popularity all over the world. Unlike sugar, where you need to add cups of it to a recipe to enhance the flavor, Stevia uses only a drop or two because it’s up to 300 times sweeter than sugar.
Unlike nutritionally void sugar, Stevia offers a multitude of health benefits that have been proven in more than 500 studies:
- Prevents tooth decay by inhibiting the growth of bacteria in the mouth
- Aids in digestion and helps to soothe an upset stomach
- Is excellent for weight management as it helps curb cravings for high-calorie sugary foods
Stevia is sold in various forms: live plant, dried leaves, powder or liquid; each with its own unique flavor and sweetness. Due to increased customer demand, more health, nutrition, and grocery stores are stocking their shelves with Stevia.
References:
Stevia, Nature’s Zero-Calorie Sustainable Sweetener –
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4890837/
Diabetes 2030: Insights from Yesterday, Today, and Future Trends –https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5278808/
