Stevia, or sweet leaf, is an herb known for its sweetness. Stevia is native to South America, but is now grown worldwide. Since pre-Columbian times, it has been used as a food and beverage sweetener. Stevia is useful for those who desire, or need, to minimize their sugar intake. It is as sweet as sucrose, but without the calories. In addition, stevia is different than other alternative low/no calorie sweeteners, such as artificial aspartame and sachharin, because it is natural.
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Stevia Benefits:
*Natural sweetener
*No artificial ingredients
*Low-calorie sweetener
*Free of aspartame & saccharin
Low Blood Sugar
Stevia is useful for those with diabetes and hypoglycemia, as it does not result in blood sugar spikes. It is a stable substance that does not break down at high temperatures like aspartame and saccharin, making it suitable in many recipes. However, it is structurally different than sucrose, so it does not caramelize or work well in cookies and fudge.
Candida & Sucrose
Stevia does not feed yeast, making it useful for people with candida or yeast overgrowth who need to avoid sugar. However, it will not make bread rise if used in place of sucrose. Although stevia is gaining popularity as a natural sweetener, it faces several hurdles. For example, food manufacturers are reluctant to use it because it is expensive to make.
Stevia Forms
Stevia can be purchased on its own in liquid, powdered, fresh, dried, or ground forms. Powdered extracts are 80 to 95% sweet glycosides, making it 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. Some powdered forms are only 40 to 50% sweet glycosides, though still much sweeter than sugar. It is often mixed with fillers like lactose and maltodextrin to reduce sweetness.
Safety Considerations
Possible safety issues related to using stevia include: causing cancer, reproductive issues, and disrupting carbohydrate metabolism. These negative effects were found in rat and hamster studies, although the overall results are inconclusive. Stevia has been used safely in Japan for about 30 years and it is best consumed in moderation.
