LOVE
THE LEAF –
HEALTHY FOOD · NOVEMBER 2018
STEVIA
STEVIA: WHAT IS IT AND WHY SHOULD WE USE IT?
O
riginally native to Brazil and Paraguay, the stevia plant is used
as a non-nutritive sweetener and herbal supplement that's
been used to sweeten beverages since the 16th century. It
contains little to no calories; therefore, it is used as a healthy
alternative to sugar in many foods and beverages.
In 1987, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the marketing of
stevia as a food additive. Fast forward to 1995, when it regained status as
a sustainable dietary ingredient. Since then, its popularity has soared by a
whopping fifty-eight percent.
• This natura
l
sweetener ta
200 to 300 stes
sweeter than times
table
sugar.
HERE ARE
THE FACTS
ABOUT
STEVIA:
• Since 1995
been approve , it has
use in the U.S d for
doesn't appea . and
r to
pose any p
health risks ot if ential
in moderatio used
n.
• It's classi
as "zero-calo fied
ri
because the e"
calories per se
are so minim rving
al.
• It has sh
potential ben own
as a healthy efits
su
alternativ gar
people living e for
wit
diabetes. h
HEALTH BENEFITS
Stevia is considered "no-calorie," meaning it contains
less than five grams of carbohydrate, providing a healthy
alternative for those striving for weight loss as well as those
with diabetes by not contributing calories or carbohydrates
to their diets, which allows for a wider variety of foods that
can be enjoyed while complying with a healthy meal plan.
Five randomized controlled trials studied the effects of
stevia on metabolic outcomes and compared them to the
effects of placebos. It concluded that stevia showed little to
no effects on blood glucose, insulin levels, body weight, or
blood pressure.
Subjects with type II diabetes reported that stevia triggered
significant reductions in glucagon and blood glucose levels in
the blood.
Stevia helps people control weight. It can be part of a
well-balanced diet to help reduce energy intake without
sacrificing taste.
It contains kaempferol, an antioxidant compound that
may reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer by twenty-
three percent.
Some of the glycosides in stevia extract have been found to
dilate blood vessels and increase sodium excretion and urine
output, thus decreasing blood pressure levels.
It’s a bushy shrub that is part of the sunflower family and
requires far less water and land to provide
the same amount of sweetness as
mainstream sweeteners. In North
and South America, there are over
150 species of stevia, but China is the
leading exporter of stevia products.
Interestingly, it can be purchased at
garden centers for home growing.
Stevia is extracted through a process that involves
harvesting the leaves (which contain
stevioside, the sweetener),
drying, water extraction, and
purification. It takes about
forty steps to obtain the
final stevia extract.
By Carolina Portes
42 HEALTHY MAGAZINE