Stevia - The Herbal Sugar Substitute

Stevia - Sweet Herb

Stevia is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family, native to subtropical and tropical regions from western North America to South America. Wikipedia

Stevia is a plant that is native to South America. It is probably best known as a source of natural sweeteners. In fact, native people in South America have used stevia as a sweetener for hundreds of years. But the leaves are also used to make medicine.

Stevia is used as a weight loss aid; for treating diabetes, high blood pressure andheartburn; for lowering uric acid levels; for preventing pregnancy; and for increasing the strength of the muscle contractions that pump blood from the heart.

In foods, stevia is used as a non-caloric sweetener and flavor enhancer. Stevia was originally available as a "dietary supplement" in the U.S. It wasn’t allowed as a “food additive” until 2008. That’s when the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status to rebaudioside A, one of the chemicals in stevia that makes it sweet. Stevia is also available as a sweetener in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Russia, Israel, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Columbia, Brazil, and Argentina.

How does it work?

Stevia is a plant that contains natural sweeteners that are used in foods. Researchers have also evaluated the effect of chemicals in stevia on blood pressure and blood sugar levels. However, research results have been mixed.

(NaturalNews) http://www.naturalnews.com/031011_stevia_health.html During the holiday season, people are desperately searching for foods that will satisfy their sweet tooth without adding extra inches around their waistline. Stevia could very well be the answer not only for weight loss and maintenance, but also for many other health problems.

The natural sweetener, called stevia, is made from the leaves of the stevia plant. These little leaves are extremely sweet and contain no calories or sugar. Plus, stevia is a safer option to other artificial sweeteners. Webmd.com states, "Stevioside has been safely used in research in doses of up to 1500 mg per day for 2 years." Due to the fact that stevia can be up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, most people would not even be able to consume 1500 mg in a whole week.

Lose Weight
If you want to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in. That statement makes sense. But how can someone easily cut out calories? The answer is stevia.

Stevia contains no calories and will not spike blood sugars. Maintaining healthy stable blood sugar levels alone will set many people down a path to a healthy weight.

Stevia is not just beneficial for weight loss. There are many other benefits from using stevia.

Safe for Teeth
If someone started using this sugarless sweetener to replace refined sugars in their diet, they may see a decrease of tooth decay. In 1999, an average person consumed 158 pounds of sugar a year. That means that people are consuming over 3 pounds of sugar every week!

Don't think you consume that much sugar? Start tracking what you eat. Check out the food labels for added sugar, fructose, or high fructose corn syrup. Here is a list of just a few out of many foods that can be packed with unexpected added sugars: ketchup, baked beans, cream substitutes, salad dressings, deli meats, processed juices, etc.

One can only imagine how many teeth can be saved by replacing all of that sugar with healthier options, such as stevia.

Lower High Blood Pressure
Webmd.com suggests there is research that stevia could lower high blood pressure by using between 750-1500 mg of stevioside each day.

Amanda Gardner, at CNN.com, states that researchers have linked the high consumption of fructose, another hidden sugar, with a raised risk of high blood pressure by 30%. In fact you only need to drink 2.5 cans or more of regular soda each day to increase your risk.

If more people choose to lower their risk by eliminating soda and using stevia throughout the day, they may have a better chance to lower their blood pressure in the future.

Decrease Blood Sugars
Webmd.com also highlights other research revealing that 1000 mg of stevioside could reduce blood sugars by 18%.

How to Use Stevia
There are many foods used on a daily basis that can be sweetened with stevia instead of the other harmful and refined sweeteners. For instance, homemade spaghetti sauce can be easily sweetened with stevia. Or squeeze lemon juice into water and add a dash of stevia for some refreshing low calorie lemonade. Smoothies are another terrific idea.

Summary
Even though stevia has shown many great qualities, there is still need for more research in order to validate the above benefits of stevia. In the meantime, people can enjoy the natural sweetness without the guilt of the calories.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/031011_stevia_health.html#ixzz2WRpLR1AZ

Is It Safe?

It should be reiterated that stevia has been designated as a safe product. The research that formed that final verdict was based upon ingestion of 1500 mg of stevia per day for two years. The long-term side effects are debatable and vary depending upon which research studies you read. Some studies indicate that there are no lasting side effects. Others have indicated that steviol, one of the chemicals in stevia, has been successfully converted into a mutagenic compound, which can cause cancer. However, even that study has come under fire from other groups that state that the trials were poorly performed and the results manipulated. Obviously, more reliable long-term study is needed to find a definite answer.

For many people, stevia is the best way to go: it's all-natural and since it's 300 times sweeter than sugar, you only need to use a tiny bit to get the same effect. However, since it is a product that is relatively new to the US, if you have any questions about its safety and impact on your health, you may want to consult with your healthcare provider. She will be able to advise you on which sweeteners are best for your particular situation.