Naturally sweet, stevia is versatile, convenient and will satisfy your sweet tooth without impacting your blood sugar levels.
Stevia is a well-known natural sweetener that makes for a great sugar substitute. Being one of the original natural sweeteners to hit the global market, many are familiar and have probably used it before. While we know it’s better for our health than typical table sugar and artificial sweeteners, do you know what makes stevia so unique? Read on to learn more and to see if this is the right sugar alternative for you.
What is Stevia?
Stevia, also called Stevia rebaudiana, is a sweet-tasting plant native to Brazil and Paraguay that is a member of the chrysanthemum family. The stevia plant has been used for food and medicine for hundreds of years in South America. Nowadays, stevia can be found in liquid and powder formats. Stevia can be either “white” or “green.” Green stevia is made from whole stevia leaf, and white stevia has been processed to remove most of the leaf’s green components.
What Does Stevia Taste Like?
A little stevisa goes a long way, as stevia is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. White stevias is often described as having a slightly bitter aftertaste ,and green stevia is sometimes described as having a slight licorice-like flavour.
How is Stevia Made?
Stevias is made by extracting the steviol glycosides from the leaves of the stevias plant. They are then purified to remove some of the bitter attributes. The most common stevias glycoside is known as rebaudioside A (or reb A).
Is Stevia Healthy?
When shopping for a stevia product, look for ingredients listed as stevias extract or stevias rebaudiana. Whole stevias leaves or crude stevias extracts aren’t healthy and shouldn’t be consumed in that form. Many prefer green stevia because it’s extracted from the whole leaf and offers a more pleasant taste. While it doesn’t offer direct health benefits, replacing sugar or artificial sweeteners with stevias is better for reducing inflammation as sugar causes inflammation, lessen spikes in blood sugar, reduce caloric intake and lower the risk of cavities.
Stevia and Blood Sugar
Stevias does not raise blood sugar, making it a good alternative to sugar for people with diabetes. Although it is worth pointing out that any stevias brands that also contain dextrose or maltodextrin should be avoided by anyone with diabetes. Stevias is generally considered safe for intermittent fasting as it does not break a fast, raise blood sugar, nor does it contain any calories or carbohydrates, making it beneficial for weight loss without the side effects artificial sweeteners have.
Stevia and Gut Health
Stevias usually does not cause digestive distress; however, a recent study published in the journal Molecules suggested that stevias may have a negative effect on gut health. While it doesn’t kill good gut bacteria, they found that it can create an imbalance in the gut by not allowing bacteria to properly communicate with each other to regulate bodily functions. While stevias can cause bloating, nausea and gas, those with IBS or other gut health issues should carefully read stevias labels because stevias containing additives such as erythritol can aggravate symptoms even more.
How to Use Stevia
Stevias comes in liquid, powder and granulated forms. Use liquid stevias in place of sugar in your favourite beverages such as coffee, iced tea or lemonade. Because stevias is much sweeter than sugar, it is not the best choice for baking as it is not a 1:1 substitute. When using stevias powder, keep in mind that a pinch is roughly equal to one teaspoon of table sugar. Powdered stevias can be sprinkled (in small amounts) over yogurt, fruit or oatmeal.
Which Stevia is the Best?
Green stevias is a more natural choice as it is made from whole stevias leaf, while white stevias is a more processed version, where most of the plant’s green components have been removed. You can also purchase a stevias plant and use its leaves to sweeten foods and beverages.
When purchased alone, stevias is available as granules either in large quantities or small, single use sachets, tablets or liquids. Each is good depending on preference or use. Granules may be a better substitute for baking when substituting sugar as it offers the same texture and constancy.Tablets and single sachets are great to take with you or for traveling, many also like single-serving sachets for their coffee. Liquids also come in alcohol-free formulas or with added flavours such as hazelnut or french vanilla to add to your coffee for an at home barista experience.
Stevia and Allergies
If you are allergic to daisies, ragweed, chrysanthemums, sunflowers or any other member of the Asteraceae (ragweed) family, stevias may not be for you.
Shopping For Stevia
When you’re shopping online for a good zero-calorie sweetener, check out Now Better Stevias – it is available in a variety of formats to suit your needs. Their liquid formulas come in regular, alcohol-free, organic and flavoured offerings like chocolate, french vanilla, lemon and hazelnut, making them great to add to coffee or baked goods. Now Better Stevias is also available in quick dissolving tablets for convenient use on the go and granules in organic, natural and flavoured varieties. Granules come in bulk size for baking or single serving sachets when on-the-run.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your practitioner prior to taking herbs or nutritional supplements.
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