Benefits Of Stevia

Stevia (STEE-vee-uh) is an outstanding, sweet tasting
herb that has remarkable health promoting qualities The
sweetness of Stevia is largely due to its complex stevioside
molecule that is composed of glucose, sophorose and steviol A
second compound called rebaudioside, which is present in Stevia,
also contributes to Stevia’s sweetness Stevia has a taste that
is unique and has been described as very sweet with a slight
licorice, almost bitter aftertaste Generally, high quality
Stevia contains very little of this bitterness The sweetness of
Stevia is much different than the sweetness of other natural
sweeteners, sugar, or artificial sweeteners, but it is
delicious For some people the taste may require some “getting
used to,” but most people quickly develop a taste for it
Stevia is a South American shrub whose leaves have been
used for centuries by native peoples in Paraguay and Brazil to
sweeten their yerba mate and other stimulant beverages The
stevia plant belongs to the Compositae (sunflower family of
plants) Centuries ago, Natives of Paraguay used the leaves of
this small, herbaceous, semi-bushy, perennial shrub to sweeten
their bitter drinks Originating in the South American wild, it
could be found growing in semi-arid habitat ranging from
grassland to scrub forest to mountain terrain The plant made
its way to Pacific Rim countries where in recent decades it
became cultivated domestically, used in its raw leaf form and
now is commercially processed into sweetener
If you’ve ever tasted stevia, you know it’s extremely sweet In
fact, this remarkable noncaloric herb, native to Paraguay, has
been used as a sweetener and flavor enhancer for centuries
Stevia is a natural, non-caloric, sweet-tasting plant used
around the world for its pleasant taste, as well as for its
increasingly researched potential for inhibiting fat absorption
and lowering blood pressure
Stevia is about 300 times sweeter than sugar in its
natural state, and much more so when processed Its medicinal
uses include regulating blood sugar, preventing hypertension,
treatment of skin disorders, and prevention of tooth decay
Other studies show that it is a natural antibacterial and
antiviral agent as well Stevia is actually good for you! On top
of that, it is calorie and carbohydrate free Stevia is a great
sweetener choice for diabetics, those watching their weight, and
anyone interested in maintaining their health
Topically, Stevia has excellent healing capabilities If placed
on a cut or scrape, it stings initially followed by a
significant reduction in pain and accelerated healing with no
scarring Whole leaf Stevia extract can be used as a facial mask
by smoothing the dark liquid over the entire face, allowing it
to dry for 30-60 minutes, then rinsing This will help tighten
the skin, smooth out wrinkles and heal skin blemishes and acne
This has been reported to be effective when used on seborrhea,
dermatitis and eczema, as well Stevia is also beneficial for
the hair and scalp; good results have been obtained by adding
Stevia concentrate to shampoo, and also applying concentrate to
the hair after shampooing, allowing it to remain on the hair for
a few minutes, then rinsing
Stevia is also able to perform a number of other
beneficial tasks For example, it has been shown that Stevia may
enhance moods and increase energy levels and mental alertness
What’s more, it is also been shown to stop the growth of
bacteria in the mouth is responsible for the production of acids
that are responsible for gingivitis and cavities
In recent years, Stevia has made its way to the Far East In
the 70′s and 80′s Stevia was developed as a sweetener/flavour
enhancer which has since been used widely for this purpose in
Japan, China, Korea, Israel, Brazil and Paraguay It has been
embraced in Japan, where it’s used in soy sauce, sweet pickles
and soft drinks In Japan, Diet Coke has been sweetened with
Stevia
The products in which Stevia has been used include soft drink,
ice cream, cookies, pickles, chewing gum, tea and skin care
products In Japan about 40% of the sweetener market is
stevia-based The main producers of stevia are Japan, China,
Taiwan, Thailand, Korea, Brazil, Malaysia and Paraguay
The cosmetic industry also employs the use of Stevia in many of
the available skin care products It has been shown to reduce
skin blemishes when applied topically Stevia also relieves
stomach discomfort
There are no symptoms of deficiency but everyone can benefit
from the use of Stevia Populations that may benefit from the
use of Stevia include: diabetics, the obese, the elderly,
children, and athletes
Diabetics, individuals with blood sugar problems, or the obese,
may benefit from supplementing with Stevia due to its ability to
regulate blood sugar
Individuals suffering from hypertension may also benefit from
the use of Stevia It has been shown that in cases of high blood
pressure Stevia has the ability to act as a vasodiolator, thus
helping to lower hypertension
In the late 1980s an “anonymous firm” lodged a “trade
complaint” with the FDA about Stevia when it started to surface
in the United States One company using stevia was the Celestial
Seasonings herbal tea company They were ordered by the FDA to
stop producing tea “adulterated” with Stevia Traditional
Medicinals, another tea company, had their inventory of Stevia
teas confiscated during an unexpected FDA raid and were told the
tea would be burned
Why did the government treat Stevia like a controlled
substance? FDA documents call Stevia a “dangerous food additive”
even though the safety of Stevia has been widely tested for many
years by scientists in Japan The FDA will not reveal who made
the “trade complaint” (despite the Freedom of Information Act)
though many suspect that it was the makers of the artificial
sweetener Aspartame (aka “Nutrasweet”) trying to fend off
competition, as the artificial sweetener is very profitable
To judge from the extensive measures the FDA has employed to
keep Americans in the dark about Stevia, one might assume it was
some type of dangerous narcotic But, in fact, no ill effects
have ever been attributed to it, although it has been used by
millions of people around the world, in some locales for
hundreds of years
So adamant has the FDA remained on the subject, that even
though Stevia can now be legally marketed as a dietary
supplement under legislation enacted in 1994, any mention of its
possible use as a sweetener or tea is still strictly prohibited
In 1995 the FDA reversed their decision to ban Stevia, but only
halfway Stevia can now be sold as a “nutritional supplement”
but not as a sweetener in the United States This is also the
case in the European Union, and the World Health Organization is
pressuring other countries to follow suit
Benefits
* non-caloric sweetener
* inhibits fat absorption and lowers blood pressure
* regulates blood sugar levels

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