Health Benefits of Stevia
The logical proof is most found when stevia is believed to have medicinal objectives as an antibacterial, anti-diarrheal, anti-tumor, diuretic, alleviating, and immunomodulatory activity. Its application is most encouraging for two symptoms: excessive glucose or insulin resistance and high blood pressure, as stevia provides advantages for people of various ages.
What is Stevia – Is it good for health?
Stevia refers to a green leafy herbal plant native to South America that has been utilized for hundreds of years due to its extremely sweet leaves. The main substances responsible for its sweetness are steviol glycosides, namely stevioside and rebaudioside. Stevia has recently gained popularity as a natural stevia sweetener that is more than 40 times sweeter than sugar while having no effect on blood sugar levels. It also has no bad side impacts on health, unlike regular sugar, and is highly helpful to diabetics.
It is home to about 240 kinds of shrubs and tiny blooming plants of the Asteraceae family, which includes sunflowers. Stevia is sometimes known as sweet leaf or sugar leaf, although the actual scientific name is Stevia rebaudiana. It thrives throughout the tropical regions of North and South America, although as a plant it is not well-known.
Nutritional Value:
Natural stevia sweetener is treasured for its sweet flavor, which allows it to replace sugar in a diet. It also has an extremely low-calorie count, landing it in the ‘no-calorie’ category. There wasn’t enough study done on stevia’s nutritional benefits. Other than carbs and the aforementioned steviol glycosides, its leaf is currently unknown to have any nutrients.
This terrific alternative is a great source for those on calorie-controlled diets grows out, the number of nations authorizing organic stevia products as a sweetener and food additives.
Natural Stevia Sweetener Benefits!
Diabetes control, weight reduction, skin care, and other health advantages of stevia are just a few examples. Let’s take a closer look at some of its health advantages.
Weight Loss Guide
Natural stevia sweeteners could be low or zero in calories and up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, depending on the presence of certain extracts in the species variation. This implies that customers can enjoy stevia-sweetened foods like cupcakes, brownies, and chocolates without worrying about accumulating a lot of calories from sugars, which will not jeopardize their chances of effectively losing weight. This can also assist to manage the amount of sugar in children’s diets.
Ideal For Diabetics
Because stevia is not a carbohydrate, it does not raise blood sugar levels. As a result, diabetics can safely use Natural stevia sweetener rather than sugar. Stevia is good for diabetics since stevioside is believed to reduce blood sugar levels. If you are diabetic it’s nature’s gift to you!
Blood Pressure Controller
As previously stated, stevioside is a kind of glycoside, but there are additional glycosides in stevia that can relax blood vessels, stimulate urination, and aid in salt disposal. This implies that the cardiovascular system is under less stress, and blood pressure may fall, protecting heart health and preventing complications such as atherosclerosis, cardiac arrest, and strokes.
Good Skin Care
Stevia can help with skin disorders including eczema and dermatitis. Its topical use prevents the spread of germs and works as a steroid in these cases, making it a popular choice for many individuals who are unable to get relief from these illnesses.
Anti-Cancer
Stevia’s substantial source of antioxidant elements makes it an attractive dietary supplement for the prevention of different diseases, including pancreatic cancer. It is also said to be more effective than L-tocopherol or green tea extract at inhibiting the development of hydroperoxides in sardine oil.
Stevia’s kaempferol, quercetin, and other glycoside substances contribute to the elimination of free radicals in the body, blocking them from transforming healthy cells into cancerous ones. Antioxidants also aid in the prevention of cognitive dysfunction, premature aging, and several other illnesses such as heart disease.
Maintain Dental Care
Stevia is good for your teeth since it is a zero-calorie sweetener with no carbohydrate collapse in the mouth. Dental caries or tooth decay is avoided because carbohydrates are not converted down to sugars, which nourish the bacteria in the mouth. It also has some antibacterial qualities, which protect the teeth from decay and other issues like gingivitis.
Prevent Osteoporosis
Unlike sugar, natural stevia sweeteners can help to increase bone mineral density and cure osteoporosis. Research on animals demonstrates its significance in enhanced calcium metabolism. Researchers are investigating several applications for it in human health.
Cholesterol Levels Low
According to studies, consuming stevia results in a significant decrease in bad LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as an increase in HDL cholesterol levels, which is beneficial cholesterol and is needed for a decent lipid profile.
Other Benefits
Stevia is known to have anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hypertensive, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal, and immune-modulatory properties in addition to the organic stevia products health advantages stated above.
Can I use Stevia in Recipes?
Organic stevia products can be used in any recipe that calls for sugar or a sugar substitute. However, keep in mind that stevia is exceedingly sweet, so do not use standard sugar measurements. This is accomplished by trial and error; as you continue to incorporate stevia in your recipes, you will have a better understanding of the amount you need to add.
Is Stevia Safe to eat?
YES! Only the pure extract of stevia, termed as stevioside, has been approved by the FDA for human consumption. Words like stevia extract or Stevia rebaudiana may appear in the ingredient list of safe stuff. If you see whole stevia leaves or crude stevia extracts at your locally – sourced foods store, don’t buy them.
Takeaway
Despite the fact that the plant is organically sweet, it lacks the carbs found in table sugar. This makes it an excellent alternative for table sugar, which is one of the primary causes of diabetes. It lacks the qualities of sucrose since it is a non-glycoside molecule. Rebaudioside-A, a stevia extract, has a sweetness that is 300 times that of sugar. Stevia extracts are also known to have qualities such as long shelf life, non-fermentation, high-temperature tolerance, and PH stability.