SWEETENIN WITH STEVIA
It is increasingly common to use stevia to sweeten, but let’s find out what it is and what benefits it has.
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is a small plant from the Asteraceae or Compositae family. Originally from South America and used by local curanderos, it is known for its sweetening power and appreciated as an alternative to sugar in low-calorie diets and to better control blood sugar.
Sweeten with stevia
Stevia leaves provide zero calories because they are almost entirely made up of non-digestible fiber.The same thing is true for sweeteners obtained from stevia extract based on steviol glycosides made up of calorie-free polyols and it is therefore understandable why it is used so often in low calorie diets.
Benefits and characteristics of stevia
Let’s now look at the benefits and characteristics of stevia.
In addition to its sweetening properties, stevia also has laxative, diuretic, hypoglycemic and hypotensive properties.
The active ingredients of Stevia rebaudiana, scientifically named after its discoverer Rebaudi, are:
- Stevioside;
- rebaudioside A;
- rebaudioside C;
- dulcoside A.
More than 200 varieties of stevia have been described in nature, but rebaudiana is the only one with important sweetening properties.
The sweetening active ingredients are extracted mainly from dried and dehydrated leaves. Depending on the method of use it can be more or less sweet: stevia can be consumed both in fresh leaves and in powder, in the form of dehydrated extract, a white powder, or liquid concentrate.
The benefits of stevia are especially useful for those suffering from high blood sugar and as an adjuvant in weight loss diets. This is because, despite the sweet taste, stevia does not provide calories and does not raise blood sugar levels.
The consumption of stevia is therefore indicated in people with diabetes and in case of overweight and obesity.
Stevia extracts are also used for skin care, in case of dehydration, wrinkles and skin blemishes and in the treatment of hypertension.
DOES STEVIA HAVE CONTRAINDICATIONS?
Stevia is considered a safe and toxic-free product and its consumption is contraindicated only in case of allergies to the plant.
the maximum daily dosage is of 4 milligrams of steviol glycosides per kg of body weight per day.
Misuse of stevia can in fact lead to hypoglycemia and hypotension.
Also discover the benefits of celery.
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