All You Need to Know About Stevia

by Anna Gourmandise · October 9, 2015

Whether you want to admit it or not, we all love the sweet pleasures that cakes and muffins bring us. Whoever says they are not tempted to try these heavenly treats whenever they see them, is simply lying. Yes, sweetened foods and beverages are so tempting and delicious, but are they healthy? No, no, no.

Therefore, the question that arises is, how to get a taste of those insanely delicious cookies that you cannot keep out of your head lately without doing harm to your body and overall health? It is easy, buy yourself a stevia pack and replace all those harmful artificial sugars.

Think about it, if you would not eat 22 packs of sugar, then why would you drink them? This is how much sugar most of the sweetened beverages contain. Turn to Stevia, you will be amazed from the outcome. Wondering what is so good about it? Let’s take a look at some of the facts you may want to know.

Thanks to its ability to sweeten about anything without adding calories to it, stevia is popping up everywhere. It is completely natural and this is what makes it way better than all artificial sugars;
Stevia plants belong to the sunflower family. It originated in Paraguay but today stevia plants can also be found in Mexico, Central America as well as South America;
There are hundreds of different species of stevia, but only one particular type called Stevia Rebaudiana contains the natural chemicals that make it taste sweet;
According to the International Journal of Biology, Stevia extracts can be up to 200 times sweeter than sugar. This sweetness is a result of various glycoside compounds such as steviolbioside, dulcoside, rebaudiosides A-E, as well as dulcoside. Glycosides in stevia are not metabolised by the body, so they contribute no calories.
This extract is also beneficial for diabetics as it does not add carbohydrates nor calories to the diet. Moreover, stevia does not affect insulin response or blood glucose. Therefore, diabetics can easily purchase a stevia pack and add this natural sugar to their home baking or drinks to fully enjoy them while still maintain their healthy diet.
A research has shown that some of the glycosides that stevia contains extract dilate blood vessels and increase urine production and sodium excretion. Consequently, stevia consumed at slightly higher doses than as a sweetener, can help you lower your blood pressure.
As the number of diabetics is constantly on the rise, you might agree with me that sugar is the tobacco of the 21st century. For your own sake, try to reduce your intake quantities, or simply switch to stevia which is the healthy alternative. Take care of your health, because nobody else will do it for you.