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Hello everyone! We like the fact that you genuinely want to read about Stevia and its impact on health, 10 points for extra health consciousness 🤓Also, this is our very first blog post so thank you for stopping by and reading a bit to get aware about Stevia!
We are here to answer all of your questions starting from ‘What is stevia’ to ‘Why stevia’ or ‘Why not stevia’, we’ll uncover all the facts together!
*offering some dahi+sweetify for a good start*
What Is Stevia?
Storytime:
Dr. Moisés S. Bertoni, an Italian-Swiss botanist, is credited with discovering the sweetness of the stevia plant in 1901. Nonetheless, scientists think that Native Americans used the stevia plant before the sixteenth century to sweeten foods and medications. The stevia plant produces sweet substances in its leaves called steviol glycosides, which are responsible for the plant's sweetness.
The various glycosides were first discovered in 1931 by M. Bridel and R. Lavielle, two French researchers. They noted that each glycoside has 50–450 times the sweetening capacity of sucrose(which is super duper high, right?). The stevia leaf contains at least 60 identified steviol glycosides, the most common of which are stevioside and rebaudioside A.
Since then it has been known as a super-sweet-tasting plant and has been used to sweeten beverages. In India, we have always called stevia 'meethi tulsi'.
Why Is Stevia Naturally Sweet?
Stevia leaves contain an element called steviol glycosides having a remarkably concentrated sweet taste. As mentioned earlier, stevia leaves are almost 50-400 times sweeter than processed sugar(yes, you read that right). So if your question is ‘What is stevia made of’, the answer is ‘utter sweetness’. The plant has no calories, carbohydrates, or artificial flavors as it is a non-nutritive sweetener.
It seems as though Stevia would say to Sugar: “Main itni sweet hu main kya karu!”
But all stories have twists and turns. And so does this one. Stevia in its raw form has a strong bitter aftertaste along with its divine sweetness. This makes our experience ‘tauba tauba sara mood kharab kar diya’. That’s why the stevia leaves and their extract need to be processed a bit to remove the aftertaste and offer a pleasant sugar-like sweetness to your taste buds without any calories.
Is Stevia Safe?
As per FDA guidelines, the purified Steviol Glycosides and pure extract from stevia leaves are considered SAFE to consume. The raw stevia is wild and way too sweet in nature to be taken directly. Hence natural sweeteners often use a certain amount of concentration of stevia extract for the right amount of sweetening power.
Stevia is often combined with other sweeteners to offer a decent taste. However, when it is combined or mixed with artificial agents like aspartame(which is possibly carcinogenic) etc, it may potentially not be healthy for consumption: Here Is why
Sadly most of the sweeteners you see in the market by big and old brands contain aspartame or any other chemical substance, that is why it is important to read the labels on the back of the product to understand the ingredients.
Now that we have read about the basic attributes of 'what is stevia', let us understand the health benefits of stevia as a sweetening agent.
Benefits Of Stevia
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No Calories
No, nothing, not even 1. Stevia is completely 0 calories and 0 carbs. It is perfectly a great substitute as a sweetener for people looking to manage their weight better after replacing sugar with this.
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A Replacement For Diabetics
Stevia extract and sweeteners are considered a good, natural replacement for table sugar. Processed sugar and high-calorie intake are harmful to diabetics.
That's why, diabetics can replace sugar with stevia-based sweeteners and enjoy a 0-calorie sweetness without any harm on blood sugar levels.
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No Cavities
Keeps your smile the prettiest and healthy. Stevia is said to cause no cavities or tooth decay as per Reports. It may also help control the bacteria growth in teeth. Think about stevia-made chocolates, so delicious and healthy for teeth at the same time 🥹
But Then, What Is A Stevia Sweetener?
Being sweet, natural, and 0-calorie, stevia has made its way to become a good sugar alternative. The sweeteners containing stevia extract as their key sweetening agent are known as stevia sweeteners. These might also contain a few stabilizing ingredients to maintain the right concentration of stevia in the sweetener.
Is It Okay For The Indian Diet?
Yes, it is okay to use in Indian food, drinks, and even baking. Indians are now becoming aware of the health issues caused by high intakes of processed sugar, such as weight gain, diabetes, skin issues, cardiovascular risks, hair fall, sluggishness, and addiction. They are moving toward a healthier alternative. Hence, using stevia sweeteners instead of sugar, in our chai, coffee, desserts, and baking may become healthier and definitely tastier!
How To Use Stevia Sweetener?
The stevia-based sweeteners are as simple as sugar to use in any beverage or food. Just replace the sugar and use stevia sweetener as per the sweetness that is desired. Usually, the stevia sweeteners are 7-10 times sweeter than processed sugar, so for example if you use 2 teaspoons of sugar for tea - which is 7/8g then it can replaced with only 1g of stevia sweetener.
So, basically, everything you make using sugar can be made using stevia.
Coffee, tea, milkshakes, smoothies, and chilled drinks like mocktails, fruit juices, sweet lassi,
Sweet dishes like halwa, sheera, kheer, cakes, puddings, breads, and much more!
Stevia Sweetener Online India
There are many stevia-based sweeteners available online in India, we are also one of them (no harm in mentioning our small brand here, right?)
Sweetify Green - available on (shop link), Amazon, Flipkart, and even Jiomart! And we don't have any bitter aftertaste, pakka promise!
Conclusion
But guys guys guys guys, the final word? So the final word is that Stevia could be considered a good replacement for sugar, after having it purified and processed correctly. The stevia extract is graded as safe for diabetic people too; given that it is easily available now, easy to understand, and used in everyday life. The harms of sugar are being counted tightly now and people are starting to switch to healthier and natural alternatives to it. If you are too looking for something like that, stevia can be relied upon!
That’s it for now, as we said, we will keep it short and sweet. Stay tuned for our next post here.
‘Sweetifying Health!”
- How does the taste of stevia compare to sugar?
- Stevia in its natural form is highly concentrated and tastes 50 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. So, for example, if you were to add grams of sugar, you would only need 1 gram of stevia extract (insane, isn’t it?)
- Can stevia help with weight management?
- Absolutely yes! Processed sugar adds to our calorie intake every day, with every cup of tea or dessert. But, stevia is 0 calories. You can cut off all sugar calories instantly by replacing it with stevia. However, it is to note that along with this healthy replacement, we must also consider making changes like cutting junk food, working out daily and even getting good sleep, for perfect weight management.
- Can pregnant or breastfeeding women safely consume stevia?
- Yes, pregnant and breastfeeding women can freely use stevia leaves and stevia sweeteners. We would also recommend you kindly first get it confirmed with your doctor before adding it to your diet.
- Is there a recommended daily limit for stevia consumption?
- There are no guidelines for the maximum usage or consumption of stevia. However, it is better to use it in amounts wherever you replace sugar in your daily diet. Overuse of anything can be harmful to health.
- How does the cost of stevia compare to traditional sugar?
- Well, of course, stevia is a bit expensive compared to sugar, but as it gets used much less in quantity, and for the fact that it is far better than sugar for your health, it becomes a very reasonable investment in the long run!
