Stevia Sweetener

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Stevia: Healthy Sweetener

Stevia is a unique herbal plant which tastes sweeter than a sugar. Stevia Sweetner has got its birth in Paraguay few centuries ago. They are used as a sweetener and flavor enhancer. Stevia plant has been basically used to improve immune system.

Stevia (also called sweetleaf, sweet leaf or sugarleaf) is from the genus of about 150 species of herbs and shrubs belonging to the Asteraceae (sunflower) family, native to subtropical and tropical South America and Central America (north to Mexico). The species are found in wild and semi-arid habitats ranging from grassland to mountain terrain. Stevia does produce seeds, but only a small percentage of them germinate. Planting cloned stevia is a much more effective way of reproduction.

How Stevia was known to the world

Dr. Moises Santiago Bertoni, director of the College of Agriculture in Asuncion, described as from Indian guides while exploring Paraguay's eastern forests in 1887. This plant was Stevia rebaudiana, a small plant. This area was not the herb's native. Consequently, Bertoni, by his own account, was initially "unable to find it." It was 12 years before he was presented with tangible evidence -- a packet of stevia fragments and broken leaves received from a friend who had gotten them from the mate plantations in the northeast. He subsequently announced his discovery of the "new species" in a botanical journal published in Asuncion.

Bertoni named the "new" variety of the Stevia genus in honor of a Paraguayan chemist named Rebaudi who subsequently became the first to extract the Stevia plant's sweet constituent.

Stevia in various forms

Stevia Sweetner is sold in many forms and some of them are following:

Concentrated liquid - green-black in color; 70 times as sweet as sugar; use to sweeten coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cereal, and baked goods
Dried crushed leaves - 30 times as sweet as sugar; usually sold in tea-bag like packets; sprinkle on cereal and other foods
Concentrated powder - an extract of the glycosides; white or cream in color; 300 times as sweet as sugar; suitable to sweeten foods and beverages and for use in some baked goods

Stevia leaves are sometimes crushed into a greenish powder. The active sweetening components in stevia, called glycosides, are also isolated and sold as a white powder or clear liquid. Stevia is also sold in other forms such as teas and shake formulations.

Other varieties of Stevia

There are many more varieties of Stevia that can be used as per the amount of sweetness required:

fresh stevia leaves
dried leaves
stevia extracts
liquid concentrates
tea form

Importance of Stevia

Stevia is a boon for the people who have craving for sweet delights but unfortunately have to go without them because of Sugar problems, diabetes, blood pressure and weight gain etc. Researches have found that Stevia regulates the blood sugar . Even Candies, Sodas, Ice creams, pies, cakes can be substituted for Stevia exclusively for children. To cherish the sweetening taste in the dishes Sevia is commonly used in recipes.

Stevia for sweet dishes

To supplement high calorie sugar dishes, Stevia sweetner is used in dishes. For using Stevia in dishes one thing needs to be remembered is Stevia should not be used in excess but only in required quantities. It cannot add texture, help soften batter, caramelize, enhance the browning process, and feed the fermentation of yeast. On the other hand Stevia's sweetening process is not affected even in high temperatures. You can prepare any number of delicious dishes using Stevia recipes.

Is Stevia Sweetener Safe?

Stevia has been used with no reports of side affects. Stevia sweetner is safe for human and animal consumption and are used as Children supplements in recipes for Children dishes. There is no danger in Stevia rebaudiana (the herb). It was also reported that steviol, one of the principal metabolites consist of stevioside. Based on these findings, the European Commission banned Stevia's use in food in the European Union. This practice is now followed in Singapore and Hong Kong. It is widely being used all over the world. Though it was officially banned in USA in 1985, majority of the Americans are using Stevia plant as Dietary supplement. The good news is that there are no side effects though the fact remains that very few people have registered complaints.

In our busy daily lives we generally forget the most ingredient part of our life that is Nature, but this very Nature as Mother will always keep on pouring the sweetness in our lives and exclusively with Stevia Sweetner.

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