Stevia (also called sweetleaf, sweet leaf or sugarleaf) is a genus of about 150 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). It is native to subtropical and tropical South America and Central America. As a sweetener, stevia’s taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or liquorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations. ( I have found this to be true. ES)

With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Stevia also has shown promise in medical research for treating such conditions as obesity and high blood pressure. Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, even enhancing glucose tolerance; therefore it is attractive as a natural sweetener to diabetics and others on carbohydrate-controlled diets. (However, there has been some controversy surrounding stevia, so you may want to consult your doctor if you are diabetic or prone to diabetes. ES)

The brand that I use is made by NOW Foods and contains Inulin and Chromium. According to the back of the package, Stevia Rebaudiana is a small plant native to Paraguay and Brazil and was “discovered” in 1887 by a South American scientist who learned about the herb from the Guarani Parguayan Indians, who used it to flavor their bitter tribal beverages. Subsequently, two French scientists did exploratory extraction work in 1931 and formulated a pure, white crystalline compound they called “stevioside,” which is responsible for stevia’s flavorful properties.

NOW Foods has added inulin and chromium to their stevia. Inulin is derived from chicory and as a prebiotic, it supposedly stimulates the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria to support good colon health. (NOW adds a disclaimer that this statement has not been evaluated by the FDA, so their product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.) Chromium is a trace mineral that is involved in a number of bodily functions. It is significantly reduced in the American diet because of over-processing our foods.

Stevia comes in either a powder (loose or packets) or a liquid extract. I use the powdered packets, much as you would a packet of artificial sweeteners, only because it is so sweet, I think you would use much less than other sweeteners. I prefer stevia to Equal, Splenda, and white sugar because I feel they do not support my lifestyle to use as many natural foods as possible. However, I also believe in moderation and use stevia sparingly.

Quoted from:
1. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(I Googled stevia and Wikipedia was part of the first 10 listings.
2. The back of the package of Stevia Balance from
NOW Foods (www.nowfoods.com).

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 26th, 2007 at 7:06 am and is filed under Products and Services. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.