Stevia Plant
Stevia is a south America sweetener plant of sunflower species. For centuries people in Paraguay have been using stevia extract for sweetening purposes. Stevia is very safe to use and does not possess any side effects. Stevia is the only sweetener which has no calories makes it as a choice sweetner of use among the major proportion of the health conscious population.
Health Benefits
Its benefits on health include treatment of diabetes mellitus, lower hypertension, improved digestive system & skin care and unlike sugar it does not decay teeth and is plague retardant. Scientific studies possess proved the non-toxic nature of stevia and its medicinal use for human. It is stunning as a natural sweetener to diabetics and others on carbohydrate controlled diets. Stevia does not have the neurological or renal side effects. Stevia has the property of being anti-fungal and anti-bacterial in nature in addition to its other uses. Stevia’s non-toxic nature enables it to be used as a herbal medicine for diabetics and in some of the products of daily usage like tooth pastes and mouthwashes. Stevia is an incredibly sweet herb, obtained by a natural selective breeding action of the sweetest Stevia parent plants. Stevia tastes sweet due to non-caloric glycoside molecules. Individuals who cannot tolerate sugar or other sweeteners can use stevia sugar .
Other Uses
Stevia can be used for cooking purposes like pastry, cakes, jams in addition to being used as table sugar and as a natural sweetener. Stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar and is packed with a lot of health improving nutrients. Stevia and its extracts can be used for a lot of cooking needs. Even though Stevia is a better alternative to sugar in all possible ways, the molecular structure of Stevioside is completely distinctive from that of Sucrose (sugar).
Comparison to other Sweeteners
Stevia does not decompose when heated upto temperatures of 200 degrees Celsius or 392 degrees Fahrenheit. Stevia leaf can be without difficultly used for cooking needs because it does not disintegrate when heated up to great temperatures. Aspartame on the other hand breaks down at over 60 degrees Celcius. Aspartame is never used while making tea or coffee since it easily breaks down.
