These effects of stevia(for diabetics, etc.)

Stevia, also known as Stevia, is an intensely sweet plant that has been used in sugar-sweetened beverages and teas since the 16th century. The plant is native to Paraguay and Brazil, but is now grown in Japan and China. It is used as a non-nutritive sweetener and herbal supplement. Non-nutritive sweeteners are sweeteners that contain virtually no calories. Stevia is used as a healthy alternative to added sugars in many meals and beverages. However, stevia resurfaced as a sweet, sustainable dietary ingredient in 1995. The sweetener's popularity has soared since then, with 58% of new product additions containing stevia. The following small series will give you a detailed introduction to the properties, uses, health benefits and side effects of stevia.

What is Stevia

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni), a herb, and its extracts are used as sweeteners, and China is currently the main exporter of stevia products. However, stevia is now produced in many countries. The plant can often be purchased at garden centers for home growing. Because stevia is 200 to 300 times sweeter than table sugar. Stevia contains eight glycosides. These are the sweet ingredients isolated and purified from stevia leaves. These glycosides include:

stevioside

Rebaudioside A, C, D, E and F

steviol glycosides

Duroside A

Stevioside and rebaudioside A (reb A) are the most abundant of these components. These are extracted through a process of harvesting the leaves, followed by drying, water extraction and purification. Crude stevia is a processed product that has been processed before it is bleached or decolorized, and often has a bitter and foul odor. About 40 steps are required to process the final stevia extract.

Stevioside concentrations in stevia leaves range up to about 18%. Some common trade names for stevia sweeteners are:

stevia

stevia

Raw Stevia Extract

sweet leaf

The efficacy and role of stevia

Stevia is considered a "calorie-free" food product, but it has significantly fewer calories than sucrose, and as a substitute for sucrose or table sugar, the use of stevia as a sweetener has the potential for significant health benefits.

The sweeteners in stevia sweeteners are naturally occurring. This feature may benefit people who prefer natural foods and beverages. The low calorie content makes stevia a healthy alternative for diabetes control or weight loss. Below are some of the possible benefits and effects of stevia.

1. Reduce diabetes

Research shows that stevia sweeteners do not contribute calories or carbohydrates to the diet. They also demonstrated no effect on blood sugar or insulin response. This allows people with diabetes to eat a wider variety of foods and follow a healthy meal plan.

Stevia has little to no effect on blood sugar, insulin levels, blood pressure, and weight. Stevia can cause significant reductions in postprandial blood sugar and glucagon responses. Glucagon is a hormone that regulates glucose levels in the blood, and people with diabetes often have a defect in the mechanism by which glucagon is secreted. When blood sugar rises, glucagon drops. This regulates glucose levels.

2. Weight Control

Stevia can replace sugar in your diet for weight control.

There are many reasons for being overweight and obese, such as lack of exercise and consumption of energy-dense foods high in fat and added sugar. Studies have shown that added sugar intake accounts for an average of 16% of total dietary calories. This has been associated with weight gain and lower blood sugar level control. Stevia has no sugar and few (if any) calories, and it can be part of a balanced diet.

3. Lower Pancreatic Cancer

Stevia contains many sterols and antioxidant compounds, including kaempferol. Studies have found that kaempferol may reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer by 23%Trusted Source.

4. Lower blood pressure

Research suggests that stevia may help lower blood pressure. Stevia plants may have cardiotonic effects. The cardiotonic effect normalizes blood pressure and regulates the heartbeat. However, stevia does not seem to affect blood pressure. Certain glycosides in stevia extract have been found to dilate blood vessels. They can also increase sodium excretion and urine output.

5. Prevent cardiovascular disease

Foods and beverages containing stevia can play an important role in reducing calories from unwanted sweeteners in children's diets. There are now thousands of products on the market that contain natural stevia, from salad dressings to snack bars. This availability allows children to consume sweets and beverages without adding calories while transitioning to a low-sugar diet. Too much sugar and calories are associated with obesity and cardiovascular disease.

6. Anti-allergic

Steviol glycosides are not reactive and are not metabolized to reactive compounds, so inulin is unlikely to cause an allergic reaction on its own when consumed in food. Even highly purified stevia extracts are extremely unlikely to cause allergic reactions.

7. Laxative

Stevia is also a healthy food that can moisten the intestines and laxatives. This food is rich in cellulose and dietary fiber. After people eat it, it can speed up gastrointestinal motility, and can relieve intestinal dryness and constipation. Regular consumption can detoxify the intestines. At the same time play an important role in laxative.

8. Relieve physical fatigue

Relieving human fatigue is one of the important effects of stevia, because stevia is not only rich in amino acids and vitamins, but also contains some sweeteners. These substances can be converted into energy after being absorbed by the human body, which can improve the function of various organs in the body. It can maintain the normal metabolism of the human body and reduce the fatigue symptoms of the human body as soon as possible.

Side Effects of Stevia

While purified steviol glycosides can be added to food and are generally considered safe by the Food and Drug Administration, this is not the case with whole-leaf stevia. However, the stevia plant itself can be grown at home, and the leaves can be used in a variety of ways.

Some stevia products also contain sugar alcohols. People who are sensitive to sugar alcohols may experience bloating, cramping, nausea, and diarrhea, although the sugar alcohol erythritol has a lower risk of causing symptoms than other sugar alcohols. As long as stevia is highly purified and used in moderation, there will be no side effects and can be consumed with confidence.

How to eat stevia

Methods as below:

Take 3-4 stevia, put it into a glass of about 400 ml;

Use 100-degree boiling water, about 7 or 8 points full, soak the lid on the box for 3-5 minutes before drinking;

When less than 1/3 is left, add boiling water to brew, so that the concentration of the tea soup is more uniform;

If you like sweet, you can add sugar or honey, or you can add your favorite tea leaves to brew together, such as rose, wolfberry, etc.

When brewing snow stevia, it must be brewed with just boiled water, so that the pollen can be brewed out, and the water temperature is not enough to brew the effect.

How to use stevia

Stevia sweeteners are primarily found as sugar substitutes in table sugar products and low-calorie beverages. Stevia leaf extracts have been used as dietary supplements in the United States since the mid-1990s, many of which contain a mixture of the sweet and non-sweet ingredients of stevia leaf.

The sweetening ingredient in stevia sweeteners is naturally occurring. Currently, more than 5,000 food and beverage products worldwide use stevia as an ingredient. Ingredients in stevia sweetener products such as:

ice cream

dessert

sauce

yogurt

pickled food

bread

soft drink

chewing gum

candy

seafood

Can stevia lower blood sugar?

Stevia is generally not able to lower blood sugar. Stevia can usually play a role in lowering blood pressure. It generally has a certain effect on the treatment of hypertension, but it cannot treat diabetes.

If you have diabetes, it is best to cooperate with the doctor to take oral hypoglycemic drugs for treatment, which can play a better effect. During the treatment period, you must pay attention to control your diet, eat less food with high sugar content, and eat less staple food when you eat.

If you want to know more, pls contact us:haozebio2014@gmail.com