Healing Foods Database » Stevia

Stevia

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Stevia is a sweetener and sugar substitute extracted from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana, native to Brazil and Paraguay. The active compounds are steviol glycosides, which have 30 to 150 times the sweetness of sugar, are heat-stable, pH-stable, and not fermentable.

Health Benefits

  • Stevia may offer several health benefits. It doesn’t trigger an insulin response and so can be used as a sweetener by diabetics. Also, its natural, low-calorie sweetness may help reduce Americans' unhealthy, weight-inducing dependence on sugar, fructose, corn syrup and other high-calorie sweeteners. Stevia does not cause cavities.

  • In pure form, stevia is 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia comes in several forms, including powder and liquid. A 1 gram packet of powdered stevia is sufficient to sweeten a 10-ounce beverage, the USDA says.

  • The attraction of stevia is what it doesn’t have: calories. A 1 gram serving of stevia has 1 calorie and about 1 gram of carbohydrate. It has no fat and no cholesterol, according to the USDA.

Nutrition Details

  • N/A
    • Amount per serving: N/A
    • Serving size: N/A

NaturalHealth365 Articles About (or that mention) "Stevia"

Breast cancer health news: Stevia is the safest sweet choice
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(NaturalHealth365)  Is there a connection between sugar (plus artificial sweeteners) and cancer?  … Breast cancer health news: Stevia is the safest sweet choice

Stevia extract fights Lyme disease pathogens BETTER than antibiotics, study reports
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(NaturalHealth365) According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), … Stevia extract fights Lyme disease pathogens BETTER than antibiotics, study reports

Sources

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Description Credit: Wikipedia. Wikipedia is used only for general food descriptions and we do not endorse Wikipedia as a source for other health-related information.