In: Nursing
Stevia is a sugar substitute made from the leaves of the stevia plant. It’s about 100 to 300 times sweeter than table sugar, but it has no carbohydrates, calories, or artificial ingredients.
Stevia is a natural, unlike other sugar substitutes. It’s made from a leaf related to popular garden flowers like asters and chrysanthemums.most people use stevia to sweeten their drinks, without calories or artificial sweeteners. Look for stevia in powder or liquid form in supermarkets and health-food stores.
If one have diabetes, stevia could be a way to sweeten your yogurt or hot tea without adding carbohydrates.The FDA approved only the purified form of stevia, called stevioside, as safe to use. Products considered safe contain words in their ingredient list such as stevia extract.
Evidently, stevia plays important roles in improvement of glycemic response and lipid profile in contrast to artificial sweeteners (e.g. sucralose) . Another advantage of stevia is linked to increased insulin sensitivity and hence, this herb can be helpful in management of type 2 diabetes . Moreover, stevia not only induces a low glycemic response, but also provides essential nutrients such as vitamins A, B3 and C and minerals including magnesium, potassium, selenium and zinc. Indeed, the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of stevia as well as its high heat stability make this natural sweetener favorite for the food industries. So the people can taste the food like natural sweetner.
There are some health concerns surrounding the stevia plant. Stevia may cause low blood pressure, which would be of concern to some taking blood pressure medications. There is also continuing research going into certain chemicals naturally occurring in stevia that may cause genetic mutations and cancer.
the rising demand for stevia due to its high-intensity of sweetness and low-calorie content. Extracted from Stevia Rebaudiana plant, stevia has very low glycemic index and does not shoot up blood sugar levels, which makes it suitable for diabetic patients. Apart from this, non-cariogenic nature of stevia makes it gentle on teeth for dental health.
Stevia is 200-300 times sweetner than sugar with low calorie content because it used by several food and beverages. Stevia has itsown unique taste which enhances the taste of food which is used. Stevia offers several advantages such as sweetness, texture, sugar preplacement, low calories, and flavour enhancement.