Stevia Plant

The stevia plants come from the family of sunflower shrubs (Asteraceae) which known to grow in South America . A particular species, Stevia rebaudiana, has been used as a sugar substitute, hence it is also known by the name “sweet leaf.” This particular plant's sweet taste is due to the substance called Rebiana or Reb-A.

Stevia's formal debut was during the 1800s and this was due to the efforts of Moises Santiago Bertoni. He is an Italian botanist and the director of the College of Agriculture in Asuncion , Paraguay during that time. Bertoni was responsible for the spread of stevia's use as a sweetener. Its use eventually reached the United States in 1918.

Although the particular shrub has existed for so many years, its extract, Reb-A, was only developed during the 1970s by Japanese scientists. It was only after several tests to determine its safety as a food additive that Reb-A's use as a sweetener was accepted in various countries in the world.

Speaking of safety tests, the acceptance of stevia extract as a sweetener had its own string of controversies. There were accounts which claim that the United States Food and Drug Administration had prevented the approval of the use of this product in order to market aspartame, another sweetener. However, with the help of food companies and natural food enthusiasts, the use of stevia plant extract as a sweetener may finally penetrate the US and European market in no time.

The FDA's reason why the stevia extract's use is put on hold is that they found it to be an “unsafe food additive.” Stevia supporters countered that if the said findings are true, then why is there no report of any casualty when the said plant's extract has been used as a sweetener for generations by the Guarani Indians. This claim was supported by the accounts of the Spaniard on the natives' use of the plant, which can be obtained from the Paraguayan National Archives. Later, the FDA released their grip a bit, giving an approval on Reb-A's use but only as a supplement.

The Benefits of Stevia Leaf Extract

Now, why is there a need for stevia plant extract when there are other sweeteners out there?

For starters, its extract is said to be 300 times sweeter than sugar. However, the good news is you get more sweetness but no negative effect on a person's health. It has low carbohydrates and has almost no effect at all on the blood glucose, making it an ideal sugar replacement for people with health problems like diabetes and obesity.

Second, stevia extract is all-natural which can benefit consumers more than artificial sweeteners in the market.

Reasons why stevia plant extract was regarded as the “wonder sweetener” are:

Stevia helps reduce food and other cravings

With this finding, stevia will benefit individuals who are watching their weight. Most dieters fail because they often give in to sweet cravings or they notice the difference in taste between diet food and conventional food. They long for the authentic sweetness that they use to enjoy with their favorite desserts, something that artificial diet sweeteners have been trying but fail to achieve. Should stevia extract be use, the taste of dietary products would be no different than conventional food. Sugar-free products would no longer taste “diet-y” and people will enjoy eating the right food without gaining much weight.

Stevia extract also tricks the brain by suppressing appetite when taken 20 minutes before a meal. Not only that, but it also reduce the craving for tobacco and alcohol.

Stevia leaf helps regulate blood sugar

As mentioned earlier, stevia extract is an ideal substitute to table sugar for people with diabetes or hypoglycemia. Stevia does not elevate one's blood glucose hence, keeps its level within safe range.

Stevia plant is also good for hypertensive patients because of its low calorie, low carbohydrate and low sugar content. Not only that, there were also studies which claim that stevia extract can help dilate blood vessels, ensuring proper blood flow. In a year 2000 study done on Chinese hypertensive individuals, it was revealed that stevia extract was able to lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the participants compared to those who took placebo.

Stevia helps prevent cavities

Stevia plant has dental benefits too. Stevia prevents formation of tooth decays by inhibiting bacterial growth inside the mouth. Sugar is the main ingredient needed by bacteria to increase acidity inside the mouth, eventually causing tooth decay and cavities. Companies into dental care product manufacturing business have been considering to incorporate stevia extract to their products.

Stevia has health-promoting antioxidants

Antioxidants like apiganin and kaempferol were found in stevia extract. These and other nutrients help prevent people from getting colds and other viral infections. The antioxidants in stevia extract also helps in combating free radicals that can cause cancer. This property gives stevia an edge over other more popular sweeteners like aspartame.

The above benefits of stevia plant extract are enough to spark the interest of major beverage companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola. Coca Cola, along with the company Cargill, started to use rebania from stevia plant in their beverage “Truvia.” Pepsi shortly followed by launching its rebenia-sweetened drink PureVia, in cooperation with Pure Circle . It is expected that more food companies would soon follow suit.

More and more stevia benefits are being discovered over the years. From being just a sweetener during the ancient times, this plant had shown potential with its medicinal and dietary properties. To date, experts are looking into further studies to prove other stevia benefits like antibacterial and antifungal properties.