There is a wide range of Stevia based sweeteners that come in varying mixtures and concentrations of Stevia extract in both liquid and powder forms.
I have used almost every type of Stevia extract available with varying success. Some are so concentrated that they are difficult to measure.
Some forms leave a bitter aftertaste.
I have had the most success with OmniBalance with Stevia from OmniVite Nutrition, which is a blend of Chicory root extract and Stevia (Chicory extract comes from the root of the Chicory plant).
It also contains a vitamin (Vitamin B5) and a mineral (Chromium glycinate), which also help to balance blood sugar.
It is easy to measure, and blends very evenly into foods because the milder Chicory root balances the intense sweetness of the Stevia.
The Chicory root also has FOS (Fructo-OligoSaccharides), which are short chain polysaccarides that are not digested by humans because of the type of bonding (similar to fiber). The FOS reach the large intestine where the
healthy bacteria can feed off of them. This inhibits the growth of other harmful bacteria in the intestines.
Stevia is a genus of about 150 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), native to subtropical and tropical South America and Central America. The species Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, commonly known as sweetleaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sugar substitute, stevia's taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar.
With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has gathered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Stevia also has shown promise in medical research for treating such conditions as obesity and high blood pressure. Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it has a glycemic index of zero. Stevia can even enhance glucose tolerance, therefore, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to diabetics and others on carbohydrate-controlled diets. In Brazil, Stevia has been used by herbalists to regulate blood gluecose for over 40 years.
For centuries, the Guaraní tribes of Paraguay and Brazil used Stevia species, primarily S. rebaudiana which they called ka'a he'ê ("sweet herb"), as a sweetener in yerba mate and medicinal teas for treating heartburn and other ailments. Stevia is widely used as a sweetener in Japan. The Japanese have used stevia in food applications from soft drinks to soy sauce since the 1970s, and recent reports indicate that stevia commands up to 50% share of Japan's commercial sweetener market. Stevia is also used in Canada, China, Taiwan, Brazil, Paraguay, and Malaysia.
In 1931, two French chemists isolated the glycosides that give stevia its sweet taste. These compounds were named stevioside and rebaudioside, and are 250-300 times sweeter than sucrose (ordinary table sugar), heat stable, pH stable, and non-fermentable. Stevioside and rebaudioside are made of glucose, sophorose, and seviol. These glycosides do not get absorbed into the body, they pass through leaving no calories.
Most medical experts would agree that one of the best ways to improve your health is to reduce your sugar intake. Doing this can help decrease one's chances of getting diabetes and being overweight or obese---both epidemics in this country with adults and children alike. Consider these facts:
The average American ingests over 150 lbs. of sugar annually. That represents 30 - 5 lb. bags of sugar each year! Much of this sugar is in the form of high fructose corn syrup prevalent in foods because it's much cheaper than sucrose, the common tabletop sugar.
While some might think that artificial sweeteners are the best solution to cut down on sugar, others disagree. Artificial sweeteners do eliminate the high calories and carbohydrates associated with sugar, however many believe that these alternatives are unsafe and are actually worse than sugar. Saccharin has been linked to bladder cancer discovered as early as 1957 (Blaylock, RL, Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills, Health Press, 1994). Nutrasweet (aspartame), which constitutes the majority of artificial sweeteners in the U.S. today, has been linked to a number of other side effects including headaches, seizures, hyperactivity, and even brain tumors in animal studies (Munro IC, Moodie CA, Krewshi D, Grice HC, Toxicol Appl Pharmacol, 32:513. 1975. Cuir R, Schiffman, et al,. "Aspartame and Headache" (letters), NEJM 318:1201-2, 1988.) It appears that the FDA approved the use of Nutrasweet despite significant evidence that there may be serious consequences associated with its widespread use as a sweetener in foods.
To watch a video about the risks of artificial sweeteners, and the benefits of natural sweeteners go to: www.videojug.com. Click here to read more information on the health risks of artificial sweeteners in my Health Info.
Stevia can be used as a healthy substitute in most sugar applications, including baking and cooking since it is heat stable. The average conversion rate of sugar to stevia is one cup of sugar per one teaspoonful of pure stevia extract. When used in beverages, stevia dissolves quickly and easily and, depending on your taste preference, only a pinch is needed. The real challenge to using stevia effectively is knowing what ingredients to use in a recipe to make up for the volume and consistency lost with the elimination of sugar, especially in baked goods. That's why it's a good idea to find stevia cookbooks with proven recipes when you're starting out. You can find stevia recipes in the How To Use Stevia page, and there are many others online. Stevia is not appropriate in recipes that require sugar caramelizing or browning like meringues.
Widespread use of sugar and artificial sweeteners are at dangerous levels. The negative side effects and controversial studies regarding their proposed safety suggest that another alternative is desirable and necessary. Stevia is a good option for those who want to use more natural ingredients with no known side effects, no calories, no carbs, no fat, no affect on glucose levels, and no sugar or artificial sweeteners.
