One of the most talked-about sugar substitutes is undoubtedly Stevia, also known as Stevia rebaudiana, as the green, small plant is called. The Stevia plant is an herbaceous plant whose leaves have a sweet taste due to the substance present in them called Stevioside. Stevioside is a substance that is over 300 times sweeter than the regular sugar you know from the supermarket.
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The sugar substitute has long been banned in Europe, while it was available in other parts of the world such as Brazil and Japan. Presumably, this was because the sugar industry wanted to prevent it. But on November 14, 2011, the European Union approved the sweetener made from this plant, and Stevia is now also available in Europe and thus in the Netherlands.
What is Stevia
The function of Stevia can be described as a sugar substitute and its origin is in Brazil. The Guarani Indians used the sweet plant for internal and external use because it helps against acne and eczema. It was used by the Indians because it inhibits fungi and bacteria. Stevia softens the skin, thus helping to alleviate pain and skin irritations.
Its popularity as a sweetener comes mainly because it contains very few calories. To give you an example: 1 teaspoon contains only 0.0001 Kcal and it is also sweeter than sugar and is 100% natural. This is in contrast to aspartame, which is a chemical product.
Stevia Benefits
To give you an idea of the benefits of Stevia, we have listed them for you below:
- Contains very few calories
- Is 100% natural
- Contains no carbohydrates
- Prevents fluctuations in your blood sugar balance
- Helps maintain your weight
- Prevents cavities in your teeth
- Supports the function of the pancreas
Stevia Plant
The official and full name of this plant is Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni and it originates from Brazil and Paraguay. In the past, the Guarani Indians used this plant to sweeten their food and to combat certain skin diseases. It was only in the 16th century when the Spaniards arrived in South America that they discovered the existence of Stevia. But it was much later, somewhere towards the end of the 19th century, that the popularity of Stevia really began to grow.
How does it taste?
There is a slight difference in taste between Stevia and sugar. The taste of Stevia is sweet, just like sugar, but you have to get used to it. Because the plant is 300 times sweeter than ordinary sugar, you also notice that the taste lingers longer in your mouth. Some products have a bitter taste. If you taste that bitterness, you may have used too much. There is a lot of difference in the taste of different Stevia products.
Above, we already described that the sweet taste comes from the Stevia leaves. A Stevia leaf is almost 50 times sweeter than ordinary sugar. This is because the leaves of this plant are full of glycosides. These are substances found in the plant that closely resemble sugar.
Side Effects
The biggest consumers of Stevia are the countries Brazil and Japan. In these countries, it has been available much longer than in Europe, and extensive testing has been done on the side effects of Stevia. Coca Cola even uses the plant for its own products. It is definitely much healthier than the sugar-substitute aspartame, which is produced through a chemical process. It has not been proven that aspartame can be harmful to health, but it has never been associated with positive health effects, which is the case with the sweet plant.
