Sweet, Sweet Stevia

Many of you may have heard of the plant, Stevia, but don't quite know what it is. Stevia is a non-caloric plant with a sweetness that cannot be beat. Here is a little information from a Wiki article on the sweeteners of Stevia:

"Steviol glycoside

The steviol glycosides are responsible for the sweet taste of the leaves of the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana bertoni). These compounds range in sweetness from 40 to 300 times sweeter than sucrose.[1] They are heat stable, pH stable, and do not ferment.[2] They also do not induce a glycemic response when ingested, making them attractive as natural sweeteners to diabetics and others on carbohydrate-controlled diets."

As it has yet to be approved in the U.S. by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for reasons beyond me, it can only be sold as a dietary supplement-- rather than a sweetener. Stevia has been used in Paraguay for about 1500 years and about 20 in Japan. There has never been a complaint that it has caused any harmful side-effects. There has also been scientific studies proving that Stevia is perfectly safe for human consumption.

As it IS legal to grow and use it, I highly recommend Stevia. There are many ways to use it such as fresh leaf, extracts, tea, powder, etc. If you would like any further information on Stevia, I would be more than happy to provide it. Feel free to contact me or comment with questions.




[EDIT] Stevia has now been FDA approved. We will be seeing it a lot more, now!