STEVIA (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) – A NATURAL HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE TO SUGAR
In the recent years the trends towards healthy lifestyle is on the grow. Due to the increasing sedentary lifestyle and urbanization, there is rise in consumption of sugary and fatty food leading to obesity. Taking into consideration the increase in the incidences of obesity, India will become a diabetic capital of world by 2030. Therefore, there is a growing awareness in selection and demand of foodstuffs that aim at better healthy living. Consumers are demanding low calorie food products especially sugar substitutes which duplicate the sugar in taste but has less food energy. This substitute is found to be 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Sugar substitutes are natural and some are synthetic. Those that are not natural are referred to as artificial sweeteners. The food and beverage industry is steadily replacing sugar or corn syrup with artificial sweeteners. The US Food and Drug Administration regulates artificial sweeteners as food additives and publishes these as GRAS that is generally recognised as safe. One such food additive approved by FDA is STEVIA which can be regarded only as a supplement.
Stevia is derived from Stevia rebaudiana, a South American plant has been used for centuries to sweeten beverages. Rebaudioside A is one compound within the stevia plant that provides sweetness. Stevia can be substituted for sucrose, thus reducing the consumption of simple sugars, which is advisable in the prevention of caries, obesity, type 2 diabetes and other related diseases. The clinical studies on Stevia indicate that Stevia does not affect blood pressure, blood glucose response in individuals with diabetes. Recent studies on human confirms that Stevia is safe for intake, metabolism as well as non-toxic and non-allergic.
The complete chemical composition of Stevia species is not yet available. However, there are variety of Stevia species that have been tested for their chemical compositions. The six sweet-tasting compounds have been reported in the leaves of S. rebaudiana Bertoni—stevioside, rebaudiosides A, D and E, dulcosides A and B. It was believed that the bitter aftertaste was due to presence of sesquiterpene lactones however studies revealed that it was due to presence of essential oils, tannins, and flavonoids. Nevertheless, as pointed out, stevioside and rebaudioside A are partially responsible for the aftertaste, even though the contribution of rebaudioside A is significantly less than that of stevioside. Of the Stevia glycosides, rebaudioside A is the sweetest and the most stable, and found to be less bitter than stevioside. As per the studies conducted on stevioside, it is a white, crystalline powder extracted from the leaves of the Stevia plant. It is found to be 100% natural, having no (zero) calories, is 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar, a flavour enhancer, and is anti-plaque and anti-caries.
The most useful part of this shrub is the leaves. Out of 110 species tested for sweetness, only 18 were found to possess this characteristic. Out of all these species, the sweetest was found to be S. rebaudiana Bertoni. The use of S. rebaudiana as a sweetener has been found in central and South America as well as in Japan. The people of Japan have been using Stevia as a sweetener in products such as seafood, soft drinks, and candies. Also, the plant has been used in various part of the world like Brazil and Paraguay basically as a natural control for diabetes. Stevia also has been used to help control weight in obese persons.
Uses of Stevia.
Stevia has been found to be safe for diabetics, as does not affect blood sugar levels.
Stevia does not have any neurological or renal side effects as other artificial sweeteners.
Stevia possess both anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties in addition to its other versatile uses.
It can be safely used in herbal medicines, tonics for diabetic patients and also in products such as mouthwashes and toothpastes.
Mild Stevia leaf tea offers excellent relief for an upset stomach.