Stevia – values, properties, application, opinions [EXPLAINED]

Proven content

Stevia is a sweetener that is recommended for people who are on a slimming diet or are intolerant to sucrose. Stevia is not only sweeter than white sugar, but also healthier and easier to excrete from the body. Interestingly, it exhibits pro-health properties, including anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive and hypoglycemic properties. So it can be said that stevia is a healthy sweetener.

A mature plant reaches a height of approx. 80 cm, its leaves are blade-shaped or oval-shaped and approx. 4 cm long. The stem is woody. Stevia is native to Paraguay and Brazil and is often referred to as “Paraguayan Sweet Herb” or “Honey Leaf”. At present, it is also cultivated by the people of America, Asia and even Europe. It is mainly used as sweetener, but also has therapeutic properties, is low in calories, does not ferment and dissolves very well in water.

Stevia is used in the food industry as an addition to fruit juices, chocolates, ice cream, sorbets, chewing gums and processed foods. In cosmetics, it is used as an ingredient of face masks, for example, when added to a cosmetic clay with a few drops of water, it forms a paste containing about 20 different mineral salts essential for the body. The highest consumption of stevia is observed in Japan, where it reaches several thousand tons per year.

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Stevia – composition

Stevia, and more precisely its dried leaves, are rich in many nutrients that have a beneficial effect on the human body. The energy value of dried leaves is 2,7 kcal / g. The main macronutrients found in stevia are carbohydrateswhich constitute 50 – 60% of the dried raw material. It also includes protein (10%), dietary fiber (18%), fats (2-3%). Stevia also contains a wide range of minerals and vitamins, including:

1. calcium,
2. potassium,
3. sodium,
4. magnesium,
5. iron,
6. Phosphor,
7. zinc,
8. selene,
9. copper,
10. manganese,
11. vitamin B2,
12. vitamin C,
13. Folic acid.

There are also ingredients in stevia antioxidant ingredients: phenolic acids (coumaric, sinapic, cinnamic), chlorogenic acids, fl avonols (quercetin, kaempferol) and fl avons (apigenin, luteolin). The compounds that determine the sweet taste of stevia are glycosides, i.e. organic substances containing a carbohydrate molecule combined with an aglycone part. More than 30 plants have been isolated and identified from stevia leaves steviol glycosides (stevioside, rebaudioside A, B, C, D, E, F, steviolbioside, duloside A). They constitute approx. 15% of the product content. The most abundant steviol glycosides are stevioside and rebaudiosidewhich are 250–450 times more sweet than sucrose.

Stevioside is a white, crystalline, odorless powder extracted from stevia leaves, making up 6 – 18% of their fresh weight. It contains three glucose molecules and steviol. It is responsible for the bitter aftertaste of stevia. This compound is completely natural, does not provide energy, remains stable up to 198 ºC and does not undergo fermentation. It shows the properties of a substance that enhances the smell and protects the teeth. Rebaudioside A is the most stable of the listed glycosides, and its content in fresh leaves is 2 – 4%. It exhibits the best taste qualities as it has the least bitterness among steviol glycosides. In the European Union, steviol glycosides in food are marked with the symbol E960.

The oil obtained from the leaves of stevia contains the following fatty acids: palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic.

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Seviodise metabolism

Rebaudioside and stevioside in the human body are not hydrolyzed by digestive enzymes. They are hydrolyzed in the intestine with the help of the intestinal microflora (especially with the help of bacteria of the genus Bacteroides sp.). Their end product is steviol and glucose. The former is absorbed in the intestines and transported to the liver. It is excreted in the urine and in small amounts with the faeces. Steviol is not stored in the body. After oral administration of stevioside, peak blood levels were reached after 8 hours and the half-life was 24 hours. Rebaudioside is converted into glucose which is used by bacteria in the colon and is not absorbed into the bloodstream.

Stevia – health properties

The main advantage of stevia is hers calorie-free. So it is an indisputable (healthy) substitute for sugar and other sweeteners, e.g. xylitol. In Poland, stevia has been approved for consumption since 2011. Unlike white sugar, it does not cause negative health consequences, including overweight and obesity, diabetes, hypertension or tooth decay. Its health properties were known many years ago by the inhabitants of South America who they used it as a medicine for diabetes. Overall, this plant is a very good solution for diabetics because it does not raise blood sugar and has a low glycemic index.

Numerous studies indicate its hypoglycemic properties, i.e. lowering blood sugar levels. This effect is a result of steviol inhibition, intestinal glucose absorption, an increase in tissue insunosensitivity, as well as a reduction in glucose synthesis by stevioside and reubadioside. Its use is recommended for people struggling with overweight and wanting to reduce extra pounds – reduces the energy value of the meal. It is also important that it does not allergies (the probability of allergy is very low), it is recommended for people suffering from phenylketonuria.

Stevia also exhibits properties anti-caries, antibacterial and fungicidal. In comparison to sucrose, stevia does not affect the appearance of carious lesions in the oral cavity. Moreover, numerous studies show that stevia has strong antibacterial properties against a wide range of pathogenic bacteria (especially against: Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium or Bacillus cereus) and fungicidal and growth inhibitory yeasts. It also has preventive properties development of viral infectionsand in particular all four human HRV serotypes responsible for gastroenteritis. It also has anti-inflammatory, immunostimulating and antioxidant properties.

Stevia also has health properties in relation to the cardiovascular system. It has a lower blood pressure effectby reducing the total peripheral resistance, a high value of which causes an increase in blood pressure. It has also been observed that consumption of steviol glycosides increases diuresis and natriuresis, which results in a decrease in plasma volume. It should be noted that stevioside does not affect blood pressure changes in a healthy person.

This plant has cleansing, regenerating, strengthening and nourishing properties for the skin, especially acne skin. Thanks to it, you can get rid of blackheads and pimples, it causes the pores to close, disinfects the skin, absorbs sebum, bacteria and toxins, accelerates wound healing. Cosmetics containing stevia make the skin look fresh and healthy.

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Stevia – side effects

Stevia in its composition has small amounts of anti-nutritional ingredients – oxalic acid and tannins. When consumed in greater amounts, these substances may inhibit the absorption of calcium and iron in the human body. Of course, for this to happen, you would have to consume huge amounts of stevia. The European Food Safety Authority has established an acceptable daily intake of stevia, expressed as steviol equivalent, at a daily level of 4 mg / kg body weight.

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Here’s what they are characterized by:

1. stevia leaves – whole leaves of the plant Stewia rebaudiana, usually contain 8-12% sweet glycosides,
2. leaf powder – it’s ground leaves, this powder is 10-15 times sweeter than sugar,
3. Stevia extract – a white powder containing 40-50% glycosides,
4. Stevia extract (concentrate) – is a white powder containing 80-95% glycosides,
5. stevioside – the purest extract containing over 90% of stevioside,
6. liquid stevia – these are aqueous or alcoholic solutions of the above-mentioned products.

The product in this form can be added to desserts, cakes, dairy products, drinks.

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Stevia and medications taken

Stevia can lower blood pressure, which is of concern in some people taking high blood pressure medications. In addition, caution is advised when taking medications that can lower blood sugar levels. People taking oral insulin or diabetes medications should be closely monitored by their healthcare professionals. Stevia may also interact with antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, antiviral, appetite suppressant, calcium channel blockers, cholesterol-lowering drugs, drugs that increase urination, fertility drugs, and other medications. Therefore, if you are ill, inform your doctor that you use / want to use stevia in your diet.

If you want to buy stevia, we recommend Stevia with erythritol PURE & good 275g available on Medonet Market.

Sample recipe using stevia

Apples in dough

Ingredients:

1. 300 g (15 heaped tablespoons) of flour,
2. 100 ml of apple juice,
3. 100 ml of oil,
4. 2 haha,
5. 10 drops of stevia or a pinch of powdered stevia
6. 1 tablespoon of baking powder,
7. vanilla,
8. cinnamon to taste.

Preparation:

Beat the eggs with a mixer, slowly adding oil, and sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add stevia and spices, combine with eggs. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Peel the apples and cut them into thick circles of about 0,3 cm. Dip them in the dough and fry in deep oil until the pancakes are golden.

At Medonet Market you will find one-of-a-kind stevia-sweetened sweets. They do not contain white sugar and can be safely consumed by diabetics. The assortment includes:

1. Chocolate with stevia PURE & good 100g or Chocolate with stevia by Torras 100g bitter and milk,
2. Dark chocolate with stevia Torras 125g with hazelnuts, forest fruits or cinnamon,
3. Bitter chocolate with stevia PURE & good 125g with hazelnuts or orange,
4. PURE & good sweets with stevia 50g – various flavors.

Stevia – contraindications

Although stevia is a healthier substitute for white sugar, it may also be contraindicated. First of all, because it lowers blood sugar levels, not every diabetic will be able to use it or will have to consult a dietary dose with their doctor. Stevia lowers blood pressure, therefore people with low blood pressure should not use it. Stevia intolerance may also occur. Some people experience increased or decreased heart rate due to high doses of stevia.

Stevia – opinions

Stevia has a reputation for being a sweetener that can be added to tea or desserts with impunity and without any limitations. However, this is not true. It is recommended not to exceed the daily dose of 4 mg of stevia per 1 kg of body weight. For example, for a person weighing 50 kg, this would be a dose of 200 mg, or 0,2 grams.

For many people, stevia works perfectly as a sugar substitute, and thus their health improves. Also in people who are slimming, stevia is very helpful in suppressing the desire to eat “something sweet” between meals, because it is very sweet and provides a feeling of being saturated with sweets. It can also be used as a base for desserts, so people on a low-calorie diet are not completely cut off from sweetness. Thanks to this, slimming with stevia gives many people much better results than excluding sweeteners or using aspartame.

Read also:

1. Foods To Avoid If You Have Elevated Sugar
2. Sugar causes changes in the brain. 12 days is enough
3. The epidemic of the XNUMXst century. One million Poles do not know that they are sick
4. 3 million Poles diagnosed with diabetes. There are more patients but they avoid diagnosis

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