Drops of stevia. Stevia natural sweetener: benefits and harms, doctors' reviews

Surely many of our readers are familiar with stevia. What's this? Someone will say that this is a high-quality vegetable sweetener, and they will be partly right. Actually this medicinal herb. Today we will try to tell you more about this plant. With what diseases and how to take it, does it have contraindications?

Stevia: what is it?

Perennial plant, more precisely, small shrub with erect stems, sixty to eighty centimeters high from the Aster family, which includes about two hundred and sixty species . Stevia, benefits and harms which were known one and a half thousand years ago to the doctors of South America, in modern world became known only recently.

Thanks to the efforts of Professor Vavilov, the territory of the former Soviet Union stevia was introduced. What kind of plant this is, no one in our country knew yet. For a long time, products based on it were part of rations for astronauts and senior officials in the USSR. Stevia has also been studied in other countries. The benefits of this plant every year found more and more evidence. Scientists from all over the world talked about it.

Stevia is a herb whose stems die off every year, and new shoots take their place, on which small leaves are located. On one bush there can be from six hundred to twelve thousand sweet leaves. Based on numerous studies, modern scientists have identified the unique properties that this plant possesses.

Spreading

In the northeast of Paraguay and its neighboring part of Brazil, on a tributary of the Parana River, stevia is widely distributed. Even children here know that this sweet plant has medicinal properties. Over time, the whole world learned about this herb. Under natural conditions, it grows in the highlands, so stevia has adapted to rather sharp temperature changes. Now she is grown in almost all countries of Southeast Asia.

For industrial purposes, today it is grown in the Krasnodar Territory and in the Crimea stevia. The benefits and harms of this plant well studied, which allows it to be used in the food industry, cosmetology, but this herb is most in demand in medicine.

Compound

The leaves of the plant have the highest amount of nutrients. They include:

  • cellulose;
  • polysaccharides;
  • glycosides;
  • vegetable lipids;
  • vitamins C, A, P, E and trace elements;
  • pectin substances;
  • essential oils.

Glycosides - stevisiodes give the plant sweetness. They are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar. But besides this, they are phytosteroids that are involved in the synthesis of hormones in our body.

natural sweetener

The taste of stevia is most pronounced when eating young leaves. The sweetest are the leaves grown in natural climatic conditions and with sufficient sunlight. The plant has a pleasant and slightly sweet aroma. The taste has hints of sweetness, accompanied by a bitter aftertaste.

Despite the increased sweetness that stevia has, it cannot harm the body, but the benefits of its use are obvious. More than twenty amino acids and vitamins contained in its leaves make it possible to combine excellent taste with healing properties. The plant has an antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory effect on the human body, thanks to which it is successfully used by traditional healers for colds and viral infections.

The taste qualities of the plant made it possible to call it the best natural sweetener in the world. Not every plant is distinguished by such rapid solubility, total absence side effects, a huge number of medicinal properties and at the same time a pleasant taste. What else is attractive about stevia?

  1. This plant does not cause insulin release and helps to normalize blood sugar levels.
  2. Stevia, which has not been found to be harmful even with prolonged use, is resistant to high temperatures, which allows it to be used in baking and hot drinks.

Healing properties

Honey grass (stevia) has the following beneficial properties:

  • liquefies and removes mucus;
  • enhances gastric secretion;
  • has a slight diuretic effect;
  • prevents rheumatism;
  • relieves swelling;
  • reduces the level of "bad" cholesterol and blood sugar
  • strengthens blood vessels and normalizes arterial pressure;
  • normalizes metabolism;
  • prevents diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, pancreatitis;
  • helps in the treatment of bronchitis.

Stevia has become a salvation for people suffering diabetes and tired of constant restrictions in sweets. Today, many manufacturers add it to special products for such patients - cookies, yogurt, chocolate. The natural sweetness does not harm diabetics, their body accepts this sweetener.

As you can see, a truly unique plant is stevia. Its benefits for the human body have been confirmed by numerous studies by Russian and foreign scientists.

Release forms

Many people are interested in stevia sweetener. The price for it depends on the form of release and volume. Today, stevia-based preparations are produced in various forms, but first it should be said about the indicators that are inherent in all types of these products: carbohydrates, fats and calories are absent. Zero glycemic index.

Sachets

The composition includes: stevia extract, which has a sweet pleasant taste, without foreign aftertastes; erythrol is a natural filler derived from starch and used for ease of dosing: 1 sachet corresponds to the level of sweetness two teaspoons of sugar. Packings come in 25, 50 and 100 sachets.

Price - from 100 rubles.

Powders

The price for 20 grams is 525 rubles.

Tablets

1 tablet corresponds to 1 teaspoon of sugar. Available in packs of 100, 150 and 200 pieces.

Price - from 140 rubles.

liquid extract

It tastes like strawberry, raspberry, chocolate, vanilla, mint, etc. Four to five drops are enough to sweeten a glass of drink. Stevia extract is packaged in thirty-gram plastic or glass bottles.

Price - from 295 rubles.

Are there any contraindications to the use of stevia?

Scientists at this moment did not reveal the harmful properties of this plant. However, individual limitations still exist. First of all, this is stevia intolerance, which can be expressed in the form of allergic reactions. In this case, its use must be stopped.

At the very beginning of the intake, there may be other negative reactions of the body: digestive disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, dizziness. They usually pass very quickly.

It should not be forgotten that stevia significantly reduces blood sugar, therefore, while taking such a sweetener, it is necessary to control this indicator.

People with hypotension reduced pressure) stevia should be taken with caution, in order to avoid a decrease in pressure. When purchasing stevia in the form of a powder or tablets, pay attention to the composition. It should not contain methanol and ethanol, which are sometimes used to reduce the sweetness of the drug. Their toxicity can harm your body.

Stevia Reviews

This amazing natural sweetener has no strict contraindications. For many of our compatriots, stevia has become a discovery. What kind of plant, many did not know before. Acquaintance with him, judging by the reviews, occurs most often after the doctor fixes an increase in blood sugar levels. People who began to use this sweetener note that after a month of regular use, the rise in blood sugar levels slows down, and with longer use it decreases.

Leave reviews and patients with high blood pressure. They note that with regular use of stevia, pressure normalizes, there are no sharp jumps.

This weed was not disregarded by women who watch their figure. By cutting out sugar and switching to stevia, many brag about their weight loss achievements. Reviews about this plant are mostly positive, although someone did not like its taste with pronounced bitterness.

The question of the benefits and harms of stevia has become of great importance today, since recently this sugar substitute has become very popular in our country.

Stevia is a herbaceous perennial plant of the Asteraceae family native to South and Central America.

People have long noticed that the leaves of this plant have a sweet taste, and began to use it as a sweetener.

Medicinal properties of leaves

Normalization of blood pressure

It has been proven that regular intake of dietary supplements based on stevia reduces systolic pressure by 10 units (from 150 to 140 units of mercury) and diastolic pressure by 6 units (from 95 to 89).

Also, against the background of taking the extract, the likelihood of developing hypertrophy of the left ventricle of the heart decreases.

Optimizing sugar levels

Stevia herb lowers blood sugar levels. In one of the studies conducted, this medicinal plant was compared with a well-known sugar substitute - with, as well as with ordinary table sugar.

It turned out that patients with type 2 diabetes who took stevia had lower blood sugar after eating than those who ate sugar or used aspartame.

But is stevia really that great?

All scientific studies that show that stevia is useful were not carried out on the natural leaves of the plant, but on extracts.

Usually, two of its components are extracted from stevia - stevioside and rebaudioside A. Their sweetness is several hundred times greater than the sweetness of sugar.

Scientific studies are conducted using the stevioside extract, not the leaves.

Stevioside, on the other hand, makes up only 10% of the mass of the leaves. Therefore, it is obvious that by eating the leaves, it is impossible to achieve the positive effects that the extract gives.

To get bright therapeutic results, you need to take 500 mg of stevia extract three times a day. Just using it as a sugar substitute will not help lower blood pressure or glucose levels. Self-prescribing stevioside extract in such large quantities can be hazardous to health.

The exact biological mechanism of action of stevioside has not yet been established. But it is already clear that this substance can block calcium channels, that is, it acts as a real antihypertensive drug.

In addition, stevioside increases insulin levels while increasing the sensitivity of cells to this hormone.

In other words, stevia extract (stevioside) has too strong biological activity to be taken in large quantities uncontrollably. If you just use stevia as a sugar substitute, medicinal properties it will most likely not be shown.

Other useful properties

In animal experiments, it was shown that the extract can:

  • reduce the level of low-density lipoprotein - "bad" cholesterol;
  • reduce chronic inflammation;
  • fight cancer;
  • act as a diuretic;
  • exhibit immunomodulatory activity.

But! All this was shown only in experiments on rats. Therefore, it is too early to say that stevia has all these positive qualities for humans. What works on animals doesn't always work on people.

Harm

  1. As mentioned above, negative health effects may be associated with taking the extract in large quantities when there is no medical prescription for this. In addition, there is a hypothesis that this medicinal herb can adversely affect fertility, since the structure of its extract is hormone-like. At the moment, there is no evidence that the sweetener adversely affects human fertility. But there are results of experiments conducted on laboratory animals in which a similar negative effect has been demonstrated.
  2. Another negative impact on human health is associated with sweet taste.

Like all other sweet substances in the world (whether natural or artificial), stevia, used as a sugar substitute, can cause "metabolic confusion", whet the appetite and increase sugar cravings.

You can read more about this aspect of the effect of sugar substitutes on human health.

How to use?

Stevia is the most common sugar substitute in cooking. It is added to smoothies, dairy products, tea and coffee. It is convenient to bake with it.

Usually, a liquid extract is purchased for adding to drinks, and a powder for baking. In the second case, it is often mixed with another natural sweetener - erythritol.

When using stevia as a sweetener, you need to remember that it is wildly sweet: 1 teaspoon of the extract is equal in sweetness to a glass of granulated sugar.

Today, many people do not trust manufacturers of various dietary supplements. And they strive to grow this grass on their own. If you want to learn how to get 100% natural and pure weed in your home, read on

conclusions

Stevia is a natural sugar substitute. However, this does not mean that it is 100% useful, including for weight loss. Like all other sweeteners, this herb can adversely affect the weight loss process by increasing appetite and cravings for sweets.

The medicinal properties of the herb are not associated with fresh leaves, but with an extract from them, which should be taken in large enough quantities, but only as directed by a doctor.

The Stevia plant (Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni) is native to South America, where it has been used as a sugar substitute for hundreds of years. Today stevia is widely used in many countries of the world including America and Asia. The leaves of the plant are 15 times sweeter than ordinary white sugar, but its sweetness does not provide the body with calories. Stevia contains a special substance (glycoside) - stevioside, which is 300 times sweeter than sugar. Therefore, this plant (stevia) can be used instead of sugar for cooking, cocktails.

Stevia is sweeter and healthier than sugar, but more expensive. A bottle with a liquid extract of the plant costs about 600 rubles, but it lasts for a long time. One drop of liquid extract can sweeten a cup of tea. Stevia instead of sugar is sometimes prescribed for diabetics, the Japanese and Thais also like to use this sweetener. To sweeten the drink, in addition to stevia, you can use an infusion of licorice root, which is good for immunity (). Some people replace sugar entirely with stevia, but when added to foods and drinks in large quantities, a bitter taste develops. Therefore, use it carefully and check the level of sweetness every time. In addition, stevia's sweetness reproduction is individual for each person, for example, some see it as a sweet product, while others see it as bitter.

Stevia Sweetener Available in Various Forms

Today, Stevia is available in a variety of forms: highly concentrated solutions (such as Nat Vita, Stevia Gold, and Steviola); stevia in liquid (syrup); dry leaves; green leaf powder; White powder; tablets. Some of these products may contain various additives, which are not particularly useful. It is better to choose a pure plant for yourself without any additives and additional processing.

You can also buy a seedling of this plant and grow it in the garden or on the windowsill. However, stevia requires heat and sun to become sweet. Fresh or dried leaves can be brewed like regular tea and added to many dishes.

Health Benefits of Stevia

Stevia is definitely sweeter than regular sugar, which is beneficial for many. In addition, it has the ability to regulate blood sugar levels, reduce cravings for sweets and suppress acute hunger. Stevia can control appetite and reduce the desire to consume fatty foods. She endures high temperatures up to 200 degrees without losing its qualities, so it can be added to confectionery (marking: sweetener E 960), hot drinks and dishes. This plant is believed to improve mental activity and even able to destroy the bacteria that cause caries.

First of all, it is worth saying that stevia does not contain calories. It contains sweet substances (glycosides) that are not metabolized in the human body. In addition, it contains proteins, carbohydrates, phosphorus, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamins A and C.

Not only does this herb not raise blood sugar, but it lowers it if needed. Unlike regular sugar, it does not cause any side effects. Stevia is a useful sugar substitute, especially for people who are at risk of developing hypoglycemia or diabetes. It has now been proven that the extract of this plant increases the body's tolerance to glucose and reduces its concentration in the blood immediately after eating, which is especially important for people with diabetes.

American scientists have found that stevia acts as a natural diuretic in the body, helping the body get rid of excess fluid, relieves fatigue, nervous disorders, harmonizes digestion, regulates blood pressure and helps to lose weight.

Another important benefit of this plant is that it prevents the development of oral bacteria, thus protecting against gum and tooth diseases. Studies have shown that Stevia prevents the development of Streptococcus mutans bacteria. Thus, the plant can be used to prevent and treat gum disease.

Stevia also helps in the treatment of hypertension, and stevioside, a substance found in the leaves, lowers blood pressure. This occurs only in patients with arterial hypertension. Steviol glycosides, as a rule, do not affect the magnitude of pressure if the body is healthy and does not tend to increase pressure. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid that with frequent use of stevia, the pressure will decrease.

Is stevia safe?

Studies conducted in the USA (2009) showed that herb extracts are safe. And it contains practically no nutritional value, so it should be used by people with diabetes, obesity (), cardiovascular diseases. Permissible daily dose is 4 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

Experiments on rats showed that when using stevia in large doses, the animal became very thin. Experts do not recommend getting carried away with this sweetener for children, and also not using it during pregnancy.

In 2009, it was suspected that steviol glycosides could be carcinogenic and also have a negative effect on fetal development. However, in the same year, the Food Safety Authority concluded that the use of stevia is safe. Thus, on November 11, 2011, the European Commission officially recognized it as a food supplement E960, and set a permissible daily intake of 4 mg per kilogram of body weight.

It is known that stevia contains no calories and does not cause fluctuations in blood sugar levels, however, the American Diabetes Association does not recommend overdoing the use of a sweetener, especially when adding it to various desserts.

Stevia or honey grass is used as a sweetener in low calorie diets, in beverages and nutrition for athletes. In the material, you will find out whether this herb really has as many useful properties as they say, what contraindications, pros, cons, and reviews are for stevia and the extract from this plant.

Man's passion for sugar has led to a global addiction. Most of us cannot imagine our day without sugar. It is added to almost all types of bread, even the simplest loaves, check the composition for fun.

The problem is that earlier, just a couple of hundred years ago, people had not yet learned how to produce sugar on an industrial scale and the body received a small amount of sucrose and fructose from fruits and honey. But with progress came sugar abundance, resulting in diseases that had never been heard of before, because it is one of the most harmful ingredients in food.

Today, the trends are exactly the opposite. We try to eat more healthy and naturally, and for this, many give up sugar altogether, especially Paleo dieters. Honey grass and extract from it is the result of many years of searching for a natural and safe substance to replace harmful sugar.

What is stevia. Application and properties

Stevia is a perennial plant that includes over a hundred different types of herbs and shrubs. This herb grows in South America. It got its name from the name of Professor Stevus, who first began to study it in the sixteenth century.

The peculiarity of the stevia herb is that it synthesizes sweet glycosides, and in particular stevioside, a substance due to which the leaves and stems of stevia have a sweet taste. For centuries, the Indian tribes of South America have used stevia leaves to sweeten their favorite tea, mate. There is evidence that these tribes also used stevia as a medicinal product, to treat heartburn, for example.

Stevia is 20 times sweeter than regular sugar, however, it does not increase blood insulin levels, which is why this herb extract has become so popular. Stevioside is safe for diabetics, at least that's what many studies have shown.

Important! The herb itself is sweet and not harmful, it may even contain some useful substances, but if we talk about stevioside, about stevia extract, then opinions are very divided. To obtain an extract, for example, in Coca-Cola, honey grass undergoes over 40 processing steps, during which acetone, ethanol, methanol, acetonitrile and isopropanol are used. Some of these substances are known carcinogens.

It turns out that you need to choose an extract from stevia very carefully, otherwise you will not get any benefit.

  • Application

Basically, stevia is used as a sweetener, syrups are made from honey grass, crystallized extracts are made, stevia leaves are dried and ground into a fine green powder, which is also used as a sugar substitute. Also, in pharmacies you can find tea from stevia leaves.

Video: Stevia - sweetener number 1

Even Indian tribes added fresh leaves of honey grass to their drinks, so even now, this is perhaps the best and most natural way to use stevia.

Stevioside is a very popular supplement in Japan. This country is the largest consumer of honey grass. Stevia extracts are added to a variety of dishes and canned foods. Also, stevioside is approved in a number of countries as a dietary supplement and is popular in South Korea, China and Taiwan.

In the homeland of the sweet grass, it is known as a cure for diabetes, despite the fact that studies have shown only the safety of using stevia in diabetes, but not a cure.

Stevia Benefits:

  • Sweetness
  • naturalness
  • Doesn't increase pressure
  • Useful for diabetics
  • Has zero calories
  • Less toxic than synthetic sweeteners
  • Does not cause side effects
  • Almost no contraindications
  • Affordable price

Minuses:

  • Herbal flavor
  • You can't make caramel like sugar.

In mid-2004, WHO experts temporarily approved stevia as a food supplement with an acceptable daily intake of glucosides up to 2 mg/kg.

Contraindications and harm

Scientists who have done research on stevioside caution that the substance can be toxic if consumed in large amounts. As with sugar and salt, it's important to be careful not to add more than one tablespoon of stevia per day to your meals.

Many people experience allergic reactions after eating stevia and stevioside. Stevioside is also not recommended for pregnant and lactating women, since the question of the effect of honey grass and its derivatives on fetal development has so far been very little studied.

When choosing a stevia-based sweetener, it is important to pay attention to the content. Very often, there are much more additional ingredients and flavors than the product itself.

Everything you need to know about stevia. Question answer

  • Is stevia safe?

In general, this is a natural product that has been used as food by South American tribes for many centuries. Stevia extract and stevioside have been repeatedly tested and so far it can be said with confidence that no evidence of toxicity or carcinogenicity has been found when the daily allowance is observed. However, you should always check the composition of stevia sugar substitutes for the presence of not very healthy ingredients. Choose the most natural product, without flavors and dyes.

  • How Much Stevia Can You Take Per Day?

When asked how much stevia can be consumed per day, any nutritionist will answer that you should not lean too much on honey grass. If you decide to go on a diet, then you should try to exclude sugar altogether, and use stevia only occasionally, when you really want something sweet, and there is no honey or a few dried dates on hand.

The maximum dose of stevioside per day is 2 grams, which corresponds to about 40 grams of sugar, which is 1 tablespoon without a slide.

  • Can stevioside replace sugar?

Of course you can, but it is important to respect the proportions. So, fresh and dried honey grass is 10-15 times sweeter than regular sugar, and pure stevioside is generally considered 200 times sweeter, this must be taken into account.

  • calories

There are no calories with stevioside at all. There may be little in fresh grass, as all plants contain nutrients. But considering that, due to the sweetness of stevia, it is used in very small quantities, the number of calories is close to zero.

  • Can Stevia be used in cooking and baking?

Necessarily. Only, as it is already known, it will not work to make caramel from stevia, but otherwise, it is a good sugar substitute that can be added to any dishes. Athletes love to sweeten their protein shakes with a little stevioside. Honey grass will be an excellent flavor additive in smoothie recipes for weight loss .

  • Does Stevia contain vitamins and minerals?

Fresh honey grass contains many nutrients, but listing and studying them is not so important and here's why. To sweeten a cup of tea, you only need 1 leaf of stevia. In such a quantity of the product, the presence of vitamins and minerals is simply negligible, and in the stevia extract and stevioside, no vitamins remain after processing. It's just a good sugar substitute, and we look for vitamins and minerals in vegetables and fruits.

  • How to make stevia syrup?

The syrup is easy to make. To do this, a bunch of stevia leaves or a cup of dry leaves is poured over two glasses cold water and leave in a dark cool place for 48 hours. After that, filter, add another 1 glass of water and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. This syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Video: How to grow stevia

  • Where to buy stevia?

Fortunately, stevia is available and sold in many online stores, but there is one problem. I have yet to find any extract, honey grass powder, that does not contain flavorings and other dubious additives like silicon dioxide. Therefore, my personal opinion and recommendation is to buy dry stevia leaves or stevia leaf powder, and the most courageous of course can start growing honey grass on their own.

Today, stevia is the best sugar substitute in existence, it is non-toxic when used daily, does not cause side effects, and is useful for diabetics and those who want to lose weight.

In the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle, the fight against obesity occupies a leading position. One of the "culprits" excess weight, sugar, it is recommended to exclude from the diet and replace it with a harmless and low-calorie sweetener stevia.

History reference

For a long time, sugar cane was the only source of sugar. Black slaves worked hard on plantations so that Europeans could indulge in sweets.

The monopoly was broken only with the arrival of sugar beets on the sweet market. Meanwhile, a plant has been discovered in Central and South America whose leaves have a sweet taste.

The discovery belongs to the Swiss Mose Giacomo Bertoni, who headed the agronomic college in the capital of Paraguay. After 12 years, having received a plant as a gift (and not dry leaves, as it was before), the scientist was able to describe a new type of stevia and get an extract from it.

The natural habitat of stevia is not large: the highlands on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. However, the plant takes root quite easily with the right care and gives rich harvests. In temperate climates, stevia grows like an annual, the plant must be planted every year. Although, having set a goal, you can grow a perennial in a greenhouse or on a windowsill. When cultivating stevia, it is difficult to grow from seeds; for reproduction, a vegetative method is used - shoots.

A natural sweetener is widely used in Japan, in the United States stevia is positioned as a dietary supplement (not competing with aspartame common there). In addition, stevia is extremely popular and in demand in the countries of East Asia, Israel, South America, China, and southern regions of Russia.

A unique plant, or what can replace sugar


Stevia is used as a sugar substitute due to its chemical composition:

  • stevioside is a glycoside containing a non-carbohydrate fragment and a carbohydrate glucose residue. It was synthesized from the leaves of the plant in the thirties of the last century, the content is up to 20% of dry weight. Has a slightly bitter taste.
  • Rebaudiosides A are substances that have an ideally sweet taste, many times greater than sugar in concentration. 1 g of the substance isolated and purified after obtaining the extract is replaced by up to 400 g of sugar.

Stevia Benefits

The calorie content of sugar is very high - 400 kcal per 100 g of sand. Excess glucose turns into fat, which inevitably leads to an increase in body weight and, with excessive consumption of the product, to obesity.

Separately, it should be said about people suffering from diabetes. With diabetes elevated level blood glucose is dangerous not only for health, but for the life of the patient.

For diabetics and people struggling with excess weight, chemical sugar substitutes are produced:

  1. Aspartame (E951), beloved by Americans, is 150-200 times sweeter than sugar, has a low calorie content of 4 kcal / g, collapses when heated and is not suitable for sweetening tea instead of sugar;
  2. Sodium cyclamate (E952), 30-50 times sweeter than conventional sugar. Studies have shown that cyclamate causes the development of cancerous tumors in experimental rats, but a carcinogenic effect has not been established for humans. However, the substance is listed as conditionally teratogenic and is prohibited for use during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. Banned for use in the United States of America;
  3. Instead of sugar, saccharin (E954) is used as a diabetic product. Its production has been greatly reduced in recent years. Saccharin, when added to foods and drinks, gives them an unpleasant metallic taste, in addition, inhibits the growth of beneficial intestinal flora and prevents the absorption of biotin (vitamin H), which is necessary for the synthesis of enzymes, collagen, and regulation of carbon dioxide transport.

Along with chemical, natural sweeteners are used - xylitol, sorbitol, fructose, but their calorie content differs little from sugar.

The main trump card that the stevia herb has is an extremely low calorie content. Stevia extracts have zero calorie content, which allows them to be used for weight loss.

Stevia leaves contain vitamins, trace elements, amino acids, essential oils, bioflavonoids and other substances that explain the benefits of the plant.

Beneficial features stevia:

  • gives a feeling of rapid satiety and suppresses appetite;
  • absorbed by the body without the participation of insulin;
  • lowers blood glucose levels;
  • normalizes metabolic processes in the body;
  • prevents the deposition of cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels;
  • normalizes digestion;
  • stabilizes blood pressure and protects the myocardium;
  • stimulates immune system;
  • has antibacterial action.

Where to buy stevia?


Preparations containing the sweetener stevia are sold in pharmacies and online stores specializing in the sale of products healthy eating.

stevia tablets

A convenient and practical form of stevioside release is tablets. One tablet of sweetness replaces a teaspoon of sugar, contains 0.7 kcal. Additional sweetness is provided by the polyhydric alcohol erythrinol, the filler is dextrose. The tablets contain vitamins and elements.

Tablets are approved for use by people with diabetes and disorders thyroid gland, they normalize blood glucose levels, lower blood pressure, are indicated for violations from the side gastrointestinal tract and exacerbation of allergic reactions.

Tablets dissolve well and are used to add sweetness to drinks and dishes in cooking.

medicinal tea

Herbal tea Crimean stevia is a natural product containing more than fifty useful substances: amino acids, vitamins, trace elements, beta-carotene, pectins and others.

Tea removes radionuclides and salts of heavy metals from the body, strengthens the immune system, lowers blood glucose and cholesterol levels, and blood pressure. The brewed leaves have a sweet taste and additional sugar and its substitutes are not required. To prepare a drink 1 tsp. dry leaves are poured, 2 liters of boiling water and brewed for 5-7 minutes. Leaves can be used as a sugar substitute in other drinks, baked goods. Stevia suppresses appetite for a long time, you can add rose hips, chamomile to tea, and chicory to coffee.


sweet powder

Stevia honey - one of the varieties of stevia, is used to prepare a sweetener. Stevia powder is used not only to add to tea, but also in recipes for a wide variety of dishes. It has no contraindications, except for individual intolerance.

How to take the powder?

1 g of stevia powder is equal in sweetness to 2 tsp. Sahara. The powder has zero calories.

Stevia in sachets

Dry crushed leaves packaged in filter bags are convenient for brewing, since a single dose is accurately measured. 1 sachet is brewed with 0.2 liters of water and infused for about 5-7 minutes. Since stevia suppresses appetite, it is recommended to drink tea on an empty stomach (if the goal is to lose weight).

Sweets for joy

Stevia chocolate is one option for low-calorie, healthy treats. Its calorie content is 460 kcal per 100 g of product. Does not contain sugar, but contains the probiotic inulin. Thanks to him and stevioside, the level of sugar in the blood decreases, the level of cholesterol normalizes.

Numerous reviews testify to the benefits of this sweetness, unlike ordinary chocolate. In health food stores, you can find stevia sweets with the addition of figs, dried apricots, almonds and walnuts.

Homemade Stevia Recipes


  1. Stevia syrup. To prepare a syrup (extract) at home, you need 150 g of dry stevia leaves. They are placed in a three-liter jar and poured with vodka so that the liquid level is 1.5-2 cm higher than the level of the leaves. The jar is corked and shaken vigorously, after which it is left to brew for a day. The finished syrup is filtered, separating the leaves, and stored in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to 4 months. 10 drops of stevia is enough to add sweetness to a cup of tea or coffee. A glass of sugar when baking will replace 1 tbsp. l. syrup.
  2. For home preservation:
  • stevia jam - 1 tsp extract per 1 kg of canned food;
  • for compotes - from 15 to 80 g of dry leaves;
  • for marinades - 3-5 g of leaves per three-liter jar;
  • for pickles, leaves are added instead of sugar - 5-6 pcs.
  1. Meringue with stevia. Separate 5-7 egg whites and beat them until a white thick foam that holds its shape. Add 10 drops of stevia extract. On a preheated baking sheet lined with baking paper, put small balls with a spoon. Bake at a temperature of 110 0 C for 40 minutes.
  2. Stevia casserole. Mix a pack of fatty cottage cheese, 2 egg yolks, 1 tbsp. l. butter, 3 g powdered leaves or 5 drops of stevia extract. Add 1 tbsp. l. flour, vanilla and raisins to taste. Transfer the resulting mass into a mold and bake in the oven at a temperature of 120 0 C for 25-30 minutes.
  3. Oatmeal. Pour 150 g of water and 100 g of milk into a bowl, heat slightly, add 2 tbsp. l. oatmeal. Cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes after boiling. Turn off, add 1/3 tsp. salt, 10 drops of stevia extract or 2-3 tablets, 1 tsp. butter.

Stevia is a useful plant both for those who want to lose weight, but do not find the strength to give up sweets, and for those whose body, due to endocrine disorders, is not able to process sugar. Various forms of release of stevia preparations allow everyone to choose the best for themselves. Clinical trials have proven that stevia has no side effects, but excessive consumption of the sweetener will harm the body.