Stevia: a natural alternative to sugar

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is a herbaceous plant that grows mainly in high altitude areas and sandy soil. It originates in Paraguay, but is currently also cultivated in Brazil and Asia. The Guarani Indians used their leaves to sweeten beverages and enhance the taste of certain herbal remedies.

Currently, there are several alternatives used by the industry as sugar substitutes. Sweeteners are increasingly present in the products we consume in our day-to-day and have the advantages of not adding energetic value to food products and have a much higher sweetness power than refined white sugar. Most are artificial, as is the case of aspartame, saccharin or sucralose. As the main natural sweetener, Stevia appears.

Stevia was first introduced in Europe in 1887. From the leaves steviol glycosides (such as rebaudioside A, stevioside or isosteviol) are extracted, responsible for their sweetening properties. The plant is harvested before it blooms, since it is at this point that the concentration of steviol glycosides is higher. Subsequently it is dehydrated and the leaves are separated from the stem to be processed.

Commonly known as Stevia, this naturally occurring sweetener may have a sweetness 30 to 320 times higher than that of refined sugar, depending on the constituent steviol glycosides. It does not yet have an energy value or affect blood glucose values, so it can be a good alternative for diabetics and for weight control.

The presence of Stevia in foods is identified in the list of ingredients by E960, referring to steviol glycosides. Stevia is mainly added to soft drinks, chocolates, cookies, cakes or ice creams.

“Commonly known as Stevia, this naturally occurring sweetener may have a sweetness 30 to 320 times higher than that of refined sugar, depending on the constituent steviol glycosides.”

Stevia can be found in the market in conjunction with other artificial or pure sweeteners, in liquid, powder or dragee form. You can use it in a ketogenic diet as a substitute for sugar in cakes and desserts, or add to tea or coffee. If you prefer, you can grow Stevia at home and use the leaves to sweeten your dishes and desserts.

Although it is a good alternative to sugar because of its high sweetness and calorie-free, studies of the effects of Stevia on the human body are still limited and should be consumed in moderation.