Stevia is a sugar substitute made from the leaves of the stevia plant and is classified as a non-nutritive substitute as it has zero to no calories per serving.
It is derived from a plant that is a member of the Asteraceae family (sunflowers, daisies and ragweed family).
These members of the Astreceae family contain a glucose-like molecule which tastes sweet but does not affect blood sugar.
It contains 8 different types of glycosides, compounds that are purified and extracted from the plant, namely; stevioside, rebaudioside A, C, D, E, and F, steviolbioside and dulcoside A.
Below are 6 amazing benefits of stevia:
1. Losing Weight
Because Stevia can be more than forty times sweeter than sugar, depending on whether it is in a concentrated form or natural dried-leaf, it can help ween consumers off of other sweet foods.
This is complemented by that fact that stevia contains little to no caloric content. It can even be baked and cooked into products without the active chemicals breaking down.
2. Antioxidant content
Unlike processed, white sugar, Stevia-containing plants also contain a collection of antioxidant compounds such as tannins and flavonoids among others. Antioxidants have been documented as having important health functions: preventing healthy cells from turning cancerous and helping to strengthen the immune system.
3. Clear, healthy skin
Some of the active chemicals in Stevia plants are Vitamin A and C. These components, along with a number of others, have been proven to increase overall skin health. Additionally, the antibacterial and anti-fungal properties of the Stevia plant have also been proven to treat skin conditions such as acne.
4. Diabetes symptoms
Because the constituent chemicals in Stevia that make it sweet do not enter the blood stream, thus making it an ideal replacement for sucrose. For people with Diabetes or on sugar-free diets, Stevia can be a viable alternative that won’t induce dangerous side-effects.
5. Lowers Cholesterol Levels
Studies show that consumption of stevia leads to a significant reduction in bad LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels and an increase in the HDL cholesterol levels, which is healthy cholesterol and is essential for good lipid profile.
6. Oral Health
Stevia has been found to reduce bacterial formation in the mouth, making it a popular additive for toothpastes and mouthwashes. It also prevents cavities and gingivitis, which sucrose certainly doesn’t do!
