What is Stevia?

Stevia is a genus of nearly 240 species of herbs and shrubs belonging to the sunflower family. Subtropical and tropical South America and Central America are regions where stevia is usually found. Stevia is also known as sweet leaf and sugar leaf. It is grown for its sweet leaves. It is often used as a substitute for sugar. Its taste lasts longer than sugar. Some of its extracts, however, have a bitter aftertaste, if used in high concentration.

Popularity of Stevia

Stevia has attracted a lot of attention in the recent times. This can be attributed to the rise in demand for low carbohydrate, low sugar food alternatives. Moreover, medical research has suggested possible benefits of stevia in treating high blood pressure and obesity. It has become a convenient choice for a natural sweetener to all those on a carbohydrate controlled diet. This is due to the fact that stevia has minimal effect on blood glucose. United States had banned stevia in the early 1990s unless labeled as a supplement. However, it is widely used in Japan and in the recent times it is being available as a dietary supplement in Canada.

Medicinal use of Stevia

Some tribes of Paraguay and Brazil had been using stevia for centuries. They had been using it as a sweetener in yerba mate and medicinal teas for treating ailments like heartburn. Medical research in more recent times has brought more good news for stevia users. Recent researches suggest that stevia has possible effects in treating hypertension. N addition to its minimal effect on blood glucose, stevia has also been found to be enhancing glucose tolerance. Then it is only natural that it has become a favored choice for a natural sweetener with the diabetics.

Moreover, research has suggested that the treatment of osteoporosis is possible through the use of stevia, because it has been observed that the breakage of eggshell can be reduced by adding a small amount of stevia leaf powder to chicken feed. It was also observed that pigs, that were given a small percentage of stevia leaf powder in their feed, had experience a doubling of serum calcium.