Stevia leaves, a natural sweetener, zero calories sugar substitute

Many people have realized that excessive sugar consumption will be bad for their health. One of them, you could be at risk of developing diabetes mellitus due to high levels of sugar in the blood constantly. Therefore, switching to healthier natural sweeteners such as stevia (derived from stevia leaves) can be an alternative. What are the advantages of stevia so that it is better to choose as a sweetener instead of sugar?

Stevia leaves can be used as a sweetener

Stevia is the popular name for a plant-derived ingredientStevia rebaudiana. Plant leavesStevia rebaudiana this has actually been widely used by people in the Paraguay and Brazil region since the past. However, the use of stevia as a sweetener only became widely recognized after it was "discovered" and introduced by the botanist Antonio Bertoni in 1887.

These leaves contain compounds that have a very sweet taste, such as steviosideandrebaudioside. When processed into a sweetener, the level of sweetness is very high, even 50-350 times as much sugar. In addition, this sweetener has zero calories and very little carbohydrates. That is why, this one sweetener is the right sugar substitute for diabetes people.

The use of stevia leaves as a sweetener has been widely used in various countries including Japan, Korea, China, Southeast Asia and South America. The use of sweeteners from this natural plant also varies in a wide variety of products ranging from beverages, candy, pickled vegetables to seafood products.

This plant is considered to be a healthier source of sweeteners to replace sugar and artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin and aspartame.

The advantages of stevia leaves over sugar

The following are advantages that can explain the benefits of stevia as a healthier sweetener than sugar:

1. The right sweetener for diabetes

Sugar and sweet foods seem to be the biggest enemies for people with diabetes mellitus. However, this time those of you who have diabetes can still feel the return to consuming sweet foods using stevia sweeteners.

This sweetener derived from stevia leaf extract is considered safer for diabetics because it does not increase blood sugar levels.

In South America, this plant extract has even long been used as a sugar substitute for diabetics.

2. Low in calories

Excessive body weight is actually caused by consuming foods with high calories and sugar content. That is why, if you often eat sweet foods, your weight can also increase rapidly.

Well, the sweetener derived from stevia leaves has zero calories so it is safer for those of you who are diabetic and want to maintain your weight.

3. Good for blood pressure

Not only is it an alternative for controlling blood sugar, this type of natural sweetener is also for your blood pressure. Stevia is also useful in reducing the risk of hypertension.

This is mentioned in a study published in the journal Clinical Therapeutics, which was carried out for 2 years. This study demonstrates the benefits of the compoundstevioside which is extracted from stevia leaves has the potential to reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension.

However, further tests are still needed to study the benefits of this stevia leaf extract in terms of lowering blood pressure.

4. Safe for children

Most cases of obesity in children are caused by uncontrolled food intake, especially those high in calories and sugar. Children generally like sweet foods. This is one of the factors that makes them continue to gain weight.

If left untreated, obese children have a higher chance of developing chronic diseases in adulthood. To prevent this, sweeteners such as stevia can be used as a sugar substitute for children.

Regarding the concern whether or not this sweetener is safe for consumption by children, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) - or an organization that is equivalent to the POM in Indonesia - has stated that this sweetener is safe for consumption by all people, including children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.

Lack of stevia sweeteners

Studies on the potential health benefits of sweeteners derived from stevia leaves are still underway.

This is because there are still several health risks that can arise from the consumption of this sweetener. Therefore, you still need to be aware of some of these things when using it as a sweetener instead of sugar.

1. Trigger consumption of high-calorie foods

Research from journals Apetitewhich indicates that the consumption of the compound stevioside up to 1,500 mg / day is safe and causes no significant side effects.

In this study it was also found that foods made from stevia sweeteners did not change eating habits. Despite being low in calories, participants who ate foods made from this sweetener did not overeat at their next meal.

However, the health benefits of this sweetener still require clinical review from other researchers as well as deeper research.

There is still a possibility for someone to consume excess calories due to the sweetener from stevia leaves which do not have a high caloric value. Instead of losing weight, consumption of non-calorie sweeteners can actually lead to weight gain.

2. Not completely natural sweetener

Many think that the non-calorie sweeteners used today come directly from the leaves. In fact, the FDA which issued a statement that stevia is safe until now only allows its use that has undergone a refining process.

Eating the leaves directly is harmful to kidney function, reproductive system, and heart health.

This means that stevia that is safe for consumption is no longer a natural ingredient, but has been purified with other chemicals (steviol glycosides), such as sugar derived from sugar beets or sugar cane.

3. Addiction effects

Considering the potential health benefits of stevia, there's nothing wrong with making it a sugar substitute. However, you still need to manage your food consumption properly, especially in limiting your daily intake of this sweetener.

The reason is, stevia, which goes through a chemical refining process also has the same addictive effect as regular food sweeteners such as sucrose.

If you consume too much of this sweetener, it is possible that you can also be more at risk of obesity (obesity) and diabetes by consuming too much regular sugar.

With these advantages, stevia can be used as a substitute for daily sugar which can reduce the risk of health problems caused by increased blood sugar, such as hyperglycemia or prediabetes.

If its use is accompanied by the adoption of a healthy diet and an active lifestyle, you can also prevent diabetes mellitus, especially type 2 diabetes.