Stevia has gained a lot of popularity as it is a beneficial sugar-substitute product consumed by people who are health conscious. People have started using Stevia-based products in their tea, coffee, and baked products. It is considered one of the healthiest sugar substitutes that provide zero calories to consumers.
Stevia contains all the natural ingredients and is the safest option to use by people. We must learn about the product before making it a part of our diet. Let’s see how stevia sugar wins over table sugar.
What Is Stevia?
Stevia Rebaudiana is the scientific name of the stevia plant. The fresh leaves of the stevia plant look a lot like mint. People use stevia sugar as a tea sweetener. They have also been utilizing it for herbal or traditional medicinal purposes.
The stevia plant has gained popularity among thousands of people, because of its unlimited health benefits. Stevia means ‘sweet herb’ and has been utilized tremendously as a sugar substitute. Leaves of the stevia plant are 300 times sweeter in flavor compared to sugar. Stevia products are not prepared with other artificial sweeteners, also contributing zero calories to the consumers.
Stevia comes in many different forms as sugar. It comes in powder, liquid, and tablet form. It is available in the form of powdered sugar in Pakistan. People use stevia sugar in many recipes.
Nutritional Facts About Stevia
Stevia is a sugar substitute that is carb and calorie-free. Having no calories means that you can consume them without having the stress of increased carbs or calories in your diet. This sweetener is healthy for people following Keto or Low Carb diets.
Stevia products contain many Vitamins and Minerals that add value to this healthy alternative to sugar. Nutrition facts can differ from product to product. The powdered Stevia form is much sweeter than the liquid Stevia form.
Why Would You Love Stevia Sugar?
Stevia is organically grown. It is naturally Gluten-free. It also has no impact on the Glycemic Index. Stevia acts as a medicine for many purposes that reduces fat and blood sugar levels. It has been a beneficial product that’s been helping people lose weight.
One of the main reasons why people love stevia sugar is that its consumption does not influence blood sugar levels. For this reason, diabetes patients consume it as a sugar substitute to take its most advantage.
Helps With Blood Sugar And Hypertension
Many studies have shown that Stevia products have been a great help in improving the insulin production of consumers. For this fact, people with diabetes love using this sweetener in their daily lives. It is also effective in the management of hypertension.
Reduces Obesity
Consumption of stevia sugar is highly beneficial in reducing obesity and weight in many people. Many people gain weight because of added sugars in their diet that give them a lot of calories. When you use stevia sugar, the overall calorie consumption decreases. Stevia contributes no calories at all to your diet.
Perfect Antioxidant
Like many other plants, stevia sugar provides many antioxidants to your body. These healthy antioxidants act as a defense system and repair the damage caused by free radicals. Thus, people prefer stevia sugar over other sweeteners that do not contain antioxidants.
Safe To Use With Cancer
Numerous studies show that stevia sugar is the safest option to consume for cancer patients. All of it is true because it contains all the natural ingredients. The preparation of stevia sugar does not require other artificial sweeteners.
Safe To Consume In Pregnancy And Breastfeeding
FDA suggests that stevia sugar is a safe option to choose in pregnancy. Stevia does not necessarily increase the production of breast milk. But, the risks to the newborn baby from various health conditions might decrease by consuming stevia sugar.
How To Use Stevia Sugar?
Many sugar substitutes and low-calorie beverages use stevia sugar in their preparation. Stevia is an incredible product that can be replaced by sugar while trying different recipes. It is effectively consumed in baking and cooking, adding to the fact that it is healthier to use.
The amount of stevia sugar used in different products varies depending upon the product. There are numerous recipes available that include stevia sugar as an ingredient. Stevia has no after-taste and can enhance the flavor of the products. People have now been widely using Stevia in home cooking and baking.
The preparation of desserts, ice creams, yogurts, sauces, bread, pickled foods, sea foods, and vegetables can become healthier using stevia sugar.
Stevia Is Better Than Sugar. How?
Stevia contributes fewer calories than sugar and is a great help in weight management as it reduces the total calorie intake. Being a carb-free and calorie-free sugar product, it is effective for low-carb or low-calorie diets.
It helps people with diabetes by reducing their Glycemic Index (GI). Table sugar has a Glycemic Index of 65, while on the other hand, Stevia contributes 0 Glycemic index and helps in managing the blood sugar levels.
Sugar contains high amounts of sucrose and fructose that can cause obesity, inflammation, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, it is recommended not to consume more than 10% sugar in your daily routine calories.
Bottom Line
Sugar is linked with various diseases and deprives the health of individuals; therefore, replacing sugar with no-calorie Stevia will improve your health in the longer term. Although it contains zero calories, we should use smaller amounts of this sugar.