Stevia leaf is an all-natural sweetener. It comes from a bush that grows naturally in Brazil and Paraguay. While people in South America have been using it to sweeten their food and drinks for hundreds of years, it has been used extensively in other countries for the past decades. In 2008, stevia sweetener was approved in the US as a food additive and its popularity is growing rapidly due to its many benefits.
Stevia helps reduce food and other cravings
One of the main reasons stevia is so popular is that it can help people lose weight. By sweetening foods and beverages with stevia, people who need to cut calories to lose weight can safely do so without sacrificing the sweet foods they love. It can also benefit weight loss by acting as an appetite suppressant. This works when a few drops of concentrated stevia leaf are ingested about 20 minutes before eating. Since sweet leaf stevia is completely natural and has no known side effects, it is certainly much safer than taking dangerous diet pills!
This amazing substance not only suppresses food cravings, it has also been shown to reduce cravings for tobacco and alcohol.
Stevia leaf helps regulate blood sugar
Doctors in Paraguay have long prescribed stevia to their diabetic and hypoglycemic patients. This is because it has properties that help stabilize blood sugar. While regular sugar can cause a sudden spike in blood sugar followed by a rapid drop, the stevia leaf keeps the flow more constant. Naturopaths know this too and have used stevia powder and other forms of the sweetener for their patients for a long time.
Patients with hypertension have also benefited from the use of stevia leaf because it helps lower blood pressure. For those whose blood pressure is normal, stevia extract powder and other forms of stevia have no effect.
Stevia helps prevent cavities
When used in chewing gum, foods, and beverages, the stevia leaf actually helps prevent tooth decay. This is because it slows down the growth of bacteria in the mouth, causing plaque to build up. When used in toothpaste or added to water as a mouthwash, it helps reduce bleeding gum problems. Companies that produce toothpaste and mouthwashes are catching up and adding stevia sweetener to them.
Stevia has antioxidants that promote health
Those who use stevia leaf in oral care, as well as in food and drink, have also been observed to get colds and flu less often. This may be due to the large amount of antioxidants and other nutrients it contains, including vitamins C and A, zinc, magnesium, and iron.
Since antioxidants fight cancer-causing free radicals, stevia can help prevent cancer. One particular enzyme found in stevia leaf, which acts as an antioxidant, is SOD, which stands for superoxide dismutase. Cancer cells have been shown to have little or no SOD. Since sugar and common artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose have no antioxidants, this makes sweet stevia leaf a great choice as a sweetener.
These are just a few of the many health benefits found in the stevia leaf. No other sweetener really compares, making it a great alternative to satisfy your sweet tooth!