It is increasingly common to find foods and products that contain stevia to avoid sugar. A sweetener that claims to be natural because it is derived from a plant that bears the same name. This famous alternative to the traditional sweetener that we usually see in supermarkets is good for sweetening but it is not as good or as natural as they say. However, it is not the same to talk about the sweetener as the plant that bears the same name.
The natural stevia It is a plant that has health benefits, does not provide calories and is an excellent replacement for refined sugar and sweeteners with a chemical composition.. As always, the difference is to avoid ultra-processed foods and incorporate the most natural elements possible.
What is stevia and what is it for?
Natural stevia is a plant native to South America, particularly Paraguay. It is a small shrub that reaches a maximum of 80 cm, evergreen, from the chrysanthemum family.
This plant It has become popular due to the sweetness of its leaves. which are between 15 and 30 times sweeter than sugar. For this reason it has been used for centuries by native peoples to sweeten drinks.
stevia and sugar
Nowadays stevia is used to replace sugar and other sweeteners in both beverages and sweet preparations. You can use it both to sweeten a smoothie with your favorite non-dairy milk, as a pudding or healthy snacks such as a bowl of yogurt and fruit. But the important thing is to use it in its natural version.
How healthy is stevia?
Well this really depends on if you use natural stevia or stevia sweetener, because they are not the same at all.
The Natural stevia, that is to say the leaf of the plant that bears its name, is rich in carbohydrates, fiber, proteins and minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron. It also contains phytochemicals that have important therapeutic properties.
But the main reason for the diffusion in its consumption is glycosides. Molecules with an important sweetening capacity that are in the leaf of the plant. The important thing is that these components they have the ability to not increase blood glucose since their glycemic index is zero.
In addition to being a natural sweetener, the stevia plant has medicinal properties and does not provide calories or have an impact on blood sugar, which makes it a good sweetener for people with diabetes.
the plant of stevia natural it is:
- antibacterial
- Vasosolidator
- diuretic
- Immunomodulatory
However, it must be taken into account that to enjoy these properties it is important to ingest it naturally, since its derivatives such as stevia sweetener or the stevia sweetener they are artificial derivatives that only recover their glycosides. It is also about products ultra-processed they are usually no better for your health than a common sweetener. You should always be careful not to be fooled by labels.
How much stevia can be taken per day?
Stevia leaves can be taken fresh or dried. You can chew them directly or blend them. The best way to take advantage of its properties is to take it as an infusion. Using its leaves in combination with other herbs such as mint, pennyroyal or thyme is usually very good.
It is recommended to infuse 1 to 3 stevia leaves per cup if we are going to use them in this way and we want to use it to sweeten infusions. We can also find it dry or powdered, but you always have to read the label to make sure it is natural and not the chemical extract.
If we talk about stevia sweetener (the one we find in packets or liquid in the supermarket) is a different matter because it contains additives. In this case it is better not to consume more than 4mg per kilo of body weight per day.
How harmful is stevia?
Stevia as a plant is not harmful, quite the opposite. What happens is that many of the products that we consume or acquire as “stevia” are actually additive chemical derivatives. Although it is presented as a “special” or “natural” product, it is nothing more than a marketing strategy.
Not everything derived from plants is natural, as not everyone who stops eating animals leads a truly healthy life. It is useless to change certain eating habits if you continue to eat foods that contain chemical additives that are not good for your health.
Most of these chemical presentations extract a part of the glycosides from the plant through a maceration process. But the solution that is obtained is purified and crystallized, a process in which other components are added.
So, consume the stevia sweetener or the stevia sweetener it is quite different from making infusions with its leaves or consuming them directly. And most importantly: because I say natural, it does not mean that it is. If we do not take these things into account, we can be at the mercy of greenwashing strategies.
Sources: conasi, ABC, The world