Stevia, nature’s sweetener.
Stevia Rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, is a
native South- American herb in the Asteraceae family, grown for its sweet
leaves. As a sweetener and sugar substitute, Stevia's taste has a slower onset
and longer duration than that of sugar, and some of its extracts may have a
bitter or licorice-like aftertaste. I
regularly chew on a Stevia leaf when walking in the garden and the sweet taste
in my mouth lasts for half an hour at least.
The plant’s leaves contain two glycosides, stevioside and
rebaudioside, which are up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, but contain no
calories.
This makes Stevia a popular completely natural sweetener,
especially useful in carbohydrate-controlled diet. We can add a few fresh or
dried leaves to our beverage for sweetening.
Stevia remains stable in heating and cooking, which makes
it attractive in cooking and baking as well.
Good news for diabetics too, as Stevia lowers blood sugar
levels. It has traditionally been used for treating diabetes in Brazil and
Paraguay. Stevia stimulates production and release of insulin in the pancreas,
and discourages glucose absorption in the blood, therefore helping in the
treatment of type 2 diabetes. I have to state caution here though, as
overconsumption may well lead to adrenal imbalance. ‘All things in moderation’
is a good motto to live by.
Stevia is packed with antioxidants. It's also rich in
nutrients such as phosphorus, calcium, proteins, vitamins, magnesium, zinc,
sodium and other minerals.
It has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and
anti-inflammatory properties. Those who suffer from Candida Albicans will find
stevia a helpful ally in the treatment of this fungal infection.
Stevia is diuretic and lowers uric acid.
The indigenous people in Paraguay and Bolivia have been
using Stevia to soothe upset stomach, heartburn, and to improve digestion and
gastrointestinal health. Adding a few leaves to your mint tea after meals will
reduce bloating and other stomach problems.
Studies have shown it lowers cholesterol and blood
pressure (though you have to consume a lot of it for this to happen).There are
no reported side effects of Stevia when
taken in moderation. Based
on intensive global researches and scientific reports, The World Health
Organisation (WHO) of the UN and Food and Drug Administration of the US had
approved the use of Steviol glycosides as safe, even in pregnancy, and have
established an acceptable daily intake of 4mg per kg of body weight. However,
if you are taking any medication for diabetes, due to its hypoglycemic action
you should consume Stevia under supervision of a herbalist or other health
professional.
How to use Stevia?
To sweeten your tea, simply add a pinch of crushed stevia
leaves to the pot. For your coffee, you can infuse a couple of leaves in hot
water for 5 minutes, strain and then use this water for making your coffee.
For use in baking, you can easily make your own Stevia
extract: fill an empty, clean glass jar with dried Stevia leaves, add vodka
until all the plant material is submerged. Close the jar and shake well. Leave
your jar in a place where you can see it and shake it a few times a day for 2
days. On the 3rd day, strain your extract through a coffee filter or
cheesecloth. Don’t let it sit longer to try and get a stronger flavour. It will get more bitter. Bottle the liquid
and discard the leaves. This extract now has a shelf life of 2 years. One
teaspoon equals one cup of sugar! You can also use this extract for sweetening
your beverages. If you don’t want the alcohol, you can let your extract simmer
in a pan on very low heat (don’t let it boil or it will be ruined) for 20
minutes. The alcohol will then have evaporated, but you’ll have to keep your extract
in the fridge and consume it within a month.
For a water based stevia extract, use 1/2 cup dried
stevia leaves, tightly packed and 1 cup of water. Bring water to a simmer in a small
saucepan. Do not boil. You should see small bubbles only. Stir in dried stevia leaves and remove from
heat. Cover and let steep for 40
minutes. Strain out the leaves. Pour into a clean glass jar, cover and store
in refrigerator for up to two weeks. This
recipe yields approximately 1/2 cup of extract.
In health food stores you can find powdered Stevia, this
is definitely very convenient as you can simply add a pinch of it to your beverages.
White stevia is not the same as the home made extract
chemically, nor does it have any calories, but it is a chemically processed
powder that has been removed from the stevia leaf – just like white sugar is
just the very sweet sucrose removed from sugar cane or sugar beets.
The sweet chemicals are glycosides (stevioside and
rebaudioside) and have about a 10% concentration in the stevia plant leaf. Most
white powders contain an extract that is up to 80-90% steviocide and
rebaudioside.
This white powder has undergone extensive processing and
bleaching. The bitter aftertaste has been removed from the product and maltodextrine,
a carbohydrate (generally derived from genetically modified corn), is one of the
additives.
Though this product is still a much better option than a chemical
artificial sweetener like aspartame, which, in my opinion, is a dangerous
poison, it is well worth it to make your own extract, and much cheaper too.
Growing your own Stevia is easy, the plant likes damp
feet and both sun and shade, so water it regularly and in the hot summer months
make sure to have it in partial shade. Stevia plants are available in Cyprus at
garden centres. They are annuals so you’ll need to buy new plants each spring, but
you can harvest the leaves throughout spring and summer.
