Stevia tablets benefits and harms. Stevia "honey grass" benefits and harms, application

stevia- bushy grass from the Astrov family. Grows naturally in Latin America. The plant is grown on plantations in order to obtain sweet substances that replace traditional sugar. Stevia raw materials and preparations have a low energy value and do not contain a glucose group. Therefore, with regular use, they do not increase blood sugar levels. Recommended for use in diabetes and those who want to get rid of excess weight. 50-300 times sweeter than sugar. Does not harm health. Plant extracts are distinguished by good culinary qualities, they are used in the food industry and at home, for baking and confectionery. It is known that stevia is unpretentious, can be grown at home. Regular use of honey grass strengthens the body and improves tone. For health, it is the #1 sweetener in the world!

Stevia - what is it?

Stevia is only called an herb. In fact, it is a perennial shrub. Its height reaches 120 cm. The accepted classification refers the Stevia genus to the numerous Astrov family, the Astroflower order, and the Dicotyledon class.

Rice. 1. Stevia plant inflorescences

Stevia has a stem up to 1.5 cm thick. The bush is well pubescent, its shape is different, depending on the place of growth and the method of cultivation. Paired leaves, saturated green, have rounded serrated edges. During the flowering period, stevia is covered with small white, sometimes with a pinkish tinge, inflorescences (Fig. 1). Ripe seeds are small, brownish or grayish in color.

The Stevia genus includes 241 species, but only one of them - Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni or honey stevia - is grown and processed on an industrial scale. Only the leaves of the shrub go into processing, they are harvested immediately before flowering, when the concentration of sweet substances is highest.

Where does it grow?

Stevia comes from Latin America. Stevia prefers light soils with low salinity, semi-arid climates and plenty of sun. The natural habitat is the elevated plateaus and foothills of the South American continent. The largest amount of wild stevia is found in Paraguay. The same countries grow raw materials on plantations that are considered the best in quality (Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. Honey bush plantation in Brazil

Stevia has taken root well in Southeast Asia. Since the 90s of the last century, it has been actively cultivated in many countries of this region. Today, the main supplier of stevia to the world market is China.

The chemical composition of stevia

The leaves of this shrub contain many useful elements.

Tab. 1. Stevia. Chemical composition

Stevia is sweetened by glycosides (https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycosides). Organic origin, belong to the class of essential sugars. Included in many plants. Usually the highest concentration is reached in flowers and leaves. The main difference from conventional refined sugar lies in the fact that these organic compounds do not have a glucose group in their chemical structure. As a result - The use of stevia does not lead to a sharp increase in blood glucose.

Essential sugars make up an extensive group of substances with different characteristics. Some compounds are extremely bitter, while others are very sweet. Stevia leaves accumulate 11 types of glycosides, which have a sweet taste, but with a bitter note. This is why fresh and dried leaves have a bitter, licorice flavor. The dry and liquid extracts obtained as a result of deep processing are spared from this disadvantage. Since they fully correspond to the taste of ordinary refined sugar, and do not harm the body.

Each of the 11 glycosides received its own name.

Tab. 2. Stevia: characteristics of glycosides

Glycosides are united by a common industrial name - " Steviol". The table shows that the bulk of essential sugars are stevioside and rebaudoside A. These components are the basis for the production of dry concentrated extracts.

honey grass calories

Its leaves are low in calories. Of course, fiber and other carbohydrate elements have energy value. However, sweet components - steviols - are characterized strong chemical bond sugar and carbohydrate (non-sugar) groups. Therefore, in the digestive system, the breakdown of this bond occurs very slowly. In addition, essential sugars and sucrose have a different nature. Unlike sucrose, steviol in the process of assimilation does not form the main source of energy - glucose. As a result, the calorie content of "honey grass" is only 18 kcal per 100 g.

Products of deep processing of raw materials consist of almost pure glycosides. Therefore, their calorie content can be ignored.

Release form

Manufacturers offer stevia in a different state of aggregation, and with varying degrees of processing. First of all, it is dried leaves (Fig. 3) and powder from it. Then, extracts and concentrates of the bush. Stevia is used as the main sweetener in a range of foods or is available separately.

Rice. 3. Dried Sweetener Leaves

Dry

We mean, first of all, products of deep processing of raw materials. These are crystalline, powdery substances with a high percentage of steviol. Consisting of 97% Rebaudoside A, REB 97A Stevia Powder is considered the purest dry extract. Because of their extreme sweetness, they find their main use in the production of mass products.

Often used in a mixture with other sweeteners - sucralose, sorbitol, fructose. This allows you to maintain the usual dosage and, at the same time, reduce calorie content.

Liquid

Steviols are highly soluble in water. This allows you to achieve the desired sweetness of the solution. To do this, it is enough to mix the active substance with the liquid in the desired proportion. Here, too, mixtures with other sweeteners are in use. easy to pack and practical to use.

Extract in tablets

The difference between tablets with an extract (Fig. 4) and their medicinal "brothers" is that they should not be swallowed and washed down with water, but, on the contrary, thrown into a hot drink, and then drink the liquid. This form of release of the drug is convenient for selecting an individual dose. This feature is especially useful for people with diabetes.

Rice. 4. Stevia tablets

Stevia - benefits and harms. What are the contraindications?

The benefits and harms of honey grass for human health have been studied extremely deeply. Laboratory studies and practice of use show that for most people stevia is absolutely safe. At the same time, the ill-conceived use of a herbal preparation can cause an unpleasant reaction. Here are the cases in which stevia can cause damage to health:

• there is always the possibility of individual intolerance to the drug; if you feel unwell, immediately stop taking and consult a doctor;
• excessive overdose, in some cases, leads to nausea and even vomiting;
• combining with dairy products (causes diarrhea);
• if a person suffers from a blood disease, hormonal disorders or a mental disorder, the reception is possible strictly according to the doctor's prescription;
• diabetic patients should Necessarily consult with an endocrinologist regarding the admissibility of taking the drug;
• blood pressure may decrease, hypotensive patients should take this into account;
• although very rare, allergic reactions do occur.

Do you know that...?

Until recently, stevia was suspected of being mutagenic and causing cancer. Only the intervention of the World Health Organization, which initiated additional thorough research, allowed the charges against the sweet bush to be dropped. Proven to be completely safe Stevia. As for neoplasms, it turned out that stevioside, on the contrary, block the development of cancer cells.

In general, it has been proven that even a significant overdose does not lead to serious consequences.

What are the benefits of stevia? Medicinal and beneficial properties

The list of positive qualities is so extensive and diverse that it will be more convenient to divide useful properties into thematic groups.

Nutritional Benefits

1. Pleasant sweet taste. Despite the bitter taste, many people like tea brewed with stevia leaves. It is enough to throw a couple of leaves into a glass of boiling water, so that in a minute you get a pleasant, tasty drink. On sale, most often, there are dry leaves of a shrub or their extract. You can make tea leaves from this and add it to hot water or put a teaspoon of powder directly into a glass. Not everyone likes particles floating on the surface. In this case, you can use paper bags (sachets) with powder.
2. High temperature resistance. Raw materials and plant preparations have excellent temperature characteristics. Stevia does not lose its inherent properties when heated to 200 0 C. This allows you to add liquid or dry extracts to hot drinks, pastries, confectionery.
3. A good preservative. The herb is increasingly being used in home and industrial canning. It has bactericidal properties. This has been scientifically proven. Replacing sucrose in spins and canned food reduces the risk of product spoilage by mold and other biological pests.
4. Long shelf life. Raw materials and preparations are stored for up to 10 years without any changes in quality. Low consumption allows you to make room for other products.

Preventive and curative benefits

The healing properties of the miracle shrub were noted even by the Indians of Latin America. Such treatment was popular: chewing the leaves to clean the mouth and strengthen the enamel of the teeth, use the infusion of the plant to disinfect and speed up the healing process of scratches and wounds.

Do you know that...?

In Paraguay, residents consume, on average, 10 kg of sweet grass leaves per year. The country has one of the lowest rates of diabetes, with a low percentage of obese people. Since the leaves of stevia contain all the healing properties necessary for the body.

It is necessary to emphasize the positive effects that are manifested due to the two main qualities of the plant extract - low calorie content and the inability to significantly affect blood sugar. Stevia is good for:

Stevia on the market is diverse and has varying degrees of sweetness. An inexperienced person can easily get confused about the dosage. To prevent this from happening, the table shows the proportional correspondence of stevia preparations to the sugar equivalent.

Tab. 3. The ratio of dosages of stevia and regular sugar

Honey grass for diet and weight loss

Stevia, whose benefits for digestion are undeniable, is included in special diets. A special diet is prescribed in the treatment of certain diseases, such as diabetes. All ingredients included in the dietary menu pursue a single therapeutic goal. The role of the sweetener is to reduce the total calorie content of the diet and stabilize blood sugar levels.

The extract fits well into the list of products that help to lose weight. Those who want to lose weight should give up sweets, which is not for everyone. Sweet grass compensates for this need. At the same time, it contains many useful elements and a minimum of calories. Its action improves the general condition and does not affect weight.

Another important advantage is that stevioside preparations do not provoke an increase in appetite. Studies have shown that stevia is just as satiating as sugary foods.

Do you know that...?

Stevia is easy to grow at home, on the windowsill. To do this, you must observe the temperature regime - not lower than 15 0 C, place the pot on the south side and water regularly. The shrub does not sprout well from seeds, it is better to take seedlings.

Stevia benefits for diabetes

Stevia helps to solve a number of problems that inevitably arise before every diabetic.

1. Patients with diabetes experience discomfort from the ban on sweets. Stevia fills this gap in taste. It is 50-300 times sweeter than sugar. Diabetics can use the plant to sweeten drinks and foods without the risk of spikes in blood sugar levels.
2. In addition to the usual products - leaves, powders, liquid and dry extracts - the market offers a wide range of products where refined sugar is replaced by stevia. Low-calorie bars, confectionery, pastries, drinks allow patients to lead their usual way of life, not to feel deprived of something.
3. The problem of weight loss is solved. Complete rejection of refined sugar greatly reduces the total caloric content of the diet, contributes to the normalization of body weight. Sweetener does not increase appetite. Thus, the problem of bouts of hunger is removed.
4. The microcirculation of blood vessels improves, which relieves cramps in the limbs. The most important thing is that stevia normalizes the level of glucose in the body, and even contributes to its decrease.

honey herb during pregnancy

Doctors do not prohibit taking stevia during pregnancy. During this period, women's sugar levels rise. This worries many, as it is accompanied by dry mouth, increased pressure and appetite. Honey grass will help normalize blood pressure in pregnant women and relieve unpleasant symptoms.

Special studies on the effects of plant preparations on the health of pregnant women have not been conducted. But it is known for certain that stevia does not adversely affect the development of the fetus.

Can children take stevioside?

Pediatricians have no complaints about stevia, and nutritionists recommend including it in children's diets. In the children's menu, replacing refined sugar with “honey grass” provides a number of advantages:

• this is an excellent prevention of diabetes, the child's pancreas is freed from excessive sugar load;
• low calorie content helps to maintain normal weight;
• honey grass protects against such a sugar misfortune as caries, on the contrary, it strengthens tooth enamel;
• stevia extracts for the body (unlike regular sugar) are not addictive, babies do not require more and more sweets;
• cases of allergy to stevia are extremely rare.

Stevia in cooking

The sweet components of the herb have a high chemical stability. They do not break down at high temperatures. If we add to this good solubility in liquids, then the conclusion follows - stevia can completely replace refined sugar in cooking. Here are some recipes:

Tea

Dry leaves or Stevia powder - 1 teaspoon - pour boiling water and leave for 20-30 minutes. You can drink. If the drink is cold, reheat in the microwave. It is more practical to make a concentrated leaf tea in a small teapot, and then add it to a glass or mug of boiling water as needed. Tea (Fig. 5) has a slightly unusual, but pleasant taste.

Rice. 5. Tea with stevia

Bakery

Cookies

• We take: a teaspoon of liquid extract, 1 egg, two glasses of flour, half a glass of milk, 50 g of butter, salt, soda;
• Add the ingredients to one container and knead the dough;
• Roll out the mass to the desired thickness and cut into shape;
• We put in the oven, temperature 200 0 C, until cooked.

Cookie

• You will need: flour - 2 cups; water - 1 glass; butter - 250 g; stevioside - 4 tablespoons; 1 egg; salt;
• We knead the dough;
• We roll out the dough, form cookies and send it to the oven, heated to 200 0 C.

Jam and compotes

Strawberry compote

• take a liter jar and pour washed strawberries into it, to the top;
• prepare a solution; in 250 ml of water add 5 tbsp. spoons of stevia infusion; boil;
• pour strawberries with hot solution and pasteurize for 10 minutes.

Preparation of infusion and syrup from honey grass

Infusion. We put leaves in a gauze bag - 100 g. Place it in a container and pour half a liter of boiling water into it. We endure the day. Drain the resulting liquid into a separate bowl. Add another half-liter of water to the leaves and boil again for 50 minutes. Mix both liquids and filter from the leaves. The resulting infusion can be added to any dishes. It improves health well.

Syrup. It is necessary to take the infusion and evaporate it in a water bath until it acquires a viscous consistency. Readiness can be determined by the degree of spreading of a drop of liquid on a solid surface.

The syrup is added to hot or soft drinks and confectionery.

Among the many sweeteners, stevia is perhaps the leader in terms of a whole range of useful properties. She was even given the proud title of grass of the 21st century. However, due to the fact that at one time there were disputes in the scientific community around the additives of the plant in food, the trail of negative opinion still affects the reputation of the herb and leaves questions: what are the real benefits and harms of stevia for the human body.

What is stevia and where does it grow

Stevia (Stevia Rebaudiana), or honey grass, is a subtropical perennial shrub with 2–3 cm leaves and miniature white flowers, which was originally found in the South and Central part of the American continent. Paraguay, Mexico and Brazil are traditionally considered to be the birthplace of stevia honey grass, but it has become widespread all over the world, including in the south of Russia.

The origin of the herb is mysterious: according to one version, the involvement in the discovery of the useful properties of the plant is attributed to the botanist and doctor Stevius, who lived in the 16th century, and according to another version, stevia owes its name to the famous Russian scientist Steven.

And the name "honey grass" was assigned to stevia from the Guarani Indians, who valued its properties both as a sweetener and as a medicine.

And the source of the unique sweetness of honey grass - glycosides - were isolated by French researchers in 1931. Later, in the 70s of the XX century, its properties as a sweetener for the manufacture of drinks were adopted by the Japanese food industry, at the same time herbal teas based on it became very popular. Honey grass has been widely used in culinary experiments in the United States as an additive to recipes for desserts, pastries, and dairy products.

The composition and calorie content of stevia

Stevia has a sweet taste due to its glycosides, mainly stevizoid, which includes glucose, sophorose and steviol, which give the herb a unique sweetness. Stevizoid is obtained from the extract of the herb and is used in the food industry as an additive labeled E960, which is classified as safe.

The complex of glycosides in the composition of the herb is also supplemented with:

• rebaudiosides A, C, B;
• dulcoside;
• rubusoside.

Stevia also boasts a wealth of useful components in its composition:

• vitamins A, E, K, C, P (rutin), PP (nicotinic acid) and group B;
• essential oils;
• fiber;
• minerals: potassium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, calcium, selenium, iron and silicon.

The sweet properties of stevia exceed beet sugar by 25 times, with a negligible low calorie content:

One hundred grams of grass contains 18 kcal, which is especially appreciated in dietary nutrition.

Useful properties of stevia

In addition to the benefits of using instead of sugar, stevia has a whole list of valuable properties:

1. Stevizoids have the inherent quality of nourishing the pancreas and restoring its functions.
2. In small doses, a beneficial effect of stevia on lowering blood pressure has been noted, and in large doses - on a slight increase. This indicates the importance of dosing the herb and the need for its individual appointment by a specialist.
3. Taking herbs in small doses slightly increases the heart rate, and in large doses - its mild slowdown.
4. The power of stevia to restrain the development of pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms. So, taking herbs with tea serves as a useful prophylaxis against caries and periodontal disease, which is harmful for tooth loss, and in particular, in cases of diabetes mellitus. These properties work in special organic medicated toothpastes with the inclusion of stevia leaves. And tinctures of honey grass are beneficial in the treatment of colds and flu.
5. A separate point of application of the bactericidal properties of the herb is the wound healing effect. Stevia is also used in the treatment of burns, from the bites of poisonous insects, the elimination of dermatitis and even eczema.
6. The benefits for the human body of external use of stevia are not inferior in effect to its use inside: as part of lotions and masks, the herb improves skin condition, eliminates dermatitis and even eczema.
7. The dietary supplement from stevia complex helps to improve digestion, affecting both the kidneys and the liver at the same time.
8. The use of honey grass reduces the harm of addiction to tobacco and alcohol.

The abundance of useful properties makes the plant a real healer for a number of diseases:

• hypotension;
• diabetes;
• hypertension;
• dermatitis;
• periodontal disease;
• seborrhea and eczema.

You can learn more about the benefits and harms of stevia from the video:

Stevia for weight loss

Stevia glycosides, with their zero calorie content, are superior in their useful properties to sucrose, which has been used in weight loss diets.

The easiest option is to include E960 stevizoid in the diet and use it to sweeten dishes. You can buy it in specialized stores or pharmacies.

You can also use a non-synthesized version - an infusion of dry stevia herb,

Cooking:

For 200 ml of water, take 20 g of chopped herbs, mix, bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes. and insist another 10 minutes. After that, the composition is poured into a heated thermos and insisted in it for 12 hours. After that, filter the liquid into a sterilized glass container. The rest of the herb is poured into 100 ml of boiling water and infused for another 8 hours. The infusion is added to the previously prepared, mixed by shaking.

Add to drinks and meals.

The third option for using stevia for weight loss is herbal tea or powdered dry leaves in bulk. The drink will benefit when taken 2 times a day for half an hour before meals.

For cooking, use 1 filter bag or 1 tsp. chopped herbs in a glass of water brought to a boil. Infuse for 10 minutes.

Stevia tablets are taken up to 3 times a day half an hour before meals, 1-2 pieces, washed down with warm boiled water or dissolved in a small amount of pure water. The maximum allowable dose is 6 tablets per day.

Attention! The specific herbal taste is most pronounced in crushed leaves, it is less pronounced in tea bags, while stevia supplements in the form of powder, tablets and syrup do not have such an aftertaste.

The benefits and harms of stevia in diabetes

Useful property of stevia to help reduce blood sugar levels is used in diabetes.

In the insulin-dependent form (type 1), the herb is taken as an additional general prophylactic, while type 2 diabetes does not involve insulin dependence, so stevia benefits directly by inclusion in the diabetic menu or as a preventive measure.

Important! To prevent the harm of side effects, the preparation of the menu should be carried out in consultation with a doctor.

Forms of use of stevia in diabetes:

• Infusion - brewed according to a standard recipe, as for weight loss;
• Liquid extractto be taken in 1 tsp. with food or drink;
• Tablets - take up to 3 times a day according to the instructions.

In addition, the benefits for diabetics can manifest themselves in the bactericidal properties of stevia, which help to heal wounds and trophic ulcers without scarring in diabetic foot: in this case, shallow wounds are moistened with herb concentrate.

A quick version of the infusion is prepared as follows:

Chopped honey grass - 2 tbsp. l. placed in a bag of 2 layers of gauze, pour boiling water (1 tablespoon) and keep on low heat for up to half an hour. Then poured into a bottle. The contents of the gauze bag are re-filled with half a glass of water, also insisted for half an hour, mixed with the first broth. The resulting infusion is additionally filtered.

Stevia during pregnancy and breastfeeding

The benefits and harms of stevia as a sweetener during pregnancy and lactation is a controversial issue. On the one hand, the use of healthy honey grass can undoubtedly normalize the functioning of the digestive tract, improve metabolism, help the heart and blood vessels, and increase immunity.

On the other hand, during this period the body is especially sensitive to various food agents and is able to show an increased reaction, including herbal remedies.

Therefore, the decision to use stevia on the menu should be strictly in accordance with the advice of a doctor.

During lactation, you can be less afraid of using stevia supplements, but it is important to test within a day for the ability of the herb components to cause harm to an allergic reaction.

In the absence of general indications and a negative allergy test result, you can carefully add the herb to food, while controlling your well-being.

Interesting! The properties of stevia can affect the taste of milk in a nursing woman: it can become sweetish.

The benefits of the plant will also be in restoring weight after childbirth, strengthening the body as a whole.

Can You Give Stevia to Children?

Given that children love sweets, the properties of stevia as a natural organic sugar substitute will help a child's diet, especially in cases of contraindications for the consumption of sugar-containing products. The herb extract, which is devoid of aftertaste, perfectly solves such problems.

You can also use tea with stevia, which will benefit the prevention of viral diseases and strengthen the immune system.

Attention! The herb extract can be given to children after 1 year.

Forms of release of stevia

Stevia is on the market today in a variety of convenient forms:

• effervescent tablets in dispenser packs;
• crystalline powder resembling sugar in appearance;
• liquid syrup;
• elixir;
• standardized extract;
• in the form of dry chopped grass;
• dry leaves of fine grinding in filter bags.

Important! Natural dry stevia leaves give meager calories, and in tablet form, as well as in the form of syrup or powder, the calorie content of the product is zero.

For those who like to grow plants, you can get stevia on the windowsill - the benefits of freshly brewed leaves will exceed the use of the drug in tablets.

How to take stevia

In a healthy state of the body, there are no dosage restrictions in taking the supplement.

Stevia powder is usually packaged in bags of 1 and 2 g. It should be diluted in water, focusing on the proportion of 1 g per 1 tbsp. warm water.

The sweetener in tablets has the properties of slowly dissolving, so it will take a little time when stirring with a spoon.

Stevia syrup is added at the rate of 4 drops per glass of liquid product or to taste - in solid products: this is not only convenient, but also beneficial, unlike adding sugar.

Attention! Stevia syrup should not be consumed in concentrated form.

Recipes with stevia

In cooking, stevia is used with the benefit of a natural sweetener, sweetening drinks and dishes, homemade cakes, sweets, and cold desserts with it.

The use of stevia as a natural preservative is used in the preparation of products, while the herb is able to neutralize the harm of fungi and microorganisms.

It is important to know some features of its preparation:

1. Before using stevia in baking, you should first test its taste: it is specific to the plant, somewhat reminiscent of licorice, therefore it is not suitable for everyone. It is worth pre-brewing tea and only then decide whether the herb is suitable as a spice in dishes.

   Important! Stevia extract - stevizoid - is unflavoured, so can be of great benefit to those who don't like the herb.

2. There are tricks to kill the taste of honey grass: for this you can put cinnamon, lemon zest in the dish. In pastries, it is better to use stevia powder (rather than crushed leaves). And in cookies and dessert, you can add leaves - to taste. Tea with stevia can be diluted with other herbs: chamomile, rosehip, Sudanese rose, citrus.
3. If crushed stevia is indicated in the ingredients of the recipe, then we are talking about grinding a dry plant. Usually you need more of it than powdered herb concentrate.

tea with stevia

The easiest way to make stevia tea is to use sachets, which can be purchased at a supermarket, specialty store, or drugstore. The sachets are not filled with boiling water, but with water brought to a temperature of 90 ° C: this way the benefits of stevia will be revealed better.

Attention! The tea is unusually sweet, but has a pleasant aroma.

The color of freshly brewed tea is brown, while brewed for several hours is dark green.

You can prepare stevia for tea yourself if the plant is grown in a summer cottage. The most suitable time for harvesting will be the time of flowering, when the stevizoid is most concentrated in the grass. The leaves are cut off. Dried and ground into powder.

Attention! 2 tbsp. l. powdered stevia leaves can replace 1 tbsp. Sahara!

Cooking method.

1 tablespoon of chopped stevia herb is poured with 1 liter of water brought to 90 ° C. Cover and infuse for 20 minutes. To prepare tea leaves, take half a liter of water.

Another option for making tea as a sweetener in drinks instead of sugar is to boil the stevia herb for 15 minutes and then infuse in a thermos for 10 hours. To do this, take 1 glass of water for 1 tablespoon of stevia “with a slide”.

The health benefits of stevia herb tea are:

• strengthens the body, normalizes immunity, blood circulation, blood glucose and blood pressure;
• helps in scarring of stomach ulcers, improves the functioning of the intestines, liver and kidneys;
• eliminates gastritis and caries.

Stevia tincture

For its preparation, fresh or dry stevia herb is poured with alcohol (you can use vodka) so as to completely cover the dry raw material. Then insist for a day and filter.

On the basis of such an alcoholic extract, a syrup is subsequently prepared.

Stevia syrup

The benefits of stevia syrup in drinks and desserts will be indispensable.

To prepare it, green leaves and shoots are poured with water and boiled for 40 minutes. Next, the liquid is filtered and evaporation is continued over low heat or a water bath until the consistency is reached when the drop does not spread on the plate.

The syrup can be prepared from an extract of the herb, obtained by alcohol or water. The liquid is also evaporated for 4 - 6 hours, making sure that it does not boil - until the syrup begins to flow smoothly in the form of a thin stream over a spoon. The finished syrup is poured into a bottle and stored for up to 1.5 years, at room temperature - the beneficial properties of stevia will be preserved.

Cookies with stevia

For the Stevia Oatmeal Christmas Cookies you will need:

• hercules - 200 g;
• fat-free cottage cheese - 200 g;
• eggs - 2 pcs.;
• dried cranberries (cherries) - 100 g;
• raisins - 50 g;
• whole grain flour - 50 g;
• cognac - 25 g;
• stevizoid - 10 tablets or 1 tsp;
• zest of 1 orange.

Cooking sequence:

1. Soak cranberries or cherries with raisins in warm water, drain and rinse.
2. Mix hercules, flour with baking powder.
3. Lightly beat the eggs, add to the dough and then add cottage cheese, berries, zest in turn. Add cognac.
4. Everything is mixed and laid out on parchment.
5. Bake 25 min. in the oven at 200°C.

Compote

Christmas compote with stevia

Ingredients:

• water - 1.5 l;
• quince, apples - 6 pcs.;
• orange - 1 pc.;
• cinnamon - 1 stick;
• cardamom - 3 - 4 grains;
• star anise - 3 stars;
• stevia - 1 filter bag;
• rosehip - 1 sachet.

Cooking steps:

1. Cut apples and quince into cubes.
2. The zest is removed from the orange, and the slices are cleaned of grain and cut into 3 parts each.
3. Bring water to a boil, lay apples, quince and boil a little.
4. Add the orange to the boiling mixture.
5. When the fruit is brought to readiness (determined by softness), spices are added: orange zest, cinnamon, crushed cardamom and star anise.
6. Bring the fruit to full readiness, add a bag of stevia and rose hips, cover with a lid and remove from heat.

The output of the finished product is 2 liters.

The use of stevia in cosmetology

The beneficial properties of stevia to improve the condition of the skin and hair are appreciated by women who use the herb as part of home cosmetics.

Powdered dry honey grass, diluted with warm water to a slurry, is used with benefit and for the preparation of masks that increase the smoothness and elasticity of the skin: both independently for nutrition and with other ingredients.

Mask for dry skin

The gruel of crushed grass is mixed with olive oil - 1 tsp each. each component, add a raw yolk and carefully beat down with a fork. Apply to the face until the mask dries. Remove carefully: a dried composition with protein can harm the skin.

Mask for oily skin

A mixture of a teaspoon of stevia gruel is mixed with raw protein and 1 tsp. lemon juice.

The herb also has beneficial properties as a hair decoction.

Stevia hair rinse.

Stevia leaves, dry and fresh - 2 tbsp. l. - pour a glass of boiling water and insist for 3 hours. For rinsing, mix 1 glass of broth with 1 liter of water - purified or mineral.

The use of such a procedure every time after washing your hair will be useful for activating hair growth, increasing their density, and adding shine.

Harm of stevia and contraindications

The ambiguous attitude to the grass of official studies has given rise to the myth of its harm. So, published in 1985, scientific data made public the conclusions about the carcinogenic properties of stevia, which produced the effect of a scandal. And only additional experiments in 2006 rehabilitated the plant in the reports of the World Health Organization: as a natural product, stevia is recognized as a useful supplement that has no restrictions, contraindications or side effects in use.

However, they are still present in synthetic and herbal medicines. Restrictions apply to:

• individual intolerance to the product;
• pregnancy and lactation - ambiguous recommendations: should be treated with caution and with mandatory consultation with a doctor;
• age up to 12 years;
• gastroenteritis.

Which is better: stevia, fructose or sucralose

Comparing the benefits and harms of popular sweeteners that replace fructose sugar with respect to stevia, we can draw conclusions regarding the individual preferences of a particular drug.

So, sucralose is characterized by:

• obtaining from sugar in a concentration that gives an increase in its sweet properties by 600 times;
• with a glycemic index of zero (meaning no effect on blood sugar levels);
• the substance is able to retain its properties after heat treatment;
• do not give an unpleasant aftertaste;
• excreted from the body in a day.

Its disadvantages include a limitation in the dosage of 5 mg per kilogram of weight, the excess of which can threaten the harm of extra pounds.

As for fructose, its features are:

• synthetic origin (using hydrolysis during the breakdown of sucrose);
• excess of the sweet properties of sugar by about 1.5 times, pleasant taste;
• low glycemic index;
• the ability to enhance the taste of fruits.

Conditional minuses can indicate the high calorie content of the product, limiting the daily intake to 40 g, the excess of which retains the risks of obesity.

With all the listed advantages and disadvantages of various sweeteners, one can note in this respect the undoubted advantage of stevia herb in terms of medicinal properties.

Conclusion

The stormy debate about the benefits and harms of stevia subsided in connection with the recognition by WHO of the harmlessness of the herb to humans. Now we can say with confidence about stevia as a gift of nature, a natural medicine given to people to maintain health, and along with it - beauty and youth.

Mankind has always strived for a healthy full life, and in recent years a large number of fans of proper nutrition and a competent approach to cooking have appeared. And there is nothing strange in this, since many products, especially sugar or popular synthetic sweeteners, do not have the best effect on the state of the body. However, many do not know that there is a plant with the beautiful name of stevia, a unique honey herb that can replace sugar. What is this miracle plant and what is the use of stevia?

Stevia what is it

It is a perennial herb reaching a height of one meter. The ancient Indians of the Guarani tribe added the honey leaves of this plant to drinks in ancient times, and the world learned about the existence of stevia only at the beginning of the last century.

The composition of the herb includes a large number of useful trace elements and natural vitamins. In addition to sweet components, stevia is rich in substances that are very valuable for the body, including:

• Essential oils;
• Tannins;
• Vitamins of groups E, B, D, C, P;
• Iron, copper, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, zinc;
• Amino acids;
• Selenium, magnesium, silicon, cobalt, chromium;

With such a rich composition and extreme sweetness, 100 grams of stevia contains only 18 calories. This is less than cabbage or strawberries, the most dietary foods known for their low calorie content.

However, the unique properties of this honey herb do not end there - it has a huge amount of useful substances that have a healing effect on the body and help to cope with various diseases.

Stevia - honey herb

During growth, a unique substance accumulates in the leaves of the plant - stevizoid, which gives it an extraordinary sweetness. If you try a stevia leaf in its natural form, you can feel a slight bitterness. However, during production processing, the unpleasant aftertaste disappears, and a natural sweetener is obtained from the plant, several times greater than the sweetness of sugar.

Of great importance is the fact that stevia does not react upon contact with an acidic environment, does not precipitate during any heat treatment and does not ferment. Such excellent abilities made it possible to use this sweet plant not only as a sweetener, but also to widely use it in cooking, in the manufacture of chewing gum, yogurt and other products.

If you buy any product, and it contains stevia, you can safely send it to the basket - it is, without a doubt, healthier and safer than any synthetic sweeteners. In the fight against excess weight and dangerous diseases, many people switched to a variety of sugar analogues, but not everything is so simple with them. Most of them have an unpleasant aftertaste, and some are even banned from free sale, as they contain harmful substances that adversely affect the brain, heart and liver.

This is where this honey grass, which has a lot of valuable substances, comes to the rescue. The benefits of stevia for the body are enormous - the Japanese, the most famous adherents of a healthy diet, especially fell in love with it. They add it not only to sweets: the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun have learned to include it in salty dishes to neutralize some aggressive and harmful substances in their composition.

Stevia: harm

Studies have shown that with the rational use of stevia, it will not harm the body. However, there are a number of side effects that have been repeatedly observed in people with individual intolerance to plant components. It is necessary to carefully monitor the reaction of your body when using honey grass and follow some rules, namely:

• Stevia should be introduced into the diet gradually, in small portions;
• With the simultaneous use of milk and this sweet herb, diarrhea may occur;

• Some people experience allergic reactions while consuming stevia, in which case it should be excluded from the diet;
• Since honey grass can lower blood sugar, it is advisable to use it in diabetes, but uncontrolled use of stevia can be harmful;
• With caution, honey grass is prescribed for hypotensive patients: this plant has the ability to lower blood pressure;
• Stevia can be harmful to the body if a person has digestive problems, hormonal disorders, mental disorders, or blood diseases.

In order not to harm your body, using products containing stevia, be sure to consult your doctor. Especially if you have some chronic diseases or a tendency to allergic reactions.

Stevia: benefits

The enormous benefit of this honey herb is that when it enters the body, it does not fill it with empty carbohydrates, as sugar does. In addition, in addition to the sweet taste of stevia, it gives it valuable substances and trace elements that a person needs for a healthy, normal existence.

Stevia fills the body with useful substances and trace elements, and not empty carbohydrates, as sugar does. Important!

In addition, stevia is also a medicinal herb and has a beneficial effect on all vital systems of the body. The herb is especially useful for diabetics and hypertensive patients.

This unique plant has such valuable abilities:

With regular use of stevia, metabolism improves, the aging process slows down, excess weight disappears. It has a diuretic effect, tones and nourishes the body.

Infusions of honey grass are used to remove skin rashes, irritations, in the treatment of purulent wounds, eczema, burns and postoperative sutures. This herb has a rejuvenating effect on the skin.

Stevia is also added to coffee, tea, compotes and used in canning.

The use of stevia

Honey grass has found wide application in the food industry. The stevizoid included in its composition is three hundred times sweeter than sugar, which allows manufacturers of lollipops, chewing gums and confectionery products to use the minimum dosage of the plant, while obtaining excellent sweetness without harm to health. Taking just a few medium-sized stevia leaves - and a cup of any drink will become sweet.

The plant extract is used in the manufacture of various carbonated drinks, it is introduced into the composition of yoghurts, baked goods, ice cream and desserts. Stevia is an ingredient in toothpastes and mouthwashes.

Stevia infusion is useful for allergic manifestations, kidney diseases, arthritis, diathesisOur readers recommend! Many of our readers are interested in the question. How to lose weight without debilitating diets, rejection of a number of products and time-consuming exercises. At the same time, people are looking for a way that is not harmful to health. We did not know how to answer this question until one of our readers recommended an effective and completely natural weight loss remedy. This tool has no side effects, contraindications and does not harm the body in any way and consists exclusively of natural ingredients. Weight loss is achieved by removing toxins, toxins and split fat deposits. In a couple of weeks you will notice the first stunning results. Choose a weight loss program (free) →

Honey grass is successfully used in the treatment of diathesis in children. It is enough to add a few of its leaves to tea or drink, and allergic manifestations will begin to recede.

Stevia is also used to prevent cancer. The useful components included in its composition prevent the degeneration of healthy cells into malignant ones, contributing to the body's resistance to this dangerous disease.

Stevia is recommended for diseases of the thyroid gland, kidneys, liver. The beneficial effect of honey grass is observed in the treatment of osteoarthritis, arthritis. Experts advise introducing it into the diet if a course of treatment with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is prescribed. Simultaneous intake of stevia will help to avoid damage to the mucous membrane and protect the digestive organs from the negative effects of these medications.

Stevia for weight loss

Since honey grass contains very few calories, it is very popular with people who are struggling with being overweight. The benefits of stevia for weight loss lies in its ability to dull the feeling of hunger. It also slightly reduces appetite, preventing a person from eating a large portion of food. For effective weight loss, it is recommended to prepare summer fruit salads with the addition of honey grass leaves.

A simple infusion of stevia, with regular use, removes toxins from the body, improves metabolism, which has a positive effect on overall well-being and promotes rapid weight loss. To prepare a wonderful drink, pour fresh leaves of the plant with boiling water and keep in a thermos for 12 hours. The resulting infusion is applied 3-5 times a day before meals.

Stevia natural sweetener

Today you can buy stevia in the form of herbal tea, concentrated syrup, powder and tablets. If desired, honey grass can be grown at home, as it is fully adapted to the European climate. Therefore, today this South American plant is successfully cultivated all over the world, including in Russia.

Stevia is a gift of nature, a natural sweetener that has no contraindications and strict restrictions in use. The taste properties and medicinal qualities of the herb are preserved during heat treatment, so it is recommended to use it in the preparation of hot drinks and baking.

Nutritionists are sure that the benefits of stevia for the body are enormous and predict a “great future” for it. This is an indispensable assistant for various diseases and an excellent solution for those who want to lose weight. Therefore, dear fans of desserts: there is no need to give up the sweet life now! The main thing is to skillfully turn sweetness from an enemy into an ally, and with the help of stevia this is quite possible!

Stevia: what is it, benefits, harm, medicinal properties and reviews

Surely many of our readers are familiar with stevia. What is this? Someone will say that this is a high-quality vegetable sweetener, and they will be partly right. It is actually a medicinal herb. Today we will try to tell you more about this plant. With what diseases and how to take it, does it have contraindications?

Stevia: what is it?

A perennial plant, more precisely, a small bush with erect stems, from sixty to eighty centimeters in height from the Aster family, which includes about two hundred and sixty species. Stevia, the benefits and harms of which were known one and a half thousand years ago to the doctors of South America, has become known in the modern world only recently.

Thanks to the efforts of Professor Vavilov, stevia was brought to the territory of the former Soviet Union. What kind of plant this is, no one in our country knew yet. For a long time, products based on it were part of rations for astronauts and senior officials in the USSR. Stevia has also been studied in other countries. The benefits of this plant every year found more and more evidence. Scientists from all over the world talked about it.

Stevia is a herb whose stems die off every year, and new shoots take their place, on which small leaves are located. On one bush there can be from six hundred to twelve thousand sweet leaves. Based on numerous studies, modern scientists have identified the unique properties that this plant possesses.

Spreading

In the northeast of Paraguay and its neighboring part of Brazil, on a tributary of the Parana River, stevia is widely distributed. Even children here know that this sweet plant has medicinal properties. Over time, the whole world learned about this herb. Under natural conditions, it grows in the highlands, so stevia has adapted to rather sharp temperature changes. Now it is grown in almost all countries of Southeast Asia.

For industrial purposes, today stevia is grown in the Krasnodar Territory and in the Crimea. The benefits and harms of this plant are well studied, which allows it to be used in the food industry, cosmetology, but this herb is most in demand in medicine.

Compound

The leaves of the plant have the highest amount of nutrients. They include:

• cellulose;
• polysaccharides;
• glycosides;
• vegetable lipids;
• vitamins C, A, P, E and trace elements;
• pectin substances;
• essential oils.

Glycosides - stevisiodes give the plant sweetness. They are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar. But besides this, they are phytosteroids that are involved in the synthesis of hormones in our body.

natural sweetener

The taste of stevia is most pronounced when eating young leaves. The sweetest are the leaves grown in natural climatic conditions and with sufficient sunlight. The plant has a pleasant and slightly sweet aroma. The taste has hints of sweetness, accompanied by a bitter aftertaste.

Despite the increased sweetness that stevia has, it cannot harm the body, but the benefits of its use are obvious. More than twenty amino acids and vitamins contained in its leaves make it possible to combine excellent taste with healing properties. The plant has an antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory effect on the human body, thanks to which traditional healers successfully use it for colds and viral infections.

The taste qualities of the plant made it possible to call it the best natural sweetener in the world. Not every plant is distinguished by such rapid solubility, the complete absence of side effects, a huge number of medicinal properties and at the same time a pleasant taste. What else is attractive about stevia?

1. This plant does not cause insulin release and helps to normalize blood sugar levels.
2. Stevia, which has not been found to be harmful even with prolonged use, is resistant to high temperatures, which allows it to be used in baking and hot drinks.

Healing properties

Honey grass (stevia) has the following beneficial properties:

• liquefies and removes mucus;
• enhances gastric secretion;
• has a slight diuretic effect;
• prevents rheumatism;
• relieves swelling;
• reduces the level of "bad" cholesterol and blood sugar;
• strengthens blood vessels and normalizes blood pressure;
• normalizes metabolism;
• prevents diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, pancreatitis;
• helps in the treatment of bronchitis.

Stevia has become a salvation for people suffering from diabetes and tired of the constant restrictions on sweets. Today, many manufacturers add it to special products for such patients - cookies, yogurt, chocolate. The natural sweetness does not harm diabetics, their body accepts this sweetener.

As you can see, a truly unique plant is stevia. Its benefits for the human body have been confirmed by numerous studies by Russian and foreign scientists.

Release form

Many people are interested in stevia sweetener. The price for it depends on the form of release and volume. Today, stevia-based preparations are produced in various forms, but first it should be said about the indicators that are inherent in all types of these products: carbohydrates, fats and calories are absent. Zero glycemic index.

Sachets

The composition includes: stevia extract, which has a sweet pleasant taste, without foreign aftertastes; erythrol is a natural filler derived from starch and used for ease of dosing: 1 sachet corresponds in terms of sweetness to two teaspoons of sugar. Packings come in 25, 50 and 100 sachets.

Price - from 100 rubles.

Powders

The price for 20 grams is 525 rubles.

Pills

1 tablet corresponds to 1 teaspoon of sugar. Available in packs of 100, 150 and 200 pieces.

Price - from 140 rubles.

liquid extract

It tastes like strawberry, raspberry, chocolate, vanilla, mint, etc. Four to five drops are enough to sweeten a glass of drink. Stevia extract is packaged in thirty-gram plastic or glass bottles.

Price - from 295 rubles.

Are there any contraindications to the use of stevia?

Scientists have not yet identified the harmful properties of this plant. However, individual limitations still exist. First of all, this is stevia intolerance, which can be expressed in the form of allergic reactions. In this case, its use must be stopped.

At the very beginning of the intake, there may be other negative reactions of the body: digestive disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, dizziness. They usually pass very quickly.

It should not be forgotten that stevia significantly reduces blood sugar, therefore, while taking such a sweetener, it is necessary to control this indicator.

People with hypotension (low blood pressure) should take stevia with caution to avoid lowering blood pressure. When purchasing stevia in the form of a powder or tablets, pay attention to the composition. It should not contain methanol and ethanol, which are sometimes used to reduce the sweetness of the drug. Their toxicity can harm your body.

Stevia Reviews

This amazing natural sweetener has no strict contraindications. For many of our compatriots, stevia has become a discovery. What kind of plant, many did not know before. Acquaintance with him, judging by the reviews, occurs most often after the doctor fixes an increase in blood sugar levels. People who began to use this sweetener note that after a month of regular use, the rise in blood sugar levels slows down, and with longer use it decreases.

Leave reviews and patients with high blood pressure. They note that with regular use of stevia, pressure normalizes, there are no sharp jumps.

This weed was not disregarded by women who watch their figure. By cutting out sugar and switching to stevia, many brag about their weight loss achievements. Reviews about this plant are mostly positive, although someone did not like its taste with pronounced bitterness.

A sweet herb called stevia. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with an amazing plant, consider what benefits and harms it has, as well as what vitamins and calorie content it has. It does not contain substances that cause contraindications. Stevia can easily become a substitute for granulated sugar, and adding it to sweet dishes will emphasize their taste.

Benefit

People who suffer from high blood sugar are more likely to consume the plant - stevia. It contains a small amount of calories, and the benefits for the body are quite large. There is no sucrose in the greens, the sweet taste is obtained from the carbohydrate compound - stevioside. With it, after consumption, sugar is regulated in the blood.

In the manufacture of confectionery, sugar is replaced with stevia extract. People who are afraid to gain extra pounds can easily use sweet products made with stevia extract. The substance stevioside has a diuretic effect. When urine comes out, the body is rid of sodium. The medicinal plant has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, and after taking it, the activity of blood pressure is normalized.

Thanks to the use of greens, you can get rid of atherosclerosis, stroke and heart attack.

Stevia can be found in toothpastes and mouthwashes. The nutritional benefits of eating such pastes are great, as a large number of bacteria are destroyed in the mouth. Paste containing stevia protects the gums from caries and inflammation.

After applying the extract, which includes a plant, a large number of bacteria are destroyed on the skin. If eczema or dermatitis appears, it is imperative to use stevia or preparations containing it. The leaves of the plant have antioxidants, and the benefit is to prevent the occurrence of cancer cells. Free radicals are destroyed due to the action of quartzetin, glycosidic compounds, as well as kaempferol. The benefit of the plant is that after such use, healthy cells do not turn into cancer cells. Useful greens help protect young cells from premature aging, from severe heart disease, and also from mental breakdown. It is enough to consume 100 g of greens, and the body will immediately be replenished with useful substances.

Harm

In addition to the benefit of an amazing and useful plant, there is also harm. All glycosides are not broken down in the body, since there is no special environment for this. The digestive system and kidneys help to remove bad substances from the human body, this happens when urine is excreted.

Harm brings the substance steviol, which negatively affects the hormonal background and reduces sexual activity. Also, the harm from it lies in the fact that mutagenicity occurs, which forms intestinal bacteria.

But this is observed in the rarest cases and with excessive consumption of greens. For patients who are contraindicated in the use of stevia, a small amount - 100 g can be harmful.

calories

Depending on the measure of measurement, the calorie content of the product will change.

Use in diabetes

The plant is widely used due to the fact that it has a very low calorie content. The extract is mainly used by diabetics. Due to the fact that the calorie content is reduced, steviol is not a delicacy, but a medicine. In addition to people suffering from high blood sugar, the rest can use greens instead of sugar.

The benefits are great, using the plant, you can get rid of unnecessary kilograms, and excess glucose will also go away. Reduced calorie content in a green product will serve the body as a preventive measure. For 100 grams of the product, the calorie content is calculated, which is equal to 18.0 calories.

It is used not only by people with diabetes. A powder is made from the leaves of the herb and then used for consumption. To replace 1 teaspoon of sugar, use 1/3 teaspoon of dried herb powder. Sweet tea will turn out if 1/3 teaspoon is brewed with boiling water and left for 5-10 minutes. Sweet herb powder is used to make a concentrate, and then it is filled with drinks instead of granulated sugar. Stevia extract - 1 g is equivalent to 300 grams of sugar. Its properties have an energy value, and it does not increase blood sugar. Stevia does not have side effects, this has been proven by clinical as well as experimental studies. Useful properties in greens are high, it is a medicinal plant.

Contraindications

Basically, no contraindications were found in the use of the miraculous plant. It is recommended to use it even for small children, beneficial properties have a beneficial effect on the health of the child. Most often, steviol can be found in the diet of older people. After use, no harm was found, experts found that there are no contraindications. Sweet grass is used most often as a medicine.

Often, mothers add a few leaves of nutritious greens to their babies when preparing hot drinks. Harm after use is not found. It can manifest itself if the sweet green grass is used in a dirty form, as well as withered. Before use, the leaves must be thoroughly washed under cold water to avoid the entry of unnecessary and harmful microorganisms into the body, from which poisoning may occur.

Application

Honey grass can be found in the daily menu of diabetics. They use it instead of sugar. The benefit lies in the fact that the leaves are rich in glycoside - stevioside. Due to this, the plant is used instead of sugar, not only by people with diabetes, but also by those who have impaired lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. Often consumed by people with cardiovascular disease. For the digestive system, sweet greens serve as a defense against ulcers. If you regularly use stevia, you can lower blood sugar levels, remove bad cholesterol.

The medicinal plant has a beneficial effect on cell regeneration, and after eating sweet greens, the walls of blood vessels become strong. Most often, the leaves of the plant are used. They can be consumed fresh, added to various dishes, and also dried and prepared in drinks. For confectionery, they serve instead of sugar, 100 g of the product contains useful properties in sufficient quantities. From the leaves of sweet greens, special extracts are prepared, which are then added to food. These foods are found to be low in calories. The content of stevia can be found in the following products: chocolate, yogurt, bread, chewing gum, pickled foods, soft drinks, sweets, and also added to ice cream. If you consume 100 g of sweet grass daily, you can find noticeable improvements.

Storage

The stevia plant is sold in the market in various forms. Most often you can find dried herbs. Dried stevia can be stored for approximately 2 years. It is desirable for her to provide a dark and dry place. Herb extracts must be stored in a special place so that the rays of the sun do not penetrate. For products made from stevia, tight packaging was provided so that foreign substances did not get inside, and the beneficial properties were preserved. Improper storage often leads to the fact that the green product is harmful to the body.

The nutritional value

Due to its nutritional value, a green plant is often used to treat various ailments. For the human body, this is a valuable and nutritious set of substances such as: vegetable lipids, pectins, polysaccharides, glycosides, vitamins, essential oils, fiber. They use a green product due to the fact that it contains great nutritional value and good beneficial properties found in 100 grams of the product. Using it, each person feels much better. Stevisiodes, which are found in the plant, are an excellent substitute for granulated sugar. They are equated to phytosteroids, due to their content, the synthesis of hormones favorably occurs.

Vitamins and minerals

A valuable component found in the leaves of the plant, which serves as a substitute for sugar, is stevioside. The plant is a good antioxidant, the composition of which is rich in triterpenes, flavonoids, and tannins. It contains caffeic acid, quarcetin and kaempferol. The well-known vitamin A and C are found in greens in small quantities. The same composition in the plant includes the minerals of iron, sodium, magnesium and fiber. Vitamins in the plant are in very small quantities. Once the leaves are added to the preparation of drinks, the valuable vitamins are mostly gone. Basically, the plant is rich in essential minerals, and no contraindications were found in it. They appear together with glucose, as well as with sweet glycosides, which are commonly called zinc and chromium. 100 g of the product contains a large amount of vital substances.

The substance chromium - recently it has been called an element that carries glucose, helping insulin, the two of them replenish cells with glucose, no contraindications have been found here.

Zinc is considered the next important substance. It helps the pancreas produce insulin. People with diabetes often consume zinc-containing foods. You need to consume 15-30 mg of zinc per day. In order for the metabolism to function well, the role of zinc and chromium is quite important.

Honey grass is rich in diterpene glycosides, 100 grams of the product contains the following substances:

Stevia is an unusual plant that has rich beneficial properties. It belongs to the Compositae family and it is not uncommon to hear it called sweet double leaf. The birthplace is considered to be Brazil, as well as Paraguay. The inhabitants of these countries often used the plant as a sweetener. Today, nutritionists and scientists have carefully begun to study the extraordinary and miraculous greens. The sweetness of stevia is due to low-calorie glycosides. Sugar can be obtained from the leaves of the plant. It has a white color, quickly dissolves in water and is no different from natural granulated sugar. Be sure to introduce an amazing plant into the diet, its beneficial properties will replenish the body with trace elements, minerals, as well as essential substances.

Stevia benefit and harm

Criticizing sugar, scientists and nutritionists have offered and offer a variety of substitutes for this product. Fructose, seems to have disappointed everyone, and one of the substitutes that has been actively recommended and widely used recently has become stevia.

What is stevia, where does it come from, what are its beneficial properties, what harm can it bring? We will talk about all this below.

What is stevia

Stevia ( honey grass) is a plant that has a sweet taste, which gives stevioside - a glycoside containing carbohydrates. Stevioside is extracted from the extract of this herb and is widely used in the food industry. as an additive (E960).

Stevia is native to Central and South America. Local indigenous people have used this herb as a sweetener for centuries.

Stevia extract - stevioside for its sweetness surpasses we all know sugar almost 300 times. Also, unlike, for example, fructose, stevia contains a minimum of calories and does not increase blood sugar levels, which makes stevioside the most popular and, today, the most often recommended sweetener by nutritionists.

Useful properties of stevia

Stevia has a lot of useful properties, the effectiveness of which has been proven by many scientists:

• as mentioned above, this plant does not raise blood sugar levels, i.e. it can be eaten by people suffering from diabetes;
• also stevia helps lower cholesterol levels, accelerates metabolism, strengthens the immune system and even slows down the aging process to some extent;
• In addition, this plant has antimicrobial action: tea with the addition of stevia will protect you from possible acute respiratory infections and the flu virus;
• stevioside promotes improve the condition of the teeth, reduces the risk of developing caries, which is why the addition of stevioside to toothpastes has recently become very popular;
• stevia is also popular and widely used in cooking, and all thanks to its resistance to high temperatures;
• contains a minimum of calories, thanks to which it is useful for people who want to lose weight;
• improves sexual function in the male population;
• normalizes blood pressure and strengthens blood vessels.

Stevia Contraindications

Direct contraindications to the use of this plant No. Although it is worth noting that at one time it was accused of violating the human hormonal background, of mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. But all these accusations were scientifically refuted, and in 2006 WHO made a conclusion about the non-toxicity of steviosides. However, like everything in this world, stevia also not flawless.

• This plant, although sweet, has a rather specific taste, and many refuse to use stevia precisely because of their taste preferences.
• Also, since stevia to some extent lowers blood pressure, a completely logical conclusion suggests itself - to use it for people prone to low blood pressure. need to be very careful.
• Stevia should be used with caution in people with serious chronic respiratory disease And digestive systems as well as in the postoperative period.
• Well, individual intolerance to plant components is quite rare, but, unfortunately, it still occurs.

Stevia for weight loss

Also, due to its weak diuretic effect, stevia helps to remove excess fluid from the body, which also contributes to weight loss.

Separately, I would like to say a few words about your possible purchase of stevioside: it doesn’t matter in what form (tablets or powder) it is presented, its “purity” is important.

Make sure you buy a pure stevia glycoside extract, or at least one that contains 95% stevioside, and the remaining 5% is natural! sweetener.

And do not forget to ask the seller to provide you with a quality certificate for the products, which should clearly state its composition. Otherwise, by adding stevia to tea, you risk delusions about the benefits of your drink.

In order for the loss of extra pounds not to be a burden for your body, you should not torment it only with diets and restrictions. For a good result, you should think about physical activity. Starting with exercises at home with dumbbells and ending with Nordic walking.

Shall we summarize and leave feedback?

So, we come to the conclusion that stevia is a product 100% natural, safe and practically without any side effects with a competent and reasonable approach to its use.

Therefore, use but do not abuse this plant and you will probably have the same good health as the Guarani Indians, who used stevia for centuries, had it.

If you have a question or have something to add - write your feedback in the comment form.

Stevia: benefits and harms, reviews. Where to buy seeds and how to grow them on a window?

Nature gives us a huge number of useful plants with which you can improve your health, get rid of many diseases, improve the taste of food. The real miracle of the plant world is stevia. The benefits and harms of this herb are known to few, but recently its use is gaining immense popularity. After all, this natural medicine has a pleasant taste and is well cultivated at home.

honey grass

Stevia is a perennial herb from the Asteraceae family. Its leaves have a pronounced sweet taste, which is why it is popularly called "honey grass". The birthplace of stevia is South America, but since the 30s of the twentieth century, this amazing greenery has been grown in Russia. The extraordinary sweetness of the plant is due to the content of stevizoids, which are much sweeter than granulated sugar and at the same time have a beneficial effect on the synthesis of hormones in the body. The unique properties of the natural gift in recent decades have been actively involved in the field of medicine and dietary nutrition.

Stevia at your service

Exotic sweet greens can be used as:

• natural sweetener;
• tonic;
• medicinal product;
• dietary product for those who are struggling with excess weight

Possessing high palatability, this sweet food product is not a source of empty carbohydrates like sugar, but enriches the body with valuable substances and minerals. In addition, stevia:

Of the many medicinal plants, only stevia has such a wide spectrum of action. The benefits and harms of sweet greens in diabetes are of interest to everyone who has encountered this disease. When stevia leaves are used, the amount of sugar in the blood decreases, and the person continues to enjoy the sweet taste of tea and other dishes. In the first 20-25 days of taking this natural medicine, diabetics should especially carefully monitor their well-being and consult a doctor: perhaps, due to the high effectiveness of the herb, it will be necessary to reduce the doses of insulin and other drugs.

Honey grass is a fairly strong therapeutic agent for:

• goiter;
• jade;
• pancreatitis;
• cholecystitis;
• arthritis;
• gingivitis;
• periodontitis;
• obesity
• cellulite;
• children's diathesis.

Who Can Stevia Harm?

According to the results of research by leading experts, stevia does not harm the human body. However, you need to use it correctly, given some of the features of the plant. If you decide to start adding sweet leaves to drinks, fruit salads, preserves, remember a few caveats.

1. Stevia should become part of the diet gradually. Pay close attention to how your body reacts to the new food.
2. In combination with milk, honey grass can cause diarrhea.
3. If an allergic reaction occurs, the use of greens should be stopped immediately.
4. The use of stevia in unlimited quantities can reduce the level of glucose in the body to critical levels.
5. The property of the plant to relieve attacks of hypertension is harmful for hypotensive patients.

Also, stevia can be dangerous when:

• serious disorders of digestion and hormonal system;
• mental disorders: neuroses, psychoses, etc.;
• blood diseases.

Before stevia appears among the products of daily use, the benefits and harms of this plant in each case should be the subject of discussion with the attending physician.

Benefits of honey leaves - firsthand experience

According to those who suffer from diabetes, stevia is an amazing gift of nature. After all, with the help of this herb, they managed to completely replace sugar in their diet and reduce the number of insulin injections. Those with a sweet tooth and people who want to lose extra pounds also appreciate the plant: you can consume much fewer calories without giving up your favorite sweet taste, and lose weight much faster. In addition, users have noticed when using stevia:

• pronounced rejuvenating effect;
• improvement of appearance due to healing and cleansing of the skin, the appearance of hair shine;
• resistance against epidemics;
• lack of headache due to high blood pressure, increased fatigue, digestive disorders.

Only a few patients who are recommended to be treated with honey grass complained about the specific taste of tea with its addition, which they did not like. Decide for yourself whether you are interested in stevia as a natural sweetener and a source of the necessary substances. Benefits and harms, reviews on the use of the plant - information that will help you make the right choice.

Miracle grass will decorate your windowsill

Honey grass can be grown indoors. Having learned how unusual stevia is, what are its benefits and harms, those who want to become healthier, as a rule, ask questions about where to buy the seeds of this plant and how to grow it on the window. Stevia seeds can be purchased at a regular seed store, but they are not always in stock. Then you can contact the online store, place an order and receive your treasured bag by mail.

For stevia to take root in your home:

1. Fill the container with a 1:1 mixture of soddy soil and sand.
2. Place up to 2-3 seeds in a 1.5 cm deepening and sprinkle them with soil.
3. Moisten the soil after planting with a spray bottle.
4. For the first 2-3 weeks, the flowerpot, covered with a lid, should be under the lamp in a warm room.
5. After 10-15 days, the first shoots will appear - then the cover should be removed.
6. Watering should be done little by little, but often.
7. When the shoots reach 12-14 cm in height, cut off the tops by 2-3 cm.
8. After 3 months, transplant the plants into separate small pots.
9. Place flowerpots closer to the light source, protect from drafts and cold.
10. In summer, you can use a universal complex fertilizer for indoor plants to feed the grass once a month.
11. If the plant has grown to 30 cm, its top is pinched and every 2 years it is transplanted into a new flowerpot corresponding to the size of the bush.

By growing stevia at home, you can use its leaves fresh, rather than buying them as part of pharmacy teas and herbal teas.

Those who believe that, having become a supporter of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, you need to give up sweets, it's time to be surprised. With the help of stevia honey grass, it will be possible not only to maintain health and a beautiful figure, while continuing to enjoy the sweet taste. It will help to get rid of many disorders of the organs and systems of the body, to become more energetic and resistant to common diseases.

Sorbitol harm

Surely many of our readers are familiar with stevia. What is this? Someone will say that this is a high-quality vegetable sweetener, and they will be partly right. It is actually a medicinal herb. Today we will try to tell you more about this plant. With what diseases and how to take it, does it have contraindications?

Stevia: what is it?

A perennial plant, more precisely, a small bush with erect stems, from sixty to eighty centimeters in height from the Aster family, which includes about two hundred and sixty species. Stevia, the benefits and harms of which were known one and a half thousand years ago to the doctors of South America, has become known in the modern world only recently.

Thanks to the efforts of Professor Vavilov, stevia was brought to the territory of the former Soviet Union. What kind of plant this is, no one in our country knew yet. For a long time, products based on it were part of rations for astronauts and senior officials in the USSR. Stevia has also been studied in other countries. The benefits of this plant every year found more and more evidence. Scientists from all over the world talked about it.

Stevia is a herb whose stems die off every year, and new shoots take their place, on which small leaves are located. On one bush there can be from six hundred to twelve thousand sweet leaves. Based on numerous studies, modern scientists have identified the unique properties that this plant possesses.

Spreading

In the northeast of Paraguay and its neighboring part of Brazil, on a tributary of the Parana River, stevia is widely distributed. Even children here know that this sweet plant has medicinal properties. Over time, the whole world learned about this herb. Under natural conditions, it grows in the highlands, so stevia has adapted to rather sharp temperature changes. Now it is grown in almost all countries of Southeast Asia.

For industrial purposes, today stevia is grown in the Krasnodar Territory and in the Crimea. The benefits and harms of this plant are well studied, which allows it to be used in the food industry, cosmetology, but this herb is most in demand in medicine.

Compound

The leaves of the plant have the highest amount of nutrients. They include:

• cellulose;
• polysaccharides;
• glycosides;
• vegetable lipids;
• vitamins C, A, P, E and trace elements;
• pectin substances;
• essential oils.

Glycosides - stevisiodes give the plant sweetness. They are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar. But besides this, they are phytosteroids that are involved in the synthesis of hormones in our body.

natural sweetener

The taste of stevia is most pronounced when eating young leaves. The sweetest are the leaves grown in natural climatic conditions and with sufficient sunlight. The plant has a pleasant and slightly sweet aroma. The taste has hints of sweetness, accompanied by a bitter aftertaste.

Despite the increased sweetness that stevia has, it cannot harm the body, but the benefits of its use are obvious. More than twenty amino acids and vitamins contained in its leaves make it possible to combine excellent taste with healing properties. The plant has an antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory effect on the human body, thanks to which traditional healers successfully use it for colds and viral infections.

The taste qualities of the plant made it possible to call it the best natural sweetener in the world. Not every plant is distinguished by such rapid solubility, the complete absence of side effects, a huge number of medicinal properties and at the same time a pleasant taste. What else is attractive about stevia?

1. This plant does not cause insulin release and helps to normalize blood sugar levels.
2. Stevia, which has not been found to be harmful even with prolonged use, is resistant to high temperatures, which allows it to be used in baking and hot drinks.

Healing properties

Honey grass (stevia) has the following beneficial properties:

• liquefies and removes mucus;
• enhances gastric secretion;
• has a slight diuretic effect;
• prevents rheumatism;
• relieves swelling;
• reduces the level of "bad" cholesterol and blood sugar;
• strengthens blood vessels and normalizes blood pressure;
• normalizes metabolism;
• prevents diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, pancreatitis;
• helps in the treatment of bronchitis.

Stevia has become a salvation for people suffering from diabetes and tired of the constant restrictions on sweets. Today, many manufacturers add it to special products for such patients - cookies, yogurt, chocolate. The natural sweetness does not harm diabetics, their body accepts this sweetener.

As you can see, a truly unique plant is stevia. Its benefits for the human body have been confirmed by numerous studies by Russian and foreign scientists.

Release form

Many people are interested in stevia sweetener. The price for it depends on the form of release and volume. Today, stevia-based preparations are produced in various forms, but first it should be said about the indicators that are inherent in all types of these products: carbohydrates, fats and calories are absent. Zero glycemic index.

Sachets

The composition includes: stevia extract, which has a sweet pleasant taste, without foreign aftertastes; erythrol is a natural filler derived from starch and used for ease of dosing: 1 sachet is equal in sweetness to two teaspoons of sugar. Packings come in 25, 50 and 100 sachets.

The price is from 100 rubles.

Powders

The price for 20 grams is 525 rubles.«>

Pills

1 tablet corresponds to 1 teaspoon of sugar. Available in packs of 100, 150 and 200 pieces.

The price is from 140 rubles.

liquid extract

It tastes like strawberry, raspberry, chocolate, vanilla, mint, etc. Four to five drops are enough to sweeten a glass of drink. Stevia extract is packaged in thirty-gram plastic or glass bottles.

The price is from 295 rubles.«>

Are there any contraindications to the use of stevia?

Scientists have not yet identified the harmful properties of this plant. However, individual limitations still exist. First of all, this is stevia intolerance, which can be expressed in the form of allergic reactions. In this case, its use must be stopped.

At the very beginning of the intake, there may be other negative reactions of the body: digestive disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, dizziness. They usually pass very quickly.

It should not be forgotten that stevia significantly reduces blood sugar, therefore, while taking such a sweetener, it is necessary to control this indicator.

People with hypotension (low blood pressure) should take stevia with caution to avoid lowering blood pressure. When purchasing stevia in the form of a powder or tablets, pay attention to the composition. It should not contain methanol and ethanol, which are sometimes used to reduce the sweetness of the drug. Their toxicity can harm your body.

Stevia Reviews

This amazing natural sweetener has no strict contraindications. For many of our compatriots, stevia has become a discovery. What kind of plant, many did not know before. Acquaintance with him, judging by the reviews, occurs most often after the doctor fixes an increase in blood sugar levels. People who began to use this sweetener note that after a month of regular use, the rise in blood sugar levels slows down, and with longer use it decreases.

Leave reviews and patients with high blood pressure. They note that with regular use of stevia, pressure normalizes, there are no sharp jumps.

This weed was not disregarded by women who watch their figure. By cutting out sugar and switching to stevia, many brag about their weight loss achievements. Reviews about this plant are mostly positive, although someone did not like its taste with pronounced bitterness.

www.syl.ru

Sweet taste without foreign flavors: stevia - minimum calories, maximum benefits!

Stevia is most popular in Japan, the country of centenarians. This is a plant with small emerald leaves and white flowers resembling a camomile. The scientific name of stevia is sweet double leaf.

She hails from South America. Today, stevia is also grown in the southern regions of Russia and the Crimea. In its composition, it contains essential oils, minerals, vitamins. This plant is a natural natural preservative with antifungal and antimicrobial functions.

For the first time, a sugary substance (diterpene glycosides) was “extracted” from this plant by the French. It turned out that it is 300 times sweeter than sugar, but has almost zero calorie content: no more than 20 kcal per 100 g. And this means that they can, without any risk to the figure, replace sugar in coffee or tea. This plant is also considered an effective therapeutic agent.

Benefits of Stevia:

• provides the body with energy;
• promotes weight loss;
• normalizes metabolic processes;
• provides support to the heart;
• increases efficiency;
• puts in order a dream;
• reduces pressure;
• stimulates the production of insulin in the blood (therefore, a person with diabetes stabilizes sugar levels);
• has a wound healing effect;
• removes toxins;
• positively affects the functionality of the liver and pancreas;


• improves metabolism;
• reduces bad cholesterol;
• equalizes the acidity of gastric juice;
• accelerates recovery and helps to avoid complications in viral infections;
• strengthens the immune system;
• used to treat frostbite, burns, eczema;
• has a sedative effect;
• helps to stop inflammation in the oral cavity, stops the reproduction of bacteria;
• protects tooth enamel from destruction;
• prevents diabetes, atherosclerosis;
• prevents obesity;
• serves to prevent periodontal disease;
• improves skin condition, slows down the appearance of wrinkles, removes acne, irritation, acne;
• eliminates dandruff.

Sweet and dangerous? Harm of honey grass

But is stevia really that safe? The benefits and harms of this sweetener are still being questioned. Many experts insist that any sweet substance, not just sugar, is potentially dangerous. Therefore, you can not uncontrollably pour stevia into everything - from drinks to baked goods.

In addition, there is evidence that even this natural sweetener can provoke a sharp jump in glucose levels. Stevia is also capable of other negative actions.

Negative properties of honey grass:

• greatly lowers blood pressure, so it is categorically not suitable for hypotensive patients;
• causes diarrhea if used with fresh milk;
• reduces the sexual capabilities of men, as it is a natural estrogen, so it is better for the stronger sex to limit the use of stevia;
• with prolonged use, it disrupts the functioning of the digestive tract.

There are rumors that such a sweetener has a carcinogenic effect, and also causes cell mutations, so it can provoke cancer. But these data do not have scientific confirmation. And Japanese scientists insist on the safety of this herb.

Important! Diabetics should coordinate the intake of this sweetener with their doctor!

Although stevia is considered the safest of all sweeteners, some people are prohibited from using it in any form.

Diseases and conditions in which it is dangerous to take stevia:

• heart disease, arrhythmia: such a sweetener can cause heart rhythm disturbances;
• chronic bronchitis, asthma: the use of preparations from honey grass increases the risk of developing an asthma attack;
• postoperative period: a person who has undergone surgery is not recommended to use stevia instead of sugar;
• lactation period: sweet grass can cause allergies in a newborn;
• children under 3 years of age;
• individual overreaction.

Important! To avoid allergies, it is recommended to start taking stevia with a minimum portion: add only one tablet to the cup and follow the reaction of the body.

Types of stevia and the subtleties of its use

You can meet with stevia in the supermarket. Many sweeteners are made just on its basis. But it is also sold in powder, tablet and syrup form. In the pharmacy you can even find the leaves of this herb.

Natural sweetener - stevia tablets

The range includes an additive made in the USA, Germany, China, Ukraine, Russia. The tool, made by Chinese manufacturers, has an affordable cost, but in its composition only 10% is stevia extract, the remaining 90% is polysaccharides and aspartame.

Crimean stevia is distinguished by the optimal ratio of price and quality. The package contains 60 tablets (dosage 0.4 g). Additional ingredients are wild rose or hawthorn. It is not only an analogue of sugar, but also a remedy. The daily dosage for an adult is 3-4 tablets.

The advantages of this form:

• ease of use (1 tablet equals 1 tablespoon of sugar);
• the ability to choose a drug in the price segment that is available to you.

Dry leaves

They are sold in cardboard packaging. They are simply added to tea to make it sweet, or brewed and drunk as medicine. It is less convenient to use vegetable raw materials, because every time before you drink tea, you have to spend time preparing the broth, then insist and filter it. But you can be sure that there are no unwanted additives.

Its benefits and harms should be considered in more detail, since this is the most popular form. They sell this tea in pharmacies or tea shops. The crushed leaf or extract is packaged in filter bags or is a brewed tea.

Brewing such a fragrant and tasty drink is very easy: you need to take one bag or 1 tsp. custard raw materials, pour hot water (but not boiling water). Leave for 15 min. You can use it hot or wait until it cools down. Rose hips, cornelian cherry, mate are added to tea to increase the medicinal characteristics.

Syrup

It contains 40 to 50 percent steviosides (plant extract), the rest is distilled water. Such a product is made by exposing the leaves of the plant to high temperatures. It is placed in a bottle with a dispenser.

To prepare a cup of sweet tea, add 3-5 drops of syrup. In addition, you can purchase a complex remedy from southern manufacturers - a general strengthening syrup from the Crimean stevia. Its benefits are higher, and harm is possible with intolerance to the main or additional ingredients - plantain, echinacea, St. John's wort.

This tool not only replaces harmful sugar and helps to reduce weight, but also effectively raises the immune system.

Powder

It is the most concentrated product derived from stevia. It is packaged in jars or in paper packaging, which includes several bags of powder. It can be used to sweeten drinks, but most often the powder is used to make pastries or milk porridges (because in this case it is extremely inconvenient to take tablets - they will have to be crushed or dissolved in hot water).

Tips for Taking Herbal Sweetener Safely

A decoction prepared from the leaves must be kept in the refrigerator. It is suitable for use no longer than a week. It is always necessary to study the composition of the tablets. If it contains polysorbate or preservatives, then it is better not to use such a product.

If your plans include long-term use of stevia, then take the powder. This is one of the safest "twins" of sugar. It will help in the fight against weight and satisfy the need for sweets.

Read also:

• Garlic: benefits and harms for our health
• Lentils: benefits and harms to human health
• The benefits and harms of succinic acid
• The benefits of folic acid, methods of delivery to the body

The effect of stevia on the body has not been thoroughly studied, so reasonable care should be taken when using it. To insure yourself against any negative effects of taking stevia, you should not use it more than 3-4 times a week.

polza-ne-vred.ru

Composition, calories

• vegetable lipids;
• essential oils;
• vitamins of the whole group;
• polysaccharides;
• cellulose;
• glucosides;
• routine;
• pectin;
• stevisiodes;
• minerals.

The effect of stevia on the body

1. Improves metabolism.
2. Excellent diuretic.

Use in cooking

Where can I buy

Stevia-based preparations

• Altera Holding;
• iHerb;
• NOW Foods;
• Artemisia;
• Leovit.

Table of popular dietary supplements:

Possible harm

The stevia herb does no harm. The only limitation is individual intolerance to the plant.

The safe dosage for using the product is 40 grams per day.

Benefits for diabetes

Diabetics can safely use stevia as a sugar substitute. The product will not cause any harm, will not increase insulin levels. On the contrary, it regulates the level of glucose in the blood.

Unlike industrial sweeteners, grass can be used for years. However, it does not cause side effects.

Benefits of stevia for weight loss

Also on sale there is a special tea for weight loss. The remedy is taken half an hour before meals.

The unique properties of the herb greatly dull the appetite, which allows you not to overeat. It is enough to drink two tea bags per day (morning and evening) or drink 1 glass of a drink that can be prepared at home from a dried plant. Mint, rosehip, green tea, Sudanese rose improve the taste of the drink.

Tablets are also taken half an hour before meals, two to three times a day. Dosage - 1-2 pieces. Tablets can be consumed just like that or dissolved in drinks (tea, jelly, coffee, compote, juice).

Concentrated syrup is added to drinks - one drop twice a day.

Stevia is great for shedding extra pounds. An increasing number of people prefer this wonderful product, which reduces the calorie content of sweet foods by 30%.

Video about the role of stevia for weight loss:

How to make tincture at home

To prepare, you will need one glass of water and one tablespoon of dry stevia leaves.

1. Water is brought to a boil.
2. Grass is added to boiling water.
3. Boil for five minutes on low heat.
4. Pour hot into a thermos.
5. It is left to infuse for 12 hours.
6. The drink is filtered through a sieve or gauze.
7. Store in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator.

The shelf life of the medicinal drink is one week.

Use in cosmetology

Stevia can be successfully grown on a windowsill. The plant will become an indispensable assistant in hair and skin care.

The herbal mask is suitable for all skin types, smoothes wrinkles, gets rid of age spots, acne. For dry skin, it is recommended to add egg yolk when preparing the mask, for oily skin - egg white.

Rinsing the hair with decoctions of herbs, you can improve your hair. They will become chic - thick, shiny. The plant also helps with hair loss, split ends.

Conclusion

The constant use of stevia herbs allows you to indulge in sweets for obesity, diabetes. Grass helps to rejuvenate and not get sick. It is an ideal natural cosmetic and an indispensable natural medicine. Mother Nature's gift, available to everyone.

Reviews

Anatoly Yermak
I wouldn't call it a sugar substitute. I began to find signs of diabetes in myself, I am a sweet lover and went in search of stevia. I bought it, came home, threw it into tea, and at first there was no sweetness. In general, I threw 3 spoons in powder. I have never experienced such a strange sensation: first, the taste of tea without sugar, then a very cloying sweetness comes. That is, the sweet taste comes late and there is no necessary taste combination. What's the point then?

disbakter.ru

Stevia sweetener

A natural sweetener, stevioside, is made from a perennial herb called stevia. The sweet product obtained from the plant helps overweight people to bring their forms back to normal. This additive is referred to as E 960. It is ideal for diabetics because it improves the quality of food. Among other things, stevia contains many useful trace elements. This list includes: vitamins B, E, D, C, P, amino acids, tannins, essential oils, copper, iron, potassium, calcium, selenium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, chromium, cobalt.

With such a rich composition of microelements, the calorie content of the food supplement is minimal - 18 kcal per 100 grams.

Products that are made from this plant can be purchased at a pharmacy, and it is also available in specialized departments of stores. Due to the variety of forms of the manufactured sugar analogue, everyone can choose the best option for this drug. The price of stevia depends on the form of release.

The tablet form of the sweetener makes it easy to calculate the dosage by adding the agent to food. One brown stevia tablet is equivalent to a teaspoon of sugar. In drinks, the sweet "medicine" dissolves very quickly. And if you need to make powder from pills, they should be passed through a coffee grinder.

Unprocessed grass has a slight bitter taste, which cannot be said about stevia tablets. How can such an effect be achieved? Everything is quite simple - in the composition of sweet balls there is a pleasant-tasting component isolated from the plant that does not have a specific aftertaste - a glycoside.

Useful properties of stevia

This is a valuable natural product that has a healing and tonic effect on the human body. Also, the drug is able to normalize carbohydrate metabolism. It is an indispensable product for overweight people.

This sweetener, unlike other sugar analogues, has a minimum number of drawbacks, therefore it is used in many countries of the world and in most cases has positive reviews. To date, not many sugar substitutes are known, the hallmark of which is a low toxicity rate. The stevioside toxicity test was successful.

Stevia is fifteen times sweeter than granulated sugar, so along with it, it is advisable not to include other sweets in your diet.

Indications for the use of stevia tablets:

• obesity and diabetes;
• various pathologies of the endocrine system;
• metabolic disease;
• hypo- and hyperglycemic conditions.

About harm and contraindications

If the doses established in the instructions are not followed by diabetics and owners of overweight, the body may be harmed. Do not be zealous and add sweet pills without measure to every dish.

Sweetener E 960 should not be used by people who have an individual intolerance to the product.

Contraindications to the use of stevia tablets should be gastric and intestinal disorders. To prevent this from happening, you need to start using a sweetener based on honey grass little by little and at the same time monitor the reaction of the body.

With extreme caution, it is necessary to use a food supplement for people who have low blood pressure.

This sweetener should not be consumed with milk, otherwise diarrhea may occur.

With the abuse of a natural dietary supplement, in some cases, hypoglycemia develops - a condition associated with a decrease in blood glucose levels.

Pregnant women and nursing mothers should use sugar substitutes very carefully. They should only be used if the benefit far outweighs the harm.

For people who do not experience any health problems, there is no urgent need to introduce sweeteners into their diet as the main food supplement.

When a large amount of sweet accumulates in the human body, insulin is released. If this state is maintained constantly, then insulin sensitivity will decrease.

In this case, the main condition is not to abuse sweeteners, but to strictly adhere to the norm.

Conclusion

When purchasing an analogue of sugar, you need to make sure that its composition does not contain any harmful additional additives that can have a negative impact on health.

To accurately determine the required amount of the drug, before using it, you need to carefully read the instructions supplied by the manufacturer.

Do not forget that even natural sugar substitutes, if used incorrectly or in case of an overdose, contribute to an increase in blood glucose.

All actions related to the use of sweeteners must be coordinated with your doctor.

Useful and harmful properties of stevia are discussed in the video in this article.

Source http://diabetik.guru/products/steviya-v-tabletkah.html

The choice of modern sugar substitutes is very large, but are all these products safe? For example, natural substitutes for xylitol and fructose are not very different in calories from ordinary sugar itself, and synthetic aspartame and saccharin are far from harmless.

The most optimal solution for those who suffer from diabetes, as well as strive to maintain harmony, youth and health, is stevia tablets.

Benefits of stevia tablets

You can, of course, buy dry leaves of the plant itself at the pharmacy and brew them at home, as our distant ancestors did and people of the old generation still do.

But in our innovative age, it is much more convenient to use stevia sugar substitute, which is available in tablets. Why? Yes, because it is convenient, fast and allows you to strictly control the dosage.

Natural sweetener stevia has undeniable advantages over regular sugar:

1. lack of calories;
2. zero glycemic index;
3. high content of substances useful for the body: amino acids, minerals, vitamins, trace elements (all this, except for glucose, is absent in sugar);
4. The irreplaceable benefit for the body of stevia lies in its anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial, immunostimulating, tonic and tonic effects.

Application area

Stevia tablets have long been an essential ingredient in the diet of diabetics.

The unique ability of this product to lower blood glucose levels makes it almost indispensable in the diet of diabetics, pancreatitis patients and those who value their figure.

Just for everyone who wants to be in shape, stevia can be offered because it does not contain calories, reduces appetite and restores the disturbed balance of metabolism.

Rebaudioside A

Where does the sweetness in honey grass come from? It turns out that the whole point is in the glycosides that are contained in the leaves, because stevia is a herb, green and with leaves .. Rebaudioside A is the only glycoside in which an unpleasant bitter aftertaste is completely absent.

This quality distinguishes Rebaudioside A from others of its kind, including stevioside, which also has a bitter aftertaste. And the absence of bitterness is achieved with the help of a special technology used in the manufacturing process of tablets.

The crystalline powder, which is obtained during the production of the drug, contains about 97% pure Rebaudioside A, which is highly resistant to heat and dissolves very quickly. Just one gram of this unique product can replace approximately 400 grams of ordinary sugar. Therefore, it is impossible to abuse the drug, and the dosage should be selected carefully. It is best if a doctor does this.

The composition of the tablets

Rebaudioside A-97 is the basis of the natural tableted stevia sweetener. It is characterized by ideal taste characteristics and incredible sweetness, which is 400 times higher than that of sugar.

Due to this unique property, very little Rebaudioside A is required for the production of sugar replacement tablets. If a tablet were made from the pure extract, it would be the size of a poppy seed.

Therefore, the composition of the tableted stevia includes auxiliary components - fillers:

• erythrol - a substance that can be found in some fruits and vegetables - grapes, melons, plums;
• maltodextrin is a derivative of starch, most often it is used in the production of food for children;
• lactose is a carbohydrate that is found in milk and is necessary for the body to prevent and eliminate dysbacteriosis).

To give the tablets a shape and a glossy sheen, a standard additive is introduced into their composition - magnesium stearate, which is used in the manufacture of any tablets. Magnesium stearate is obtained by splitting vegetable or animal oils.

Instructions for using Stevia tablets are extremely simple: two tablets are designed for a 200-gram glass of liquid.

When it comes to making a choice between stevia tablets or powder, you need to be guided by expediency. For example, powder is suitable for canning or baking, and it is preferable to add stevia packaged in doses to drinks.

Stevia tablets are worth buying for the following reasons:

• convenient dosage;
• effervescent, easily soluble in water;
• The small size of the container allows you to always have the product with you.

Retrieved from http://diabethelp.org/kushaem/cteviya-v-tabletkakh.html

Stevia has long been famous for its medicinal properties. A plant from the Asteraceae family came to us from South America. Since ancient times, it has been used by the Maya Indians, calling the herb "honey". There was a legend among the Mayan people. According to her, Stevia is a girl who gave her life for her people. In gratitude for such a noble deed, the gods decided to give people a sweet herb with a unique healing power. Nowadays, stevia is highly valued by nutritionists and is the only natural sugar substitute.

But that's not all. In the course of research, it has been proven that the use of an amazing plant improves digestive processes, normalizes metabolism, lowers blood sugar levels and has other beneficial properties for organs and body systems.

What are the benefits of the herb stevia, and can it cause harm? Who benefits from using a sugar substitute and are there any contraindications? Let's find out the details.

An inconspicuous plant with powerful power

At first glance, stevia seems like a nondescript herb. At the same time, it is more than 30 times sweeter than sugar! Growing a plant is not so easy, it needs loose soil, high humidity, good lighting.

The herb has long been used in the treatment of all "ailments" by the natives of South America. The recipe for making a healing drink was brought to Europe at the end of the 18th century. And immediately attracted the attention of the British Consul, who noted not only the incredible sweetness of the product, but also the fact that he helped get rid of many diseases.

During Soviet times, many clinical studies of stevia were carried out. As a result, it was introduced into the constant diet of politicians of the Soviet Union, intelligence officers, astronauts as a general tonic, health remedy.

Composition, calories

The benefits of stevia are invaluable due to the high content of important macro and microelements. The plant contains:

• vegetable lipids;
• essential oils;
• vitamins of the whole group;
• polysaccharides;
• cellulose;
• glucosides;
• routine;
• pectin;
• stevisiodes;
• minerals.

Calorie content of 100 grams is only 18 kcal.

The green plant contains steviosides, unique substances that no other product contains. It is they who give the grass an incredible sweetness and belong to the substances responsible for the hormonal background in the human body (phytosteroids). At the same time, the use of a sugar substitute does not cause obesity. On the contrary, it helps in the fight against excess weight.

The effect of stevia on the body

1. Nutritionists and doctors recommend including a unique plant in the diet as a prophylactic against obesity, as well as for anyone who wants to lose weight (regular use helps to lose weight by 7-10 kg per month without following strict diets).
2. It has been proven that stevia helps in the treatment of inflammatory diseases, relieves swelling, and eliminates pain in the joints and muscles.
3. Due to the high content of macro and microelements, the body's defenses increase, immunity is strengthened.
4. Improves metabolism.
5. The product normalizes digestive, lipid, metabolic processes, restores the disturbed balance of intestinal microflora in dysbacteriosis, bacterial and infectious diseases of the intestine.
6. It has a positive effect on the functioning of the pancreas and liver.
7. The development of bone diseases is prevented.
8. An effective prophylactic against the development of cancer.
9. It has long been used in the treatment of pulmonary diseases (plant tea helps with pneumonia, chronic cough, bronchitis).
10. Regular use normalizes cholesterol levels, pH and blood sugar.
11. The heart muscle and blood vessels are strengthened.
12. Helps with caries, periodontal disease. In countries where the plant is regularly used, there are practically no problems with teeth and they are incredibly white.
13. Normalizes blood pressure.
14. The craving for smoking, drinking alcohol is weakened.
15. A contraceptive that helps prevent pregnancy.
16. Excellent diuretic.
17. Protects the gastric mucosa.
18. Strengthens nails, makes hair and skin healthy.
19. The activity of the thyroid gland is activated.
20. It has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antispasmodic, wound healing properties.
21. Relieves fatigue, indicated for increased mental or physical stress.

Interesting fact! The plant is very economical in consumption. One leaf is enough to completely sweeten a glass of tea.

Use in cooking

Stevia has a similar use with sugar. It is used in the preparation of confectionery, sugar, sauces, creams.

The grass withstands high temperatures without losing its beneficial properties. The sweet taste is more pronounced in cold water than in hot water. Therefore, the plant is popular in the preparation of cocktails, cold drinks, jelly.

The herb goes well with many fruits: mangoes, oranges, papaya, pineapple, apples, bananas and so on. A vegetable sweetener is added when making liqueurs. It does not lose properties when dried or frozen.

Where can I buy

Stevia is sold in online stores, pharmacies, diet and health food stores.

Release form - in tinctures, powder, tablets, dried leaves.

Stevia-based preparations

There are many companies, both domestic and foreign, producing dietary supplements based on this herbal sweetener. Here are just a few well-known manufacturers:

Source http://disbakter.ru/trava-steviya-polza-vred.html

Nature gives people so many useful medicinal plants that in many cases it would be possible in principle not to use medications, which, in addition to benefit, also cause harm. It is a pity that many have not learned to accept these gifts. People who know about the benefits of medicinal herbs are happy to use them not only to strengthen the immune system and supply the body with vitamins, but also to prevent and treat various ailments.

One of these miraculous gifts of nature is stevia, the benefits and harms of which have been known to people since ancient times. For many hundreds of years, this plant has been used by healers and healers to treat many pathologies. Nothing has changed in the modern world. People still continue to use this plant to cure diseases.

Procurement of medicinal raw materials

Stevia is a perennial plant in the Asteraceae family. This is a highly branched shrub with simple paired leaves and small white flowers. Reaches a height of sixty or more centimeters. The root system of honey grass (another name for the plant) is well developed.

Harvest the plant is recommended immediately after flowering. For medicinal purposes, mainly leaves and stems of stevia are used. This is not to say that the plant is too whimsical and requires constant care. But in order to get all the intended benefits from it, you need to know how to grow honey grass and how to care for it.

Some tips for growing, harvesting and storing stevia:

1. The place where you plan to plant the plant should be sunny and protected from the wind.

3. It is desirable to sow the seeds in the soil prepared in advance (dug up, cleared of weeds) in March-April.

4. It is recommended to plant seedlings in open ground after frosts.

5. It is necessary to harvest raw materials during the flowering period.

6. The stem with leaves is cut off, after which it is dried in the open air under the sun, or in special dryers.

7. It is necessary to separate the leaves from the stem after drying.

Do not grind the plant too much before drying. The fact is that such raw materials will dry out for a very long time, and during this time they will lose most of their useful properties.

Useful substances in stevia

The plant has a rich chemical composition. It contains a large number of:

• stevioside;
• rebaudioside;
• dulcoside;
• vitamins of groups A, B1, B2, C, PP;
• beta carotene;
• flavonoids: quercetin, rutin, quercitron;
• potassium;
• calcium;
• magnesium;
• phosphorus;
• zinc;
• silicon;
• copper;
• Selena;
• chromium;
• linolenic, arachidonic acid.

Stevia - benefit and harm

The main medicinal substances of the plant are stevioside and rebaudioside. These substances are not capable of causing even the slightest harm to the human body, they do not contain calories, but they are several times higher than ordinary sugar in “sweets”. It is for this reason that stevia has been recognized as an ideal and, more importantly, harmless sugar substitute. For example, the drug Stevioside is very popular and effective.

This herb is able to have antiseptic, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-cold, hypoglycemic and immunomodulatory effects. The substances that make up stevia endow the plant with truly healing properties. Honey grass contributes to:

• treatment of obesity, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases;
• prevention of the formation and subsequent development of oncology;
• slowing down the aging process of body cells;
• strengthening the immune system;
• normalization of the functioning of the cardiovascular system and central nervous system;
• normalization of carbohydrate metabolism;
• lowering blood pressure;
• elimination of irritation;
• slowing down the process of wrinkles;
• removal of toxins and waste.

Stevia honey in folk medicine

Herbal tea. This tool will help people not only in getting rid of extra pounds, but also in the treatment of gastritis, liver and pancreas diseases. One spoonful of powder from stevia leaves is poured with one liter of boiled water, after which it is infused for half an hour. Use this remedy several times a day instead of tea.

Stevia decoction help with burns, boils and ulcers. Take two spoons of fresh leaves of the plant, wrap them in gauze, pour boiled water over them and put them on the stove. Cook over low heat for half an hour. Pour the finished broth into a jar. Pour the gauze with leaves again with boiled water and leave to infuse for 40 minutes, then drain the product into the same jar. Use this decoction to wash wounds. Remove the leaves from the gauze and put them instead of sugar in your tea.

Hypertonic stevia tea. Take a spoonful of crushed leaves of the plant and pour a glass of boiled water. Cover and leave to infuse for thirty minutes. Drink this tea several times a day for hypertension.

Decoction for insomnia. To prepare the remedy, you will need honey grass leaves and hawthorn flowers. Combine the ingredients and pour boiled water, then boil the product over low heat for ten minutes. Use the medicine several times a day for a third of a glass to get rid of insomnia.

Stevia infusion to reduce fever. You will need dried stevia, sage and mint leaves. Mix all the ingredients and pour a glass of boiled water. Infuse the remedy for half an hour. It is recommended to drink the infusion in small sips.

Infusion for inflammatory diseases of the throat. Mix stevia leaves with raspberry leaves, elder flowers and thyme. Fill the raw material with boiled water and let it brew. Drink the infusion warm, in small sips.

Infusion to normalize the heart rhythm. Take a spoonful of honey herb powder and a couple of tablespoons of lemon balm, pour boiled water and leave to infuse for an hour. Consume one scoop at least five times a day.

Contraindications to the use of stevia

Stevia is an absolutely harmless plant, and, therefore, medicines based on it are not capable of causing harm. But in any case, before taking medicines from honey grass, you should consult your doctor.

If after using stevia you experience muscle pain, dizziness or numbness of the limbs, then such symptoms are evidence of individual intolerance to the components of the remedy. Therefore, it would be better to stop taking such drugs.

Source http://narod-lekar.ru/steviya-polza-i-vred/

For healthy lifestyle adherents, diabetics, people who count calories, sugar substitute is an important part of the diet. Desserts are prepared with it, added to tea, cocoa or coffee. And if earlier sweeteners were only of synthetic origin, now natural ones are very popular. But you do not need to mindlessly consume this product, you must first study the benefits and harms of stevia.

History and purpose

This herb is native to South and Central America. Indians from ancient times brewed tea with it, which is called mate. Europeans began to use it much later, as they did not attach importance to the customs of the Indian tribes. Only from the beginning of the twentieth century did the inhabitants of Europe appreciate the plant and began to use stevia, the benefits and harms of which are being studied to this day.

For industrial needs, the plant is grown in the Crimea and the Krasnodar Territory. But for your own need, it can be grown in any part of the Russian Federation. Seeds are publicly available and anyone can buy them. The only thing is that stevia will not grow in houses, since this plant needs a constant supply of fresh air, fertile soil and high humidity. Only if all these conditions are met, the benefits and harms of stevia will be obvious. The plant itself looks like nettle, lemon balm or mint.

This herb has sweetness due to the main glycoside - steviaside. The sweetener is extracted from grass extract and used in industry as a food (E960) or biologically active additive.

stevia calories

When using dried leaves, the calorie content will not exceed 18 calories per 100 grams. In the case of a sweetener with stevioside extract in the form of tablets, syrup or powder, the calorie content is zero.

How many carbs?

The amount of carbohydrates is much lower than the calorie content. There are 0.1 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams. It has long been debated whether stevia substitutes are good or bad for diabetes. And it has been shown to provide benefits and avoid complications because its extract does not raise blood sugar levels. Stevioside does not affect lipid metabolism, does not cause an increase in LDL and triglycerides.

Proteins, fats and carbohydrates were distributed as follows:

• fats - 0 grams;
• carbohydrates - 0.1 grams;
• proteins - 0 grams.

Useful properties of stevia

Like any other product, it brings benefits and harms. Stevia has the following medicinal properties:

1. Regulates blood pressure. With the constant use of dietary supplements that contain stevia, the upper pressure is reduced by 10 units, and the lower one - by six. In addition, there is less risk of left ventricular hypertrophy.
2. Reduces blood sugar. When comparing aspartame (a popular sweetener) and stevia extract, diabetics who take stevia have been analyzed to have lower sugar levels than those who consume aspartame. Therefore, for diabetics, the benefits of stevia are invaluable. There is practically no harm from it.
3. Reduces the amount of bad cholesterol.
4. Glucose in the body returns to normal.
5. Has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.
6. Suitable for losing weight, as it has no calories.
7. Normalizes blood quality and metabolism.
8. There is an improvement in the quality of the skin.
9. The immune system gets stronger.
10. Does not cause allergies.
11. Revitalizes the pancreas.

It must be remembered that all tests were conducted on animals and the results are typical for them. The benefits and harms for animals are one, but for humans they are completely different.

Research

The catch is that the extracts of this plant were investigated, and not the leaves in their natural form. Steviosite and rebaudioside A are used as extracts. These are very sweet components. The benefits and harms of a stevia substitute are many times greater than those of sugar.

But stevioside is a tenth of the leaves of stevia, if the leaves are consumed with food, then a positive effect (similar to the extract) cannot be achieved. It must be understood that the visible therapeutic effect is achieved through the use of large doses of the extract. There will be no result if you use this sweetener only to sweeten food. That is, in this case, the pressure will not decrease, the glucose level will remain in place and blood sugar, too. For treatment, you need to consult a doctor. Self-activity will cause serious harm to health.

It is not known exactly how stevia extract works. But according to research data, it is clear that stevioside blocks calcium channels, acquiring the properties of an antihypertensive drug.

Stevioside also increases insulin sensitivity and its level in the body.

Stevia extract has a very strong biological activity, because of this, this sugar substitute cannot be taken in large doses, only for its intended purpose. Otherwise, the harm will be exceeded, and the benefit will decrease.

Harmful properties of stevia

Stevia does not have any characteristic negative properties, but there are people who are better off limiting its consumption:

1. Pregnant women.
2. Women who are breastfeeding.
3. People suffering from hypotension.
4. With individual intolerance.
5. Stevia, due to its sweetness, can cause "metabolic confusion", which is characterized by an increase in appetite and irrepressible cravings for sweets.

How to apply?

Whatever form stevioside has (in powder, tablets or syrup), its sweet properties are 300 times greater than sugar. According to the table, you can see the proportions of stevia and sugar.

There are several ways to consume:

• decoction from a plant;
• isolated extract in the form of powder, tablets or syrup.

The powder or tablets have a very sweet taste and must be used with great care. Someone believes that one form of stevia release is more harmful than another. This is not so, the benefits and harms of stevia in tablets are exactly the same as stevia in another form. In addition to the extract, they contain flavors and synthetic sweeteners. The concentration of the powder is so high that it is rather pure steviosite.

By boiling stevia leaves to a state of thick jam, syrup is obtained. There are also prepared meals and drinks with stevia. For example, chicory with the addition is added to homemade cakes, tea, coffee, cocoa, juices, cocktails, and desserts. To add to the dough, it is recommended to buy this sweetener in powder form. For liquids, tablets or syrup are suitable.

Taste qualities

Despite the wonderful qualities of this plant, not everyone can use it. The point is a specific taste, more precisely - in bitterness. This bitterness appears or not, which depends on the method of cleaning the raw materials and the raw materials themselves. Before giving up such a product, it is worth trying a sugar substitute from several manufacturers or trying to make a homemade tincture.

homemade tincture recipe

Since the stevia herb does not differ in benefits and harms from ready-made sweeteners, you can try to prepare an infusion at home. Pour chopped stevia leaves (1 tablespoon) with a glass of water. Let it boil and leave on fire for another 5 minutes. Pour the broth into a thermos and leave to infuse overnight. In the morning, pour the strained broth into a clean bottle. Leaves remaining after filtering, again pour half a glass of boiling water and leave in a thermos for 6 hours. After the lapse of time, mix the two strained infusions and put in the refrigerator. Store no more than 7 days. This infusion can be a good alternative to granulated sugar.

What is stevia made of

Experts have deduced a safe daily dose of stevia - this is 2 mg per kilogram of body weight. It has many useful substances, which distinguishes the plant from sugar. The leaves contain:

• calcium;
• fluorine;
• manganese;
• cobalt;
• phosphorus;
• chromium;
• selenium;
• aluminum;
• beta carotene;
• ascorbic acid;
• vitamin K;
• a nicotinic acid;
• riboflavin;
• camphor oil;
• arachidonic acid.

Stevia in children's diet

In the absence of allergies to plants of the Compositae family (chamomile, dandelion), stevia can be included in the children's menu. In addition, it has been proven non-toxic.

Stevioside and diseases

The list of contraindications for the use of stevia is very small. It can be used as food for oncological diseases, pyelonephritis, diseases of the biliary tract, chronic pancreatitis.

Diabetes mellitus and steviositis

Most sweeteners are synthetic in nature and are not suitable for all people with diabetes. Therefore, scientists and doctors were looking for the most natural sugar substitute. And stevia is perfect for this role. Harm and benefit and other diseases we have discussed above. The most important property of this plant for diabetics is that it gives sweetness to food and does not increase the level of insulin in the body. But it is also impossible to abuse it, otherwise stevia in diabetes will begin to bring not benefit, but harm.

Important! Read the ingredients carefully before buying. If it lacks fructose and sucrose, then you can buy.

Using Stevia for Diabetes

Mix St. John's wort (leaves) in the amount of three tablespoons and stevia (2 tablespoons), chop, pour a glass of boiling water. Pour into a thermos and leave for an hour. The decoction is taken 60 grams before meals three times a day. The decoction is drunk in courses (a month), followed by a week break and everything repeats.

weight loss and steviositis

If someone thinks that as soon as he replaces sugar with stevia, he will immediately lose weight, he will be deeply disappointed. Stevia is not a fat-burning agent and cannot activate subcutaneous fat in any way, for this reason there will be no direct weight loss from it. Proper nutrition and exercise are essential. At the same time, nutrition is in the first place here, although physical activity is indispensable.

The essence of all sweeteners is that, excluding sugar and sweets from the diet, a person begins to lose weight due to a calorie deficit. Due to the fact that insulin is not thrown into the blood in large quantities, the body switches to the correct work and begins to release fat without stress.

Where to find stevia?

Natural sweetener is produced all over the world. This is due to the unpretentiousness of this plant. Of course, the preparations of different companies differ, because a lot depends on the place of harvest and processing of the crop, production technology, composition, and form of release.