Stevia is a sugar substitute that comes from the sunflower family of herbs and shrubs. Its use as a sweetener is increasingly well known around the world, though in the United States it was only obtainable as a so-called dietary supplement until recently, when a form of stevia was approved as a food additive.
Stevia is also known by the names of sweat leaf and sugarleaf, and many recipes in Japan call for its use, including that for Coca-Cola. Actually, Coca-Cola has even developed an artificial sweetener based on the form of stevia now allowed within the United States. Stevia extracts can have up to three hundred times the sweetness of surgar, but has negligible effects on blood sugar levels, making them ideal for diabetic recipes and low glycemic diets. Medical research has even demonstrated some possible benefits in the treatment of obesity and high blood pressure. A patent application has even been filed (US No. 6,500,471) for a stronger much more durable egg due to mixing a small bit of stevia leaf powder into chicken feed, which raises the possibility that the plant might be useful in the treatment of osteoporosis!
But what about the taste? Well, Stevia has a slower onset than that of sugar, though it also lasts longer, too. At high concentrations, nonetheless, it can occasionally have a licorice-like aftertaste which some folks may possibly find a little bitter. Nonetheless, it’s an entirely natural sweetener that is likely to become very well-known within the coming years. Aside from the industrial applications outlined above, which have a long history now, it’s expected that individual consumers will pick stevia for personal daily use. Stevia recipes can already be found on the internet detailing the several different ways there are to incoroporate this incredible ingredient into a nutritious low-calorie diet.
