Probably, most of you who are reading this article are using stevia or have at least heard or read about it. For those who do not know much about it, stevia is not the same as other sugar substitutes and processed sweeteners.
On the contrary, it is a 100 percent natural sweetener extracted from the leaf of the plant Stevia. Believe it or not, it is 200 times sweeter than regular sugar in the same concentration. Many experts do not just deem it the best sweetener ever, but also emphasize its healing properties.
Continue reading the article to learn more about how to fight off sugar addiction with the help of stevia and why it is good for your overall health!
Stevia: the Healthiest Natural Sweetener?
Did you know that stevia is rich in antioxidants like quercetin, apigenin, and kaempferol? According to research, stevia extracts can protect the DNA from free radical damage. Moreover, it can help decrease the blood pressure when you use between 750 and 1500 mg of it per day.
What’s more, according to a groundbreaking research from 2012, stevia consumption was associated with the reduction in breast cancer cells. Namely, the research team concluded that the compounds present in stevia encourage apoptosis or cancer cell death and lower the stress pathways in the body which encourage cancer metastasis.
Further on, in Japan, stevia has long been used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. And, newest lab tests with animals showed that one serving of oral stevioside elevated the insulin sensitivity and lowered the postprandial glucose in a dose-dependent way.
But, there are some things that you need to take into account before you start using this sweetener. For example, it is pivotal to learn the difference between natural and processed stevia.
Natural vs. Processed Stevia
In order for stevia to be safe for you, you need to learn the differences between processed stevia and stevia in its most natural herbal form. As a green plant which can be grown in the backyard or in tincture form, it is the safest and often studied for their health advantages.
On the other hand, powdered and bleached stevia types, even though they are approved by the FDA, have not been studied and go through a major processing to reach the powdered white form.
To conclude, until now, there have been no human studies that have found issues with pure and natural stevia and they have actually shown many of its advantages.
For now, the best form of stevia to use is in leaf form or tinctures. Stay away from the white processed and powdered ones.
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