Stevia: a sweetening plant
A thousand-year-old shrub, whose plants have been used for centuries by the Indians of South America to soften herbal infusions, Stevia has long been renowned for its diuretic, hypotensive and hypoglycemic properties.
Japan was the first to launch its commercial use by authorizing Stevia extract as a food sweetener, following a ban in the 1970s on the use of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame or saccharin. From soy sauce to soft drinks, from rice cakes to pastries, Stevia is found in many food products in Asia and South America.
In the United States, it was not until the 90s that Stevia was authorized for sale, but only as a food supplement; recently, 2 major brands of soft drinks were able to use Stevia as a sweetener in drinks and to market them.
Stevia: a supply of minerals
But in France, Stevia is still considered a new food and must be the subject of a marketing authorization. The legislation does not yet authorize the use of Stevia in agri-food products, but many people cultivate this plant and use it to sweeten their drinks and desserts!
The nutritional qualities of Stevia, which are not the subject of any doubt in Asian countries, would be a significant contribution of minerals, vitamins and flavonoids very useful to our immune system.
With a sweetening power of 100 to 300 times greater than that of sugar without the caloric effects of the latter, without forgetting its supposed virtues on the reduction of blood pressure and the drop in the level of glucose in the blood, Stevia has something to seduce … but where do we find it?
Stevia: in what form?
In powder : this powder is made from dried stevia leaves. Its sweetening power is 10 to 15 times greater than that of sugar.
As a standardized extract : it is a white powder soluble in water (but also available in liquid form). Its sweetening power is much higher than that of refined sugar (100 to 300 times), without any calories. It should therefore be used very sparingly.
Want to give it a try? While waiting for the European administrative roadblocks to pop up, it is possible to find them via websites that sell them.
Tip: choose a site that has a conversion table that allows you to properly dose stevia.
