Benefits of Stevia - Brands Direct

Benefits

Diabetes

Stevia has numerous advantages for those with diabetes. This all-natural sweetener has the ability to stabilize blood sugar levels, greatly boost glucose tolerance, and reduce glucose levels. Artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin, can increase blood sugar levels and alter the bacterial balance in the stomach, which can lead to glucose intolerance. Numerous studies actually reveal that those who are within the normal weight range and use artificial sweeteners have a higher chance of acquiring diabetes than those who are overweight but avoid sugar.

Stevia has been discovered to cause the glucagon hormone to be released in patients with type 2 diabetes. The production of this hormone, which controls blood glucose levels, is frequently flawed in type 2 diabetics.

Regular sugar (sucrose) and the potentially harmful artificial sweetener “aspartame” are both outperformed by stevia. The participants who ingested the Stevia on three different test days were shown to have considerably lower insulin and glucose response than the sucrose and aspartame groups in a 2010 human investigation of 19 lean healthy people and 12 obese subjects (18 to 50 years old). Additionally, they mentioned that “Stevia may aid in glucose regulation”1.

By promoting the uptake of glucose into cells, the glycosides in stevia function similarly to insulin. Pre-diabetics can use the benefits of stevia to delay the onset of diabetes, and people with diabetes can use them to avoid problems.

Heart Fitness

Diuretic substances found in stevia increase urination, make it easier to eliminate extra sodium and relax blood vessels. As a result, the cardiovascular system is less stressed and blood pressure is lowered, protecting the heart and lowering the risk of artery hardening. More severe diseases like heart attacks and strokes may be avoided as a result.

According to a 2017 assessment of the health advantages of stevia, the phytochemicals, phenols, and flavonoids (antioxidants) included in this herb can aid to safeguard cardiovascular health. They aid in reducing inflammation, preventing obesity, and reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome consequences.

stevia health fitness — Sugar cubes and stevia with nameplate

There are several research that shows Stevia can also lower blood pressure. Persistently high blood pressure, also known as the “silent killer,” is a known risk factor for strokes, heart attacks, and other cardiac events. For more information click here.

A two-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled research including 174 individuals with moderate hypertension (average baseline blood pressure of about 150/95) was carried out in China in 2003. Stevia 500 mg three times per day was utilized in the study. Within the first week, the treatment group’s blood pressure decreased by about 6 to 7 percent compared to the placebo group, and blood pressure was monitored for the duration of the two-year trial. At the conclusion of the research, only 11.5 percent of individuals using stevioside had left ventricular hypertrophy, compared to 34 percent of those taking the placebo, which was a statistically significant difference. There were no obvious side effects.

Losing weight

Stevia provides many advantages for healthy weight loss over conventional sugar. In addition to boosting energy and alertness, it has no calories and no glycemic index (GI). It will aid in reducing sugar cravings and doesn’t cause a blood sugar surge like conventional and artificial sweeteners to do.

Overgrowth of the yeast Candida, which has an insatiable desire for sugar, frequently results in sugar cravings. Stevia can starve Candida to death in place of ordinary sugar. Many people discover that their sugar cravings go when the candida does.

According to Dr. Keith Ayoob’s analysis of scientific studies on the “Health and Wellness of Stevia as a Sweetener,” foods containing stevia “may aid with a long-term mild influence on body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference” for weight management.

“Foods containing stevia assist minimize total calorie intake, without overconsumption later in the day,” he said in regard to appetite.

Dental Care

Because stevia doesn’t include “fermentable carbs,” it helps prevent cavities. The erosion of enamel starts when certain bacteria in the mouth come into contact with fermentable carbohydrates like sugars and starches. The bacteria then metabolize the carbohydrates into organic acids.

Stevia has a sweet taste, but it doesn’t have any carbohydrates that can ferment. Stevia can be regarded as nonacidogentic4, according to a study that was published in the journal “Caries Research,” and is thus suitable to maintain dental health.

History and folklore

Yerba mate, a traditional tea consumed in western South America from Paraguay to Argentina, occasionally has stevia added to it. Indigenous populations in Central and South America have been using stevia as an herbal remedy and sweetener for thousands of years.

When a Swiss botanist studied stevia in 1899 and reported its exceptionally sweet flavor, the west first became aware of it. Until two French chemists discovered the two glycosides that give Stevia its sweet flavor in the 1930s, Stevia appears to have been mostly overlooked. Stevioside and rebaudioside were given to them. Stevia planting started in Japan in the 1970s as an alternative to artificial sweeteners. Stevia now makes up 40% of all sweeteners consumed in Japan, where it is consumed more frequently than anywhere else.

Today, Stevia is grown and used as food in many nations, and it is increasingly recognized for the wonderful sweetener that it is—one that promotes health.

Standard usage

The sweetest leaf in the world, stevia is 30 to 100 times sweeter than normal sugar and has been used as a sweetener for millennia by the native South American populations.

Stevia was used as a traditional remedy and was referred to by the Guarani Indians as “kaa he-he,” which means sweet herb. It was utilized as a tonic for disorders with the heart, high blood pressure, digestion, blood sugar regulation, and liver hydration.