Table of Contents
From the plant to the sweetener
Stevia rebaudiana is a plant native to South America. It grows on Paraguayan and Brazilian soil and belongs to the perennial species. The indigenous people have long known about the healing properties of this plant. Therefore, they used them for food and drinks, but also as a sugar substitute .
A Swiss scientist discovered the plant in 1887 and brought it to Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. Remarkably, the plant’s sweet ingredients were 300 times sweeter than sugar. In addition, these ingredients have no calories, do not cause tooth decay and are also suitable for diabetics. In addition, they are water-soluble and can be obtained from the leaves of the plant without any harmful solvents.
Sugar substitute Stevia: fact check
- 100 g contain 0 kcal
- Glykämischer Index: Null
- So far no negative effect proven
- It is particularly suitable for baking and sweetening drinks
It’s in stevia
Stevia is a mixture of substances obtained from the Stevia rebaudiana plant . For the most part, it consists of the substances steviol glycosides and stevioside. About 10 percent of both ingredients are found in the leaves of the plant and ensure the sweetness of the leaves. The problem: The plant, which is used by South American indigenous peoples such as the Guarani for sweetening, also has some bitter substances that are not wanted when it is extracted. So you can’t just cook a brew from the leaves, let it dry and sweeten your cake with the powder you get. It takes a complex process to extract the desired, pure components from the plant. It is wrong to speak of a “natural sweetener” here. Stevia, as offered in Europe, comes from the laboratory.
So it’s true: Stevia is very sweet and calorie-free . Stevia is particularly interesting as a sugar substitute for diabetics because it does not increase blood sugar levels. Stevia has a glycemic index of zero . For comparison: table sugar has a glycemic index of 100, fructose still has 22. Stevia can be bought as a powder, but also as tabs or capsules. It is also suitable for baking, although special recipes are required for this. So you can’t just swap conventional sugar for stevia. In the meantime, however, there are enough stevia products – especially on the beverage market. You want to know more about the glycemic index? Read our seven effective Glyx rules.
Stevia also contains over a hundred different ingredients, including lots of health and fitness makers such as antioxidants, many vitamins, plant substances and minerals. They are all good for digestion, the gray cells, the immune system, muscle building and the acid-base balance . According to various studies, stevia also has no negative effect on blood sugar and insulin levels and – unlike sugar – does not attack tooth enamel. Nevertheless, stevia tastes very sweet and is very economical in small quantities.
Stevia – the benefits
Conventional industrial sugar is high in calories and bad for your teeth. Previous alternatives such as aspartame or saccharin are industrially produced sweeteners and contain no calories and have no effect on the oral flora, but are controversial among scientists. Because the chemical sweeteners are said to cause hunger, raise insulin levels and sometimes even cause cancer.
There is no scientific evidence for any of these consequences, but there are definitely good reasons why the comparatively expensive sweeteners are used in animal fattening, for example. So if you don’t want to do without sweetness entirely, but would like to have a healthier alternative, you can use stevia.
• Stevia is a natural product
• contains no calories
• the leaves can be used in their original state
• very economical
• both the leaves and the steviol glycosides can be boiled
• stable up to a temperature of 200°C
• as a sweetener in diabetes, neurodermatitis, Suitable for sugar and sorbitol intolerance
• clinically tested
• ideal for children
• does not promote tooth decay
Stevia – the downside
We have to disappoint anyone who thinks stevia is the all-round solution when it comes to sugar substitutes. There are also disadvantages. For example the slightly bitter aftertaste. That is why the sweetener has so far also been supplemented with additives. The dosage is also difficult because the sweet taste does not develop immediately. Also, simply drying the stevia leaves or squeezing out the sweetener is not enough. Before stevia can be used as a sweetener, several chemical processes have to be carried out. Unfortunately, the end product no longer has much in common with the natural product. Now it remains to be seen to what extent stevia will prevail on the food market. It can also be concluded that stevia is not a natural sweetener and therefore one cannot speak of sustainability. One last, frightening point is that the original plant no longer exists. These died out over the years. Currently there are only modified breeding plants.
Use of stevia
Sweeten with stevia
Tea, yoghurt, soft drinks or natural sweets use stevia to sweeten. However, due to its very strong sweetening power, only a much smaller amount of stevia can be used to achieve the same sweetening effect as sugar. As a result, the end products lack the necessary volume, so that some baked goods, for example, have not been able to be produced with stevia up to now.
Cooking and baking with Stevia
In all recipes, mostly cookbooks and baking books for diabetics, where a sweetener such as aspartame is listed, the stevia sweetener stevioglycoside can be used instead. Delicacies such as quark dishes, pudding and even gummy bears can be conjured up with it.
In the meantime, however, there are already many recipes in which stevia is already used as an ingredient and the corresponding quantities are used.
But stevia can not only be used for cooking and baking , more and more toothpastes and mouthwashes contain stevia additives.
The GU Stevia baking book for everyone who consciously deals with sweetness and still wants to enjoy the most delicious cakes, tarts or muffins with Stevia.
This book is an absolute must for anyone who wants to be self-sufficient with stevia – provided that you have a garden, balcony or terrace. By the way: contrary to some false reports, such as that from the AID press service, even the commercial cultivation of stevia is NOT prohibited.
