Stevia - Natural Substitute for Sugar
Stevia is made from the same name medicinal plant, which has many useful properties and is considered the ost delicious plant in the world. It contains the unique molecular component steviazide, which gives it a natural extraordinary sweetness.
Stevia (Latin stevia) is a honey or sweet plant. This is a type of asteraceae family of plants, numbering about 260 species of grass and shrubs. Distributed in South and Central America.
Stevia was first investigated in the 16th century by a doctor and botanist Stevus (Latin: Petrus Jacobus Stevus, Pedro Jaime Esteve), who worked at the University of Valencia. This name comes from her name.
Stevia is also often called honey grass. During all this time, this medicinal herb has been used to normalize the blood glucose levels in humans and to prevent diabetes. Stevia has not only gained popularity, but is also widely used in the food industry.
Stevia is fifteen times sweeter than regular refined sugar, and the extract itself, which contains stevioside, can exceed the sweetness level by 100-300 times. This feature is used by science to create a natural sweetener.
Many synthetic sugar substitutes have a low calorie content, but have an undesirable function due to changes in the metabolism of sugar in the blood, which causes a significant increase in human body weight. A natural sugar substitute is gentle and is not characterized by such negative qualities.
In addition, stevia containing steviazide, which is used to prepare the extract and does not have a characteristic taste, is widely used in the food industry and is available as a dietary supplement-E960.
Natural sweetener is widely used in many countries today. Especially popular in Japan, where stevia has been used for more than 30 years, and during this period no side effects have been reported. Scientists have shown that sweetener does not harm human health. At the same time, stevia is used not only as a food supplement, but also in dietary drinks instead of sugar. You can buy stevia in small brown tablets.
Japanese scientists, in turn, confirmed their research that stevia is not harmful to human health. Japanese experts say that there are currently very few sweeteners with such low levels of toxicity as stevia. A plasma study on the toxicity of steviazide extract showed that there are no side effects on the human body. Also, according to research, the drug does not harm the digestive system, does not increase body weight, does not change the cells and chromosomes.
From this point of view, one can single out the main benefits of stevia exposure to human health:
Stevia as a sweetener helps to reduce the calorie content of products and painlessly reduces body weight. Stevioside extract reduces appetite and creates a sweet taste to dishes. This is a huge plus for those who decide to lose weight. Also, the extract is used in the treatment of obesity.
The sweetener does not affect blood sugar levels, so it can be used by people with diabetes.
Unlike regular refined sugar, natural sweetener eliminates candidates. Sugar, in turn, on the contrary, serves as a source of nutrition for Candida parasites.
Stevia and stevioside improve the immune system.
Sweetener favorably affects the condition of the skin, moisturizing and rejuvenating it.
Natural sweetener supports normal blood pressure and reduces it if necessary.
Stevioside has antibacterial functions, therefore it can be used for treating small wounds in the form of burns, scratches and bruises. It contributes to the rapid healing of wounds, rapid blood clotting and getting rid of the infection. Often stevioside extract is used in the treatment of acne, fungal infections. Stevioside helps babies to get rid of pain when their first teeth erupt, which is confirmed by numerous reviews.
Stevia and also contain useful minerals, antioxidants, vitamins A, E and C and essential oils.
Resistant to high temperatures and alkalis, which allows its use in the food industry;
Low dosage due to high sweetness ratio.
In the modern Brazilian and Paraguayan regions, the Guarani tribes have been used in stevia in food for hundreds of years, especially Stevia rebaudiana, which is called ka'a he'e, or sweet sage, and has been used to treat many different foodborne diseases.
In the early 1970s, the Japanese began growing stevia as an alternative to synthetic sweeteners - cyclamate and sakarin. Commercial use of Stevie began in Japan in 1977 and continues to this day.
Used in food: cold and hot drinks, cookies, carbonated and soft drinks. They use more than 2000 tons of extracts per year. And 40 percent of the total stevia market is in Japan.
It can be noted that the toxicity of stevia has not been fixed: it is currently used in food in East Asia, including China, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia, as well as in San Kitts and Nevis, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Israel, Ukraine South Russia.
Stevia also have a homeopathic effect, enhancing the secretion of the stomach, which, in turn, enhances the secretion of the entire gland. It has a mild diuretic effect, improves the condition of skin diseases and affects rheumatism; It is good for edema, has anti-inflammatory effects and helps to absorb other substances in the body better.
The University of Paraguay conducted research and found that people in Paraguay do not suffer from diseases such as obesity and diabetes, since each resident consumes up to 10 kilograms per year.
Stevia entered Gguziya in the 1980s from Ukraine. After that, the Anasaul Scientific Institute of Subtropical Cultures began to work on this unique plant. Several scientists studied the properties, developed the technology and in the laboratory from the stevia plant received pure stevioside,. They are impregnated with a specific taste and got absolutely sweet, harmless sugar.
It can be obtained from stevia leaf extract (60-70%). (3.3 -3.5) kg of dry leaves of stevia can be obtained from 1 kg of dry extract, which is much sweeter than sucrose.
In 1990, at the 9th Worldwide Symposium on Diabetic Disease in China, Stevia received the Golden Prize as the most valuable plant that contributes to a person’s longevity and bioenergetic abilities.
Currently, Stevia plants are cultivated in Lanchkhuti, where it is harvested. Scientists from the Anaseuli Institute were optimistic that mastering the technologies of this culture in Georgia does not require much effort and can be freely prepared for export.
A comparison with the chemical indicators of stevia in China and other countries shows that the distribution of stevia in Georgia has practically not lost its properties. This is close to the crop produced in China.
High interest in growing the plant stevia and its agricultural products in Georgia can be considered as an interesting and promising plant.
Manana Chagelishvili
Technologist of the bakery and confectionery industry