Contents:
- Medical Video: Mayo Clinic Minute: Artificial sweetener debate continues
- What is stevia? What are the advantages over sugar?
- 1. The right sweetener for diabetes
- 2. Don't make your weight go up
- 3. Good for blood pressure
- 4. Safe for children
- Is stevia sugar safe for consumption?
Medical Video: Mayo Clinic Minute: Artificial sweetener debate continues
Many people who have realized that excessive sugar consumption will have a negative impact on their health. Therefore, most of them have changed the position of sugar with artificial sweeteners.
But, do you know that there are natural sweeteners, but they don't endanger health like sugar? Yes, the natural sugar substitute is stevia. He said, stevia is better than sugar, is that right? Then, what are the advantages of stevia from ordinary sugar?
What is stevia? What are the advantages over sugar?
Stevia is a popular name for ingredients derived from plantsStevia rebaudiana. Plant leavesStevia rebaudiana this has actually been used by many people in Paraguay and Brazil since the past. However, the use of stevia as a sweetener only began to be widely known after "discovered" and introduced by botanist Antonio Bertoni in 1887.
Stevia leaves contain compounds that have a very sweet taste, likesteviosideandrebaudioside. Its sweetness is very high, even reaching 200-300 times as much sugar. However, these sweeteners contain zero calories and a little carbohydrate.
The use of stevia sugar as a sweetener has been widely used in various countries including Japan, Korea, China, Southeast Asia, and South America. The use of stevia sugar also varies in a variety of products ranging from drinks, sweets, pickled vegetables, to seafood products.
Stevia is not an artificial sweetener like aspartame or saccharin. Because it comes from natural ingredients, this sweetener is considered to be a healthier choice to replace sugar.
1. The right sweetener for diabetes
Of course, sugar and sweet foods are the biggest enemies for diabetics. However, this time you suffer diabetes how come you feel all the sweetness from stevia sweetener. Yes, this sweetener is considered safer for diabetics, because it does not make blood sugar levels soar.
Stevia plant extract is also believed to be useful to help regulate blood sugar levels. In fact, in South America, this plant extract has long been used for diabetics. There are research results that show that administration of stevia leaf extract can help inhibit blood sugar levels after eating in diabetics and when testing glucose tolerance in healthy people.
2. Don't make your weight go up
Excessive weight is actually caused because you eat foods with high calories, such as sugar which contains high enough calories. So, don't be surprised if you like sweet foods or drinks, then your weight scales soar.
Meanwhile, the sweetener from the leaves has zero calories, so it's safe for those of you who are maintaining weight but want to eat sweet foods or drinks. So, when you consume these sweeteners, the body cannot actually break them down into carbohydrates that can be absorbed by the body. So, there is no substance absorbed by the body from these sweeteners, including carbohydrates, and certainly does not have any effect on blood sugar and weight.
3. Good for blood pressure
Not only can it be an alternative to controlling blood sugar, this type of natural sweetener is also good for your blood pressure. There have been many studies that prove that natural sweeteners can reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
This is mentioned in a study published in the journal Clinical Therapeutics, which was carried out for 2 years. This study show the benefits of compoundsstevioside which is extracted from stevia plants. It is known that consumptionstevioside can help lower blood pressure in people with hypertension.
However, further testing is still needed to study the benefits of this stevia plant extract in terms of regulating blood sugar levels and blood pressure.
4. Safe for children
Case obesity most children are caused by uncontrolled food. Children on average like sweet foods, and this is one of the factors why their weight continues to increase. If left unchecked, then obese children have a higher chance of developing chronic diseases in adulthood.
To prevent this, natural sweeteners such as stevia children are needed as a substitute for sugar. In addition, world health agencies such as the World Health Organization, Food & Drug Administration (FDA), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN), have acknowledged that this type of sweetener is safe for consumption by all groups, including children, pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Is stevia sugar safe for consumption?
Various studies that study the safety of compoundssteviosideand rebaudiosideon stevia sugar does not show negative effects from the consumption of these compounds. In fact, there is a study that shows that the consumption of compoundsstevioside up to 1500 mg / day is safe and does not cause side effects.
However, it is still wise to regulate your food intake. Avoid foods high in sugar and replace with stevia sugar, but add just enough because with even the smallest portion it tastes sweet.
