The Many Benefits of Stevia Leaf

Stevia leaf is an all natural sweetener. It comes from a shrub which grows naturally in Brazil and Paraguay. While people in South America have been using it to sweeten their foods and beverages for hundreds of years, it has been used widely in other countries over the past few decades. In 2008, stevia sweetener became approved in the USA as a food additive and is rapidly growing in popularity due to its many benefits.

Stevia helps reduce food and other cravings

One of the main reasons stevia is so popular is that it can help people in losing weight. By sweetening foods and beverages with stevia, people who need to reduce calories in order to lose weight can do so safely without sacrificing the sweet foods they love. It can also benefit weight loss by working as an appetite suppressant. This works when a few drops of concentrated stevia leaf is swallowed about 20 minutes before eating. Since stevia sweetleaf is all natural and has no known side affects, it is certainly far safer than taking dangerous diet pills!

Not only does this amazing substance suppress food cravings, it has also been shown to reduce the desire for tobacco and alcohol.

Stevia leaf helps regulate blood sugar

Doctors in Paraguay have long been prescribing stevia for their diabetic and hypoglycemic patients. This is because it has properties which help stabilize their blood sugar.  Whereas regular sugar can cause a sudden increase in one’s blood sugar level followed by a rapid drop, stevia leaf keeps the flow more constant. Naturopaths have known this as well and have used stevia powder and other forms of the sweetener for their patients for a long time.

Patients with hypertension have also benefited from using stevia leaf because it helps to lower their blood pressure. For those individuals whose blood pressure is normal, stevia extract powder and other forms of stevia, don’t have any affect.

Stevia helps prevent cavities

When used in chewing gum, foods and beverages, stevia leaf actually helps prevent cavities from developing. This is because it slows down the growth of bacteria in the mouth which causes plaque build up. When used in toothpaste or added to water as a mouthwash it helps reduce problems with bleeding gums. Companies which produce toothpaste and mouthwash are catching on and adding stevia sweetener to them.

Stevia has health-promoting antioxidants

It has also been noticed that for those who use stevia leaf in oral care as well as in foods and beverages, they come down with colds and the flu less frequently. This may be due to the many antioxidants and other nutrients in it, including vitamins C and A, zinc, magnesium, and iron.

Since antioxidants fight off free radicals which can cause cancer, stevia may help prevent cancer. One particular enzyme found in stevia leaf, which acts as an anti-oxidant, is SOD, which stands for Superoxide Dismutase. Cancerous cells have been shown to have very little or no SOD. Since sugar and common artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose don’t have any antioxidants, this makes stevia sweetleaf an excellent choice as a sweetener.

These are just a few of the many health benefits found in stevia leaf.  No other sweetener really compares, making this a great alternative for satisfying your sweet cravings!