Is stevia just a trend, or is it really a very attractive alternative to sweeten food and drinks?
In this article we want to give you a closer look at the plant, which comes from South America.
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About stevia
Stevia is a natural product. The sweetener is obtained from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, a plant originally from South America. The components important for sweetening are a number of so-called
Steviol glycosides, each with its own sweetness and flavor profile. Different quantitative use of the components as well as mixtures, also with other sweeteners, lead to the diversity of our range of stevia products, which makes it easier for you to find tailor-made solutions for your sweetening tasks.
Today, stevia is grown in large parts of the world, including South America, Asia and Australia. The products we supply come from China. The manufacturer cooperating with us has installed a comprehensive quality assurance system that extends from the seedlings in the field to innovative production systems and consistent product monitoring.
There are strong arguments in favor of stevia.
There are a number of compelling reasons to swap conventional sugar, in whole or in part, for stevia:
Glycemic index: 0
Food with a high glycemic index, e.g. table sugar with a value of 100, causes an unfavorable reaction when eaten: When eaten, the blood sugar level increases by leaps and bounds. The metabolic system reacts by releasing insulin in order to break down the blood sugar by infiltrating it into the body's cells. The blood sugar level then drops again quickly. The result: hunger sets in again prematurely. When eating food sweetened with stevia, this fatal process does not take place because stevia does not increase blood sugar levels and there is no insulin reaction.
Stevia is calorie free.
So stevia is good for your figure. Replacing just four to five teaspoons of sugar a day with stevia saves you over 500 calories a week. Extrapolated over the year, that is about 3 kg of body fat that would have been caused by sugar alone. How much more can you save if you also choose alternatives with stevia additives for other foods.
Stevia benefits dental health.
Acid damage to teeth is a common problem. The acid is created in the mouth by bacterial processes, e.g. in products sweetened with conventional sugar. Unlike stevia. The substance is practically not fermentable in the mouth - less acid formation, reduction of the risk of tooth decay.
Stevia is also suitable for diabetics.
As described above, the product does not alter insulin. That is why diabetes patients can also use our stevia products.
More stevia benefits for processing in food.
. Heat stable up to about 350 o C, therefore suitable for cooking and baking as well as for other processing at high temperatures
. Flavor enhancer in combination with other sweetening ingredients
. Extremely stable in low pH food, beverage and finished product systems
. Excellent solubility in aqueous systems
. Our stevia products have the NON-GMO seal
Do you want to learn more about Stevia?
Feel free to call us at +49 4122 40 111 66 - 0 or send us an email to vertrieb@sweet-ingredients.de