Stevia - also known as the "sweet leaf" - or "Paraguay Sugar" is an all natural sweetener, derived from a plant called Stevia Rebaudiana, originally discovered by the Guarany tribe in Paraguay, South America. Its glycosides are upto 300 to 350 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia has been traditionally used for a whole array of health benefits included in herbal teas for fever. It has been found to have antibacterial and antiviral, antifungal and antioxidant properties.
It has also been found to improve insulin sensitivity quite contrary to the currently used arttificial sweeteners, which are found to actually increase insulin resistance. Certain ethnic populations like South Asians have a genetic predisposition to Insulin resistance which makes it more important for them to restrict sugar consumption. Stevia may be a much preferred alternative in these populations right from childhood specifically due to its natural sweet glycosides, centuries of proven safety and antioxidant and insulin sensitising properties Known to be safe for centuries, Stevia glycosides have been used as an alternative to sugar in Japan ever sinc0.7e 1970's Stevia found its way through European and US approvals. Unlike artificial sweeteners, stevia has the US FDA GRAS status, i.e. it is accepted as safe from the experience of many decades of use.
Initially this divine sweet plant had some serious opposition both from the sugar lobby in sugar producing countries like India as well as from the Giants in the sugar-free alternative sweeteners world. However with the chemical alternative sweeteners like sucralose, and aspartame getting into health issues off and on, the interest in this natural safe and clean tasting alternative forced the world to move up their tastes.
The stevia leaf contains two major glycosides, Stevioside and Rebaudioside. Stevioside is 250-300 times sweeter than sugar but is slightly bitter and has an after taste, a little like liquorice. Also, the plant materials in the leaves can leave a slight aftertaste in the raw stevia extract. Using 97% pure Rebaudioside ensures a clean taste without the aftertaste from either the plant materials or stevioside.
Pure Rebaudioside is 300-400 times sweeter than sugar. Though it has no after taste but has a slight bitter taste, which is detected by some people more than others. At PreetiKaya, we ensure that the purified Rebaudioside is treated to ensure that even this bitterness is removed, leaving behind a clean sweet divine tasting product. Know more about the Special process of Stellar for the Divine taste
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