Can you inform me about stevia? Is it a safe sweetener?

We all know that refined sugar is not good for our health. We also know that artificial sweeteners are bad for our health. Refined sugar is present in many of our processed foods. Artificial sweeteners are praised extremely on their role in controlling obesity or weight loss although the opposite is the truth. The lobbyists from sugar and artificial sweetener industries have everything under control. For this group profit is more important than health.

We have an alternative for refined sugar and artificial sweeteners. It is stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as stevia, sugar leaf or sweet leaf. Stevia is a natural sweetener. The extracts of this plant is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. It is a native of South America, Central America and Mexico. The Native Americans of Paraguay and Brazil use this for centuries.

Research has shown the benefits of stevia in treating obesity and high blood pressure. In Japan it is used as a sweetener for decades without any problems. It is restricted or banned in many countries. There are few studies on rats which try to manipulate the fact of its usefulness and based on this it is banned in some countries. In some countries it is allowed as a herb, but not as a sweetener. It is because of the lobby work of sugar and artificial sweetener industry. There is no abnormal increase of cancer in Japan or in South America.

European Union has tested stevia thoroughly and they are going to allow this a sweetener later in this year as a sweetener. Then it is a boon to many who suffer from diabetes, obesity or overweight.

Avoid refined sugars and artificial sweeteners to live healthy. The presence of sugar is mostly concealed under many terms like fructose, corn syrup or cane extract by the food industry. It is better to minimize the intake of processed food. I hope more research will be done to know the good health effects of stevia.

A day will surely come when we don’t use refined sugar and artificial sweeteners.

I take regularly artificial sweetener added to my coffee or tea, is it good?

There are controversies about using artificial sweeteners, some have problems and many have no problems. Do not take too much and if you get any problems like headache, avoid it at once.

These are chemicals which should be used very carefully. Most of the cakes and snacks for the diabetic patients and beverages have got artificial sweetener. If you eat or drink this, insulin is released and there is no sugar for metabolism. The insulin cannot disappear just like that. The blood sugar value decreases. You are hungry and eat more. Your weight increases.

It is good to use in small amounts in coffee or in tea. Otherwise it is better to avoid artificial sweetener.