Cutting back on one’s sugar intake is a commonly discussed issue. High sugar levels in our bodies accounts for diabetes, and sugar is also associated with obesity and being overweight.
Alternately, sugar can have many negative effects on our health and well being. It causes inflammation, and is known to induce erratic brain cell firing, wherein the communication between brain cells is altered.
Excessive consumption of sugar has been linked with headaches, hypertension, fluid retention and even depression. And with the present day diet patterns, sometimes it could be tough to avoid excessive consumption of sugar. A major portion of sugar consumption results not from our meals, but from the beverages that we have, and these may include coffee, alcoholic drinks, or even fruit juices.
But one can minimize sugar consumption, without having to cut down on sweets. One must go for Stevia, a natural sweetener that has gained a great deal of prominence over past few years. Stevia is a 100% natural sweetener. And while it is 30 times sweeter than sugar, it has zero calories, zero carbohydrates and has zero effect on our glycemic index. So it does not raise the insulin or blood sugar levels in our bodies at all!
Stevia: The Best Available Natural Sweetener
Stevia is an herb. It is naturally sweet and is native to Paraguay. While Stevia is non caloric, it has been used as a sweetener and even a flavor enhancer for centuries. And most importantly, it’s a natural sweetener, and while it is safe and effective, with Stevia, one can easily avoid all side effects of consuming sugar. You can use a Stevia in any way that you use sugar. You could use it for baking or cooking, use it for making tea, or maybe even for milkshakes or yogurt.
Composition of leaves from Stevia plant reflects a high nutritive value. It contains polyphenol concentration, averaging 4.15% by weight of dried leaf. The principal glycosides are Stevioside and rebaudioside. Besides, Stevia leaves contain essential oils, flavonoids, minerals, vitamins, tannins, calcium, zinc, potassium, magnesium, sodium, fluorine, fibers, chlorophyll, water and traces of many other constituents.
What Makes Stevia Better Than Artificial Sweeteners?
As a replacement for sugar, artificial sweeteners too have their own consumer market, but going for a natural sweetener is invariably a better choice than going for an artificial sweetener. A recently conducted study has linked artificial sweeteners with obesity. One of the results of the research was that when one consumes something that contains an artificial sweetener, it influences the body’s intrinsic ability to figure out how much it has eaten. So without recognizing it, one tends to overeat.
On the other hand, Stevia sweeteners have been shown to reduce cravings for sweets, and even fatty foods. Additionally, Stevia is good for our health. While being 30-40 times sweeter than sugar, it is rich in vitamins and minerals. Stevia not just helps one minimize the risks associated with obesity, like hypertension and cardiovascular ailments, but is a boon for anyone suffering with diabetes, and also has some additional advantages. It has anti bacterial and antiviral properties, and works effectively for anyone suffering from disorders like tooth decay.
Stevia: A Boon for Diabetics
A major challenge that is required to be faced when an individual suffers from diabetes is controlling the blood sugar levels, or blood glucose levels in the body. Keeping a check on blood sugar levels in the body enables a diabetes patient to lead a healthy, normal lifestyle, and the same minimises the chances of development of any health related complications to a great extent.
One of the best ways to control blood glucose levels in our bodies is by making a switchover from sugar to Stevia. Stevia is a natural sweetener which has zero sugar, zero carbohydrates, and zero glycemic index, which means that it has no effect on our blood sugar levels.
Advantages of Going for Stevia
Stevia is often cited to be the best sweetener for anyone who is suffering from diabetes. This is because Stevia has no effect on our blood sugar levels, even though it is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. Similarly, a Stevia is the best option if one is slightly overweight, because it replaces calories present in sugar with vitamins and minerals. Stevia is also effective for treatment of gum disease and tooth decay as it prevents bacterial growth.
Stevia: A Fine Way to Counter Free Radicals
Our bodies are exposed to free radicals from environmental factors like air pollution or ultraviolet light, or they may be created in our bodies due to internal factors such as disease, infection and stress. Free radicals are harmful for our health and are responsible for onset of allergies, cardiovascular diseases, stroke and arthritis. They are also associated with speeding up of aging process. Stevia is preferred because it is rich in antioxidants which help our bodies overcome the damage caused by free radicals.
Stevia: One of the Surest and Smartest Ways towards Weight Loss
People who have attempted to lose weight in past have come to realize that it can be difficult. Obesity afflicts a large percentage of us and has been linked to health conditions like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, back pain, cardiovascular ailments and stroke.
A diet high in sugar may be seen as one of the leading factors which cause obesity. One of the reasons for the same is that sugar can be addictive.
When one has consumes sugar, the blood glucose levels are temporarily spiked, and one feels a rush of energy. But the glucose levels in the bloodstream eventually fall, and the person feels a slight fatigue. This makes one tend to go for more sugary products, so that he can get a rush of energy all over again.
But Stevia has no sugar content, so one does not feel the sugar cravings!
Moreover, Stevia is high in naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and nutrients, so the body stays nourished, and while this ensures that a person stays healthier, it also works towards curbing one’s appetite.
When one consumes Stevia 20 minutes before having meals, it works towards curbing one’s appetite. So one does not feel the need to go for fattening foods, one stays healthy, and this also helps one lose weight.
Health Benefits of Stevia:
- Stevia is useful for treatment of obesity.
- It improves digestion and is beneficial for upset stomach.
- It has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Further, it prevents bacterial growth and reproduction, particularly for those bacteria which cause tooth decay and gum diseases.
- Stevia also contributes to stabilization of blood sugar, allowing people who are currently insulin dependent to eventually not need treatment for high blood sugar levels. Further, it inhibits candidacies - a yeast infection that flourishes with sugar.
- It accounts for lowering of blood pressure.
- It prevents memory loss and thus can be used in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer.
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Say no to diabetes and obesity today and ensure a much improved health and well being for your family and yourself.
Harshad has been into freelance writing for some time now. Some of the topics he loves to write about are health, wellness, life & lifestyle, fitness & spirituality.