Any person seeking out healthy, low carb foods should embrace liquid stevia sweetener, the totally natural zero calorie alternative to sugar or artificial sweeteners. A considerable majority of studies and research documents regarding stevia have concluded that it may be the one sweetener that is truly advantageous for people. It has been discovered that liquid stevia can help healthy individuals sustain normal blood sugar levels, and it is a zero calorie sweetener, which is great news for diabetics.
First, let’s take a look at the origins of stevia and how it has gained interest with the rise in demand for low carb foods and smarter alternatives to sugar and artificial sweeteners. Stevia has been implemented for hundreds of years by native South American tribes as a sweetener in their healthy drinks and herbal teas as well as for ailments such as heartburn and stomach upset. Stevia is a member of the Chrysanthemum family, which grows wild in parts of Paraguay and Brazil. The herb’s extracts are much sweeter than sugar, but have a negligible effect on blood glucose. That is why liquid stevia sweetener is gaining awareness as a healthy sugar alternative that can help people keep normal blood sugar levels.
Since the 1970’s, Japan has led the way in growing and using stevia as a replacement for artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, which are suspected carcinogens. Produced commercially in Japan since 1977, stevia sweeteners are often used in that country for low carb foods and soft drinks. Japan currently accounts for nearly 40% of the world’s consumption of stevia sweetener, more than any other country. It is now extensively used throughout the world, notably in East Asia, South America and Israel. Stevia has been around as a dietary supplement in North America since the mid ’80’s. It registers zero on the Glycemic index, so many conscious consumers worldwide are now using liquid stevia sweetener to enhance the flavor of natural health drinks that do not contain sugar or artificial sweeteners.
In 1984, Dr. Tei-Fu Chen, an American herbalist from Taiwan, perfected a procedure to withdraw the sweetness from stevia without using chemicals. This way is accepted today as the most desirable way to turn out stevia products for consumption. Dr. Chen’s company, Sunrider, victoriously petitioned the FDA in 1995 to lift the import alert on stevia extract. Sunrider was one of the earliest companies to introduce liquid stevia to the market with the product Sunectar, in 1984, and later a variation known as SunnyDew.
Some consumers and politicians think the FDA has so far acted in response to industry intimidation from sugar and artificial sweetener lobbyists. In reality, Arizona congressman, Jon Kyl, called the government restrictions against stevia sweetener “a restraint of trade to benefit the artificial sweetener industry”. However, pressure from consumers is beginning to oblige the FDA to closely think about its current ban on stevia sweetener as a food additive. Really, some forms of stevia have now been classified to be used as a food additive.
Most importantly, stevia contains zero calories and that is favorable to anyone, especially those that are diabetic or on a low carbohydrate diet. It is said that stevia is food for the pancreas, which can help perpetuate normal blood sugar levels. A person searching for quality nutrition in low carb foods is shrewd to scrutinize liquid stevia sweetener and make it a part of a healthy, balanced, low carbohydrate diet.
Author Cliff Everett Smith is Presdient of http://www.BestHealthFoodStore.net, an online health food store that carries liquid stevia sweetener along with unique, low carb foods and natural health drinks not sold in conventional health food stores.