You may be looking for an alternative to sugar, and stevia, a virtually calorie-free, natural sweetener, is more than 30 times sweeter than sugar. Although the herb stevia was recently introduced in the United States, it has been used for many years in Europe, Asia and South America. It was not until 2008 that the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, declared stevia "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS.
Background
Stevia is derived from the Stevia rebaudiana plant, a small shrub naturally growing in parts of South America, including Brazil and Paraguay. The Guarani Indians from Paraguay have used stevia as a natural sweetener for over 100 years.
Benefits
Your body does not metabolize the glycosides in the stevia leaves; therefore, you are not ingesting any calories. If you are trying to decrease your sugar intake, stevia is a good alternative because you avoid consuming calories while still getting the sweetness. Stevia can be a good alternative to sugar for diabetics because it does not negatively affect blood sugar levels; consult your doctor if you consider using stevia as a supplement. Additionally, stevia powder can be used in many recipes in place of sugar or other sweeteners. For example, you can substitute stevia for sugar in muffins, cakes, pies, whipped cream and beverages, like coffee, tea or lemonade. When baking, you should use much less stevia because its sweetness is more intense.
Forms
The most common form of stevia is white powder form, or steviocides, but you can also find stevia in liquid form, as crude leaves or as green, or herbal, powder. The white powder remains the most potent at 200 to 300 times stronger in sweetness than sugar, while stevia leaves and herbal powder is about 15 to 20 times stronger. All forms of stevia may leave a slightly bitter aftertaste, and some individuals experience slight nausea and bloating.
Brands
You can find multiple brands of stevia, including Steviva, which uses non-GMO, or non-genetically modified stevia leaves, Truvia, and SweetLeaf. Most health foods stores and grocery stores carry at least one brand of stevia.
Considerations
Although you are not ingesting calories from consuming stevia, keep in mind it is still a sweetener; therefore, you should use it in moderation. If you are looking for a zero-calorie sweetener to replace sugar, choose stevia over other artificial sweeteners that are chemically and artificially produced, such as aspartame. These articial sweeteners may negatively affect your health in ways that naturally grown stevia will not.
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