How Does Stevia Compare To Sugar?

Stevia is a natural sweetener that has been gaining popularity in the United States. Originally from Paraguay, stevia has been used by native South Americans for centuries as a sweetener and for various medicinal purposes.Until late 2008, when the FDA allowed rebaudioside A, a glycoside of stevia, the "Generally Recognized As Safe" status, stevia was only available as a dietary supplement. Since then, stevia has been used commercially as an alternative sweetener to sugar.

Calories and Sweetness

Rebaudioside A, referred to as stevia, contains zero calories per serving, while sugar contains 16 calories and 4 grams per teaspoon. In addition, stevia is sweeter than sugar, and requires a smaller amount to create the same feeling of sweetness. Various stevia extracts have different levels of sweetness, so exercise caution when you begin using new stevia products.

Blood Sugar

A benefit of using stevia is that it does not raise blood sugar levels. This is helpful for the diabetic who enjoys eating sweets and drinking sweet beverages, but that needs to watch his sugar intake. However, consuming stevia at doses higher than used for sweetening purposes may have a hypoglycemic effect, causing blood sugar levels to drop.

Baking

Stevia can withstand high temperatures, allowing itself to be using for baking. However, stevia does not possess many of the properties sugar utilizes during the baking process. Stevia cannot fuel yeast as sugar does, so quick breads may not rise as well. Stevia also does not add texture to baked goods, nor does it caramelize. Baking with stevia will take practice as you learn how to adjust recipes to produce your desired outcome.

Taste

While producing a sweet taste, using too much stevia may result in a bitter aftertaste. Once you have started using stevia, you will need to determine the appropriate amount of sweetener for your taste. Your first few trials may leave you desiring the familiar taste of regular sugar, but continued tests will allow you to decide which taste you prefer -- stevia or sugar.