Stevia sweeteners come from a South American plant called Stevia rebaudiana. Since 2008, when it was approved for use as a food additive in the U.S., many manufacturers have used stevia as a sweetener in their products, including desserts, chewing gum, candy and yogurt. Stevia is considered an all-natural sugar substitute, but it does not have the same ingredients as sugar.
Sugar
The sugar in your diet comes in many forms. For example, fructose is a form of sugar found in fruits, vegetables and some grains. Lactose is a sugar in milk products. Besides these naturally occurring forms of sugar, many people add refined sugar to their diets. Food manufacturers use added sugar, such as high-fructose corn syrup, to sweeten their products and enhance the texture.
Effects on Body
Generally, sugar has no nutritional value other than the energy it provides your body. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate, meaning your body generally processes it quickly. Some forms of sugar, such as high-fructose corn syrup, are high in calories, which can contribute to unhealthy weight gain. Other negative effects of sugar include tooth decay; problems related to type 2 diabetes; high triglyceride levels; low levels of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol; and heart disease, according to FamilyDoctor.org.
Stevia
The ingredients that make stevia sweet are called steviol glycosides, which stevia producers extract from the leaves of the plant. Stevia has no calories, so manufacturers can use it to sweeten products while keeping the caloric load low. Stevia is much sweeter than sugar -- 250 to 300 times sweeter, in fact -- so manufacturers don't need to add much to alter the flavor of their products. Also, stevia doesn't cause tooth decay and doesn't affect glucose levels.
Considerations
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers stevia to be a safe food additive, though stevia can cause side effects, including a feeling of fullness or nausea. Some stevia preparations, such as whole-leaf or crude stevia, are not approved for use by the FDA. Don't buy products whose claims and ingredients haven't been reviewed by the FDA. Only highly refined stevia preparations are approved for use as a sugar substitute.
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