Stevia herb – an interesting plant of the family Compositae with unique properties. Stevia is a perennial herb with small white flowers and is a relative of chamomile.
The herb is native to South America, its name translated from the ancient Mayan language means “honey”. The Indians passed down from generation to generation the legend that Stevia was a girl who sacrificed her life for the good of her people. The gods gave mankind sweet grass in memory of this girl’s feat. The Indians have since associated stevia with happiness, eternal beauty, strength.
Today, stevia is considered the only natural substitute for sugar. An inconspicuous plant is 30 times sweeter than sugar, and diterpene glycosides, called steviosides, are 300 times sweeter than sugar.
Growing: planting and care
Growing honey stevia is quite a time consuming task. The grass grows well in high humidity and plenty of sunlight. Many stevia lovers have adapted to growing it as a houseplant.
If you plan to grow grass on the windowsill, you should choose the most suitable place. The pot with the plant should be placed in the brightest place on the windowsill, but only if the grass does not get direct sunlight. Stevia should be sprayed regularly, because it is moisture-loving and slows down when the humidity decreases. It is also not necessary to “water” the plant, because both in drought and when wet, the roots of stevia die.
Medicinal properties
The healing properties of the essential oils, have long been known in ancient times. American aborigines took its decoction for almost all diseases. In the 18th century, this recipe of folk medicine attracted the attention of Spanish conquistadors.
Also inconspicuous herb interested the British Consul Asuncion, he wrote that the Indians have known for many years about the benefits of “kahi-he-he”, or sweet herb, he also noted the sweetness of stevia, noting that a few leaves of the plant without difficulty sweeten a large cup of tea.
In the Soviet Union, several studies have been conducted on stevia and its use. Sweet grass was approved by scientists, stevia was to be included in the diet of the party elite, astronauts, intelligence officers.
There have been many studies on obese animals. When taking stevia, they showed positive dynamics. The herb had a beneficial effect on the state of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. Weight loss of up to 7 kg in one month was observed in animals that regularly consumed stevia. To date, the largest consumer of sugar grass is Japan. Sugar reminds the Japanese of diabetes, obesity, caries, have long moved to stevia on an industrial scale.
The beneficial properties of stevia do not end with its ability to replace sugar. The herb has anti-inflammatory properties, reduces cravings for sweet foods, which significantly reduces body weight. The antimicrobial action of stevia allows it to be widely accepted as a remedy for colds and to strengthen the immune system. Stevia does not affect tooth enamel and does not cause tooth decay, its derivatives are added to toothpastes to reduce the growth of bacteria in the mouth.
Honey herb is used as a diuretic. In Thailand, this use of stevia is very popular, because excess fluid in the body can cause fatigue, high blood pressure, problems with the digestive process.
Use in cooking
In cooking, stevia was used wherever white sugar is commonly used. The grass can withstand temperatures up to 200 degrees, which allows you to use it for baking sweet flour products. Low calorie stevia (only 18 calories per hundred grams) compared to sugar (387 calories per 100 grams) makes the plant an indispensable sweetener for overweight people. The fact is that our body does not digest its glycosides, and they pass through the gastrointestinal tract without digesting.
Honey leaves, oddly enough, give more sweetness if they are dipped in cold water. Soft drinks will become even sweeter if you let them infuse a bit. Sweet herbs go well with sour fruits such as lemon or orange and sour drinks. Natural sweetener from stevia can be used in alcoholic beverages. Stevia does not lose its properties when added to frozen foods.
Stevia can be purchased in the form of dried leaves, powder, liquid or in tablet form. The herb is often sold in health food stores, pharmacies, supermarkets.
Benefits of stevia and medicinal properties
The benefits of stevia are known in modern medicine. Grass leaves are able to normalize blood pressure, significantly lower blood sugar. Scientific studies prove the unique ability of licorice to stop the growth of tumors.
Tea from the leaves of the plant will strengthen the immune system and promote weight loss. Sweet grass contains rutin, vitamins A, D, F, ascorbic acid, potassium, phosphorus, essential oils, zinc, fiber.
Stevia is widely used as an effective means of weight loss. For this purpose, it is added to green tea, which helps to normalize metabolism. In Japan, the known properties of stevia to fill the body with energy.
Pity stevia and contraindications
Stevia can harm the body in case of overdose.
Despite many studies, scientists still do not have a single position on stevia. The US Food and Drug Administration does not officially recognize stevia and foods containing it.
The beneficial properties of licorice are counteracted by the risk of losing offspring while consuming stevia. There is a legend that Paraguayan women allegedly took stevia instead of contraceptives. Scientists have conducted more than one study before it became clear that such an effect on the reproductive system can be achieved by consuming the plant in large quantities. The lethal dose in terms of sugar is about 300 kg of sugar per day or 15 g of stevia per 1 kg of body weight. In 2004, WHO experts recognized a safe level of 40 grams per day or 2 mg / kg.
Contraindications also include individual intolerance to stevia, as well as pregnancy. It is undesirable to use stevia for nursing women and those who have allergies on representatives of composites, such as chamomile, dandelions.
Infographics History of Stevia
