Sweeteners are becoming increasingly popular as they provide the necessary sweetness of coffee and co., But without calories. However, many sweeteners are highly controversial, and some people have already developed an intolerance. These include, for example, aspartame or saccharin. Nearly 80 million Americans suffer from overweight, mainly due to high-sugar foods. But now there is a big change in the way both here and in the USA, because people are increasingly looking for a healthy alternative to sweeten their food and drinks without calories.
In the last few years, Stevia has become more and more popular. For example, the new sweetener keeps more and more cafes and restaurants, but also in many private households. Even renowned beverage manufacturers such as Coca Cola and Pepsi use the natural sweetener meanwhile. Stevia is a truly exceptional sweetener. But there are some characteristics that hardly anyone knows.
1. Stevia is herbal
The sweetener stevia is extracted from a plant, Stevia rebaudiana, which originally grows in South America, where it has been used for many centuries as a sweetener. But also with burns and gastrointestinal complaints helps the plant. The reason for this is the contained glycoside, which is released via the leaves of the plant.
2. Stevia from the supermarket is not necessarily purely natural
Although Stevia comes from a natural plant, it is added to the supermarket with preservatives to make it durable. Some varieties also include erythritol and natural flavors.
3. Stevia is many times sweeter than sugar
Even if Stevia contains no calories, it is about 200 times as sweet as the identical amount of conventional crystal sugar.
4. Stevia is also suitable for baking
Stevia is also an excellent sugar substitute when baking. Whether cakes or biscuits, a minimal quantity is already sufficient. Even cocktails can be sweetened.
5. Stevia does not caramelize
In many areas Stevia is an excellent substitute for crystal sugar. However, since stevia does not crystallize, it is not suitable for preparing caramel or crème brûlée.
6. Stevia is also available in liquid form
Stevia is not only available as a powder, granule or tablet, but it is also liquid. However, depending on the dosage form, the sweetness is different. Therefore, the respective package information should be observed.
7. Stevia is not a dietary product that can make the pounds leaking
You might think that by Stevia the kilos just melt away, since it has no calories. However, it seems as if the use of Stevia would trigger hoax, increasing the risk of overweight all the more.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/16/stevia-what-is-it_n_5983772.html