Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni also known as "Sweet Weed", Sweet Leaf", "Honey Leaf" or just "Stevia" is a plant belonging to the chrysanthemum family and is native to Paraguay. Stevia leaves have been used for centuries by the indigenous peoples, who used it to sweeten it to bitter medicines and teas. Today stevia extract is very popular as well as crushed stevia leaf.
Growing Stevia
Today stevia is cultivated in Paraguay, China, Korea and many other countries around the world. It contains natural compounds that are estimated to be 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. The plants can be bought at some shops that sell herbs, and other plants. It is not hard to grow on your own. There are many strains of stevia plants. Each strain has differing properties. Some have more flavor than others, some have more bitterness than others. Some grow faster, but do not taste as good resulting in a substandard product.
Stevia has centuries of safe use
Stevia was discovered by the Western culture in the sixteenth century by the Spanish Conquistadors. People in Paraguay and Brazil have used a sweet leaf to sweeten beverages and as an ingredient in medicinal herbal teas herbal teas. Stevia has been used and continuously used for over 1500 years with no harmful effects.
Uses
Some "Folk" uses (primarily in Latin America and the Orient) include the following: stimulate alertness and counter fatigue; facilitate digestion and gastrointestinal functions; regulate blood glucose levels; nourish the liver, pancreas and spleen; and external application for blemishes. Stevia extract has been shown in studies to inhibit the growth and reproduction of some bacteria that are responsible for tooth decay. Some users report a decrease in desire for sweets and fatty foods. In fact, we have even received a letter from a woman who used our Emperor's Herbologist JAJA Stevia extract stevioside to reduce her sugar intake from 5 lbs every week or so, down to almost nothing. She reported having much more energy.
Stevia can also help the body sustain a feeling of vitality and well-being. Users have also reported that drinking Stevia tea or Stevia enhanced teas helped to reduce their desire for tobacco and alcoholic beverages.
Recently there have been studies linking stevia extract with normalization of blood sugar, and insulin in diabetics.
In China stevia and stevioside is used in herbal medicines and toothpaste. In China, Korea and Japan Stevia extract Stevioside is used as a table top sweetener because it has 0 calories, 0 carbohydrates, 0 fat and is reportedly a natural sweetener 300 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia has no fat, no carbohydrates, making it perfect for diabetics, low-carb diets, and people with candida, it is not an artificial sweetener. In fact, in the USA stevia is not a sweetener at all, it is sold as a dietary supplement because the FDA claims that they have not seen enough proof that stevia and stevia extract stevioside are safe for use as a food additive. Probably, if one of the agro-chemical companies could produce a Genetically Modified from of stevia that could "Eliminate the use of insect repellants like the gm corn and gm soy beans and who knows what else.... the FDA might think it was safe enough to sell as a food additive. Who knows? That being said, the FDA has no problem with stevia and stevioside being sold as dietary supplements (which are also eaten).
Order your Stevia or Stevioside on line today!
You'll be glad you did
