Is Stevia a Green Alternative to Sugar and Other Articial Sweeteners?

We all love sugar. This sweet and delicious plant product is infused in tons of different food items that we gobble up every day. We put it in our coffee, we bake with it, we sprinkle it on top of otherwise bland food, including whole grain cereals, and we even top it on already-sweet food. So what's wrong with sugar?

For years now we've heard about the health impacts of sugar. It's a diet-wrecker, consuming it constantly increases your risk for diabetes, and so on. A lot of people have blocked out any and all types of sugar bashing, but there is another reason to be concerned about sugar. Sugar itself comes from sugar cane plants, a major cash crop in many Caribbean countries. As the demand for sugar products has risen dramatically, many companies have jumped to the opportunity to grow more sugar cane, no matter what the consequences are. Land that once consisted of native species and had little contact with humans and crops has quickly been turned into sugar cane fields. Since many sugar-producing countries are poor and suffer from lower employment rates and lax laws, farming practices are barely regulated. As a result, land is stripped of its beauty and natural value to be turned into sugar cane fields. Landowners only think about making money in the short-term and reap all of the soil's nutrients within a few growing seasons. Needless to say, sugar is very detrimental to the environment and because it's such a popular product, the demand is really taking its toll.

There are many sugar alternatives on the market today that sell through the guarantee of healthier products. The most popular sugar substitutes include sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin. While all of these are healthier alternatives, all are chemical concoctions that have their own environmental impacts. Saccharin, for example, is created through a series of synthesis reactions that include using chlorine, sulfur dioxide, and ammonia. Not only are these horrible for human health, they carry a lot of environmental impacts since they're such toxic chemicals.

Another sugar alternative that's on the market today is Stevia. This plant-based sugar-like substance has been seen on commercials and store shelves a lot more recently. Because Stevia is plant-based and not a result of chemical reactions in a lab; it's a good alternative to sugar and other sugar substitutes. Although Stevia is actually a genus of about 240 different species, the kind used for sugar substitutes is called Stevia rebaudiana, or sweetleaf. It is grown and cultivated mostly in tropical and subtropical regions, specifically in South America.

Stevia is actually a very environmentally-friendly plant. Whereas sugar cane requires ample amounts of water and nutrients from soils, Stevia plants can actually grow on poor soils and don't require as much water either. Aside from this, Stevia plants take up less land than sugar cane crops and since Stevia extract is so much sweeter, less is used to sweeten food.

This sugar alternative is a great way to go green and healthy with your cooking and dietary needs. It can be found on many store shelves across the country and its prices easily compete with sugar. Check out this green alternative!