What is Stevia, Anyway?

Click these links to read more of my Stevia series:
How to Plant Stevia and Grow Your Own Natural Sugar Substitute
How to Grow Stevia in Your Garden
How to Prepare Stevia for Use in Your Kitchen

Click here for a slideshow about planting stevia.

Refined sugar is full of empty calories, with a high glycemic index that causes your blood sugar levels to fluctuate very soon after you eat it. Artificial sweeteners are chemical and artificial. Some artificial sweeteners are known carcinogens, others cannot be used in cooking because they are destroyed by heat, and none of them have any nutritional value.

Stevia is a plant, Stevia rebaudiana, native to higher elevation areas of Paraguay and Brazil, where it is called "sweet leaf." Stevia leaves are sweet, containing high concentrations of natural glycosides. You can purchase natural stevia as powdered leaves or as a powdered extract. The powdered leaves are simply dried stevia leaves, ground into a very fine, pale green powder. The stevia extract is a white powder made from the dried natural juices extracted from the stevia leaves. Stevia is a popular sweetener around the world. Since the FDA "approved" stevia as a GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) substance in December 2008, you can find both kinds of stevia powders in health food stores and some grocery stores in the U.S.

Stevia extract powder is usually 85 - 95% pure glycosides. The two main glycosides the white stevia extract powder contains are called stevioside and rebaudioside A. The general term "stevioside" is often used as a catch-phrase to refer to all the glycosides in stevia. The dried green leaf powder gives you all of the glycosides in the extract plus minute amounts of these nutrients: Vitamin C, Beta-Carotene, Chromium, Cobalt, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Niacin, Phosphorus, Potassium, Protein, Riboflavin, Selenium, Silicon, Sodium, Thiamin and Zinc.

Natural, pure stevia powders are not refined or derived by altering the natural plant substances. They are made simply from the leaves or juice of the plant. Pure stevia has no calories and does not promote tooth decay. It is a safe, natural sweetener for all ages. Pure stevia is particularly useful for diabetics.

To taste stevia powder, dip the tip of a toothpick in water, dry it on a napkin, and then barely touch the damp end to stevia powder. Touch it to your tongue, and the super-concentrated sweetness will surprise your tastebuds! Stevia does not taste exactly like sugar, just as honey, maple syrup, and sorghum are all sweet, but not the same as refined sugar made from sugar cane.

The conversion rate of stevia extract powder is about one teaspoon stevia = one cup refined sugar. Stevia extract powder is the white powder made from evaporated leaf juice. In my experience, about 3 teaspoons of green leaf powder equals one cup of sugar. Cellulose from the leaves adds the extra bulk to green leaf powder, so more is required.

Of course, the mainstream food suppliers in the U.S. are developing several branded sweetening products using stevia. Sun Crystals is one brand that I received free samples of in the mail. Sun Crystals taste like refined sugar, because they contain refined sugar. The information on the website about baking with Sun Crystals recommends using 1/2 cup of Sun Crystals to replace one cup of refined sugar. Sun Crystals consist of sugar with enough stevia powder to double the level of sweetness in the taste. A single-serve packet of Sun Crystals has 5 calories, and contains a half teaspoon of crystals, meant to replace a one teaspoon packet of sugar. The Sun Crystals package information is truthful, calling the product simply "a blend of pure cane sugar & naturally sweet stevia."

Using the conversion ratio above, the half-cup of Sun Crystals contains one-half cup refined sugar plus about one-half teaspoon of stevia to equal the sweetness of one cup of refined sugar. Not exactly a sugar replacer.

Another stevia product I've tried is PureVia. PureVia claims to be all natural. It is manufactured from plant-based dextrose, cellulose and something they call "Reb A." The mysterious Reb A is nothing more than the natural rebaudioside A glycoside found in the stevia plant. The company is using the proprietary-mystery-ingredient trick of renaming a simple natural substance to establish a patented, branded product. They use simple water extraction to obtain the rebaudioside A, and then further purify it so it is the sweetest possible product. According to the manufacturer, the dextrose adds fruit-sugar sweetness and the cellulose adds bulk to make the product flow. PureVia is advertised as being gluten-free, is not known to be an allergen, and is certified Kosher. However, those who must follow strict dietary guidelines should remember that the dextrose IS glucose, and consuming PureVia can raise your blood sugar levels. Like Sun Crystals, PureVia is not exactly a sugar replacer.

So where does this leave us? If you follow my articles, you know that I'm an organic gardener. I grow heirloom seeds, and I especially enjoy experimenting with new and unusual plants. This year, 2010, I decided to grow some stevia plants.

Click here for the next article in my stevia series, How to Plant Stevia and Grow Your Own Natural Sugar Substitute.

Click here for more from this author.

Sources:
Personal Experience
Growing and Using Stevia, Jeffrey Goettemoeller and Karen Lucke, 2008