Will Stevia Replace Sugar in the American Diet?

A friend and I often joke about inventing a chocolate bar with no calories. "Wouldn't that be wonderful?' one of us will say---usually after having a calorie-laden lunch together. I confess, I'm a chocoholic. Chocolate candy bars, chocolate cake, chocolate pie-it really doesn't matter, as long as it's chocolate. And most of my friends suffer from the same addiction.

While the chocolate bar with absolutely no calories is still way out in the future, a sweetener with no calories at all has been discovered, and it is called Stevia.

Stevia comes from a South American plant in the sunflower family and isn't really a brand new discovery. In fact, the Japanese have used Stevia as a sweetener for more than 30 years, and Indians in South America for much longer than that. Although many people in the United States are using Stevia, it has suddenly become more popular because the FDA just approved its use this month.

One of the most important advantages of using Stevia is that it has no cancer causing carcinogens like some of the artificial sweeteners do, and it does not add calories to your diet due to the fact that the sweet glycosides in Stevia are not metabolized by the body.

Stevia can be safely used by diabetics and persons suffering from hypoglycemia, because it doesn't affect blood glucose levels, and according to some studies, has been shown to actually lower slightly elevated blood pressure.

This wonder sweetener can be purchased in forms to fit almost any lifestyle. It is a bit more expensive than sugar, but since it is up to 300 times sweeter than ordinary sugar, you won't have to use so much to achieve the sweetness you desire.

1. Purse size packets are available for those on the go. They usually sell in packages of 100 or more tiny packets.

2. Liquid Stevia with an eye-dropper type cap helps you avoid adding too much Stevia. Most people are amazed at how little of the product is needed to sweeten a cup of coffee or tea, and tend to use too much when they first start using Stevia.

3. White powdered Stevia comes in several sizes and is handy for cooking, or use at the table.

4. Small vials of flavored Stevia work well for drinks, yogurt, and anything else you might want to add flavor along with a sweetener. Cottage cheese, perhaps.

5. Some companies have Stevia tablets, but they are a little harder to find.

If you are as interested in getting your hands on some Stevia as I am, you're probably wondering where to find it. If you "do it yourself" type, the first link provided with this article will take you to a website where you can actually find your own Stevia seeds and raise your own Stevia plants, but if you don't want to wait that long, try your local health food store. If they don't have it in the form you would like, use your search engine to look for online sources.

And, if you plan to put Stevia to use in more than an occasional cup of coffee, there are also lots of recipe books that will give you directions for using Stevia to prepare almost anything where sugar would normally be used.

Why not keep Stevia in mind as you make those weight loss resolutions when the new year rolls around? I know I've already been thinking about it, and have decided to give Stevia a try. What do I have to lose, except some ugly, unwanted pounds I've been hoping to get rid of anyway?