Stevia Medicinal Uses For Health Part 1

Stevia Sweet

Stevia is a species of the genus Stevia of the family Asteraceaenative to the tropical region of South America,still in the wild in Paraguay, especially in the Amambay Department and in the Argentine province of Misiones but since several decades ago it is cultivated by its sweetening properties and its very low caloric content.

Description
The shrubs of this species are perennial, reaching the 9 dm height. Its leaves,elliptical or lanceolate, serrated are alternate, simple, bright dark green color and a rough surface, sometimes something hairy, up to 5 cm long by 2 wide. Its stems are pubescent and straight, branched out only after the first vegetative cycle, with a tendency to lean.


Consumption
The sweeteners compounds of the plant are contained in greater percentage in the leaves. In 1931 the French-born chemists Marc R. Bridel and Lavieille succeeded in isolating the glycosides that cause its flavor, which they dubbed "steviosides and rebaudiosides ".  Up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, the glycosides of this species do not affect the concentration of glucose in the blood and are therefore safe for diabetics and useful in hypocaloric diets.


The most concentrated of the same are the stevioside (from 5% to 10 % ); the rebaudiosido (from 2% to 4 % ); the rebaudioside C(from 1% to 2 % ) and the dulcide (from 0.5 % to 1.0 % ).

Both the dry leaves as the extract of the same and the steviosides isolated are used in Japan  currently as a substitute of the cyclamate and saccharin, occupying 40% of the market of sweeteners. In various presentations is also used in other places in Asia in the area of the Rio de la Plata in South America and in Israel.

In the United States a controversial decision of the FDA in 1991 forbade its consumption although no reason was given for this and several of those responsible for this decision left their positions shortly after in the  FDA to move to the Nutrasweet Company, a manufacturer of sweeteners. The judgment was reversed in 1995 and since then is marketed as a dietary supplement.

In 2007 the companies Coca-cola and Cargill obtained 24 patents to sweeten beverages and various foods.

In the next article we will continue with its medicinal applications and uses (Part 2)