The stevia plant has a long history of use as a sweetener in South America. Stevia is a natural sugar substitute that comes from a plant, and has no calories. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar in the same concentration and does not raise blood sugar or insulin levels, or contribute to dental cavities. The high purity stevia extract is safe for use by children, as well as pregnant women and people with diabetes. Whole-leaf stevia and stevia extracts, however, are still considered dietary supplements. It's a better alternative to artificial sweeteners. It's safe to say that when consumed in reasonable amounts. The FDA has approved the use of certain stevia extracts, which it has generally recognized as safe.
For every cup of sugar your recipe calls for, replace with either 1 teaspoon liquid stevia, 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon stevia extract powder, 1 tablespoon concentrated stevia liquid.
The health benefits of Stevia include its ability to aid in weight loss, lower blood pressure, control diabetes, prevent certain forms of cancer, protect oral health, build strong bones, and skin care. Refined stevia preparations are considered non-nutritive sweeteners — they have virtually no calories — and so may appeal to people trying to lose weight. But there's no evidence that they offer an advantage for weight loss over other artificial sweeteners.
Drinks Made With Stevia. In 2014, Coca-Cola and Pepsi released midcalorie colas using stevia and cane sugar as sweeteners. Coca-Cola Life has 60 calories per 8-ounce serving. True Pepsi contains 60 calories per 7.5-ounce can and is being sold exclusively through Amazon.com.
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