Has anyone else heard of this?

Since being diagnosed with severe insulin resistance (my blood tests surprised and scared my specialist), we've been looking at options to reduce carbohydrate intake, particularly from sugars.

I read a little about stevia - that it has zero calories and no effect on blood sugar levels. I decided to check it out. I don't consume a lot of sugar - generally just my morning cup of tea with two teaspoons of sugar (not counting of course, the sugar that is in things like fruit naturally), and I was not enjoying cutting that back to one!

This morning I drank my tea with one stevia tablet - which proved to be very, very sweet! I was starting to get used to the less sugar idea, so it was a bit of a surprise. Even more surprisingly, none of that nasty chemical after taste that comes with artificial sweeteners.

Some interesting information I found on a web site about stevia:

Stevia is one of the most health restoring plants on earth. Native to Paraguay, stevia is a small green plant bearing leaves, which have a delicious and refreshing taste that can be 70 to 400 times sweeter than sugar, depending on the quality of the plant. As well as the intensely sweet taste, various studies have found the leaf to contain proteins, fibre, carbohydrates, iron, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, zinc, rutin, vitamin A, vitamin C, and an oil that contains 53 other constituents.

Because the human body does not metabolise the sweet glycosides (they pass right through) from the leaf or any of its processed forms, the body obtains NO CALORIES from stevia.

Unlike artificial sweeteners, the sweet glycosides do not break down in heat, which makes stevia safe to use in cooking and baking.

Since its introduction into the United States, numerous people have reported that taking 20-30 drops with each meal brought their blood glucose levels to near normal. Studies have shown that stevia tends to lower elevated blood pressure and it also inhibits growth of some bacteria, including the bacteria that causes tooth decay and gum disease. This explains reports of lower incidence of colds and flu’s amongst those who use stevia.

Stevia is also an excellent aid in weight loss programs, it reduces cravings for sweet and fatty foods. Taking 15 drops of stevia, 20 minutes prior to each meal, reduces hunger sensations.

Users of stevia, have reported that it decreases their desire for tobacco and alcoholic beverages.

Other benefits from taking stevia, include improved digestion and gastrointestinal function, soothed upset stomachs and quicker recovery form minor illness.
I think I'm hooked!

BW