Stevia - 4 gm



With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, Stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Medical research has also shown possible benefits of Stevia in treating obesity and high blood pressure. Because Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is an attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets. In spite of the prominence Stevia has obtained as a calorie free sweetener and flavor enhancer, it contains a variety of constituents besides the steviosides and rebaudiosides. This including the nutrients specified above and a good deal of sterols, triterpenes, flavonoids, tannins, and an extremely rich volatile oil comprises rich proportions of aromatics, aldehyde, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. These and other, as yet unidentified constituents probably have some impact on human physiology and may help explain some of the reported therapeutic uses of Stevia.

Preparation of the actual plant experience benefits other than lowering calories. Scientific research has shown it to be beneficial in regulating blood sugar levels, bringing them into normal range. It is also used as a digestive aid. As a skin care product, it has been used to clear blemishes, tighten skin to remove wrinkles, to heal mouth sores and to treat a variety of wounds. It has also been used to treat eczema, seborrhea and dermatitis.