Stevia - Natural Sweetener
'11.07.2017'
Most medical experts say that excessive consumption of sugar affects human health. Those of us who are accustomed to eating cakes, cakes and sweets every day put our bodies at risk, because the human body is not designed for daily consumption of sweets in large quantities. The abundance of sugar in the diet provokes the development of diabetes, heart disease and metabolic disorders, which results in obesity.
In order for a person to lose weight, he is recommended to eat less sweet, since sugar is high-calorie. Knowing this, some people believe that low-calorie sugar substitutes are a great compromise. Unfortunately, artificial sweeteners increase appetite, which only prevents a person from losing weight. How is this happening? The fact is that when using artificial sugar substitutes, the brain thinks that it is necessary to begin processing glucose. But glucose in sugar substitutes is not. It turns out that the stomach in vain secretes the enzymes necessary for the processing of sweet dishes, causing a person to experience an increasing appetite. In addition, the synthesized sugar substitutes have a number of side effects and can undermine human health. For example, saccharin causes severe diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Aspartame during high heat treatment becomes toxic, and it is not suitable for baking. Aspartame is strictly forbidden to give to children, and its regular use can cause bladder cancer. Cyclamate is dangerous during pregnancy and lactation, and also impairs kidney function. What to do in this case, a person who can not imagine his life without sweets?
In the nineteenth century, the famous botanist Moises Bertoni discovered to the world a plant with a pronounced sweet taste, giving it the name Stevia Rebaudiana. This plant has been used for centuries by Indians of South America for cooking. They called him "Kaa-echo", which means "sweet grass". Today, stevia is becoming increasingly popular around the world. By itself, it is non-caloric, and its components are sweeter than sugar 300 times.
The benefits for stevia are numerous: it does not affect blood glucose levels, so it is effectively used in the diet for diabetics. In addition, it has neither carbohydrates nor fats, so dishes with stevia are a great option for those who want to lose weight. Moreover, stevia helps to restore the metabolic processes of proteins of fats and carbohydrates in the human body, returning natural appetite. Unlike artificial sweeteners, stevia has no known side effects and has been safely used throughout the world for many decades. Also, scientists have investigated that stevia helps to reduce blood pressure levels, improve pancreas and liver.
Due to its chemical structure, stevia has a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract, improves peristalsis of the smooth muscles of the intestine. Brazil has long used stevia for heartburn and diarrhea symptoms. Stevia also has bactericidal and antiviral properties, improves human immunity.
In Thailand, stevia is often used as a diuretic, which helps to eliminate excess water from the body and reduce puffiness.
The Japanese note that stevia liquid extract helps to fight chronic fatigue, depression, apathy, dizziness. Japanese tea with stevia is considered an excellent tonic.
Stevia does not cause tooth decay, does not spoil the tooth enamel, on the contrary, prevents the reproduction of bacteria in the mouth. Interestingly, many toothpastes contain stevioside.
Aqueous stevia extract is an excellent cosmetic. Stevia masks help smooth wrinkles, regulate the work of the sebaceous glands, relieve inflammation and make the skin smooth and elastic.
Due to the fact that the active component of stevia - steviosin - is similar in its structure to the female hormone progesterone, the use of stevia has a positive effect on women's health, improves the hormones of women.
Stevia is rich in a variety of nutrients:
• minerals - aluminum, calcium, manganese, fluorine, phosphorus, cobalt
• vitamins - ascorbic acid (vitamin C), nicotinic acid, riboflavin, beta-carotene (vitamin A), thiamine (vitamin B), vitamin K (formed in the leaves of any plant during photosynthesis)
• Essential oils - camphor oil and limonene.
Stevia, however, should be avoided in the following cases:
• individual intolerance;
• pregnancy and lactation;
• allergic to plants of the Asteraceae family (chamomile, dandelion, chrysanthemum).
Thanks to this wonderful plant, your favorite sweets become useful. Stevia can be used as a healthy substitute in most sugar applications, including baking and cooking. The sweetness of stevia is not destroyed by heat treatment. And since this plant is much sweeter than our usual sugar, it takes very little. One teaspoon of pure stevia extract is equivalent to a glass of sugar in terms of sweetness. When used in beverages, stevia dissolves quickly and easily, and, depending on your taste preferences, one small pinch of this wonderful plant is sufficient. It is worth considering, however, that stevia is not suitable for caramelization and meringue production.
Here are some recipes using stevia:
Shortbread with stevia
Ingredients
Yolk 1pcs, sour cream 100gr, flour 185gr., Soda 0,5h.l., stevia to taste, vinegar.
Preparation
Add sour cream with vinegar, soda vinegar, stevia (1hl. Stevia replaces 5hl. Sugar, then start adding with 0,25hl and bring to sweetness) and flour.
Knead the dough.
Roll out 0,8-1cm thick. With the help of molds form cookies.
Cover the baking sheet with parchment paper and spread cookies. We bake 15-20min at a temperature of 180 degrees.
Bird's Milk Jelly with Stevia
Ingredients
Milk 1 liter, gelatin 40 g, cocoa to taste, stevia to taste, cinnamon to taste, vanilla to taste
Preparation
Gelatin divided by 20 g and soak in water in two separate containers 30 min.
Cocoa pour a few spoons of milk and stir well to avoid lumps.
Boil 0,5 milk of a liter, add stevia, vanilla, cinnamon and diluted cocoa.
Heat one portion of gelatin, stirring constantly, stirring until complete dissolution, pour into cocoa and mix quickly.
Pour cocoa into molds until half, give cool and send in the fridge for curing.
The remaining milk 0,5 liters, bring almost to a boil, but do not boil, add stevia and the dissolved second portion of gelatin, quickly stir, give to cool, pour in the cocoa molds and then send to the refrigerator for complete solidification.
Raspberry sorbet with stevia
Ingredients
Raspberry 400., Cold water 1 \ 4 cups, stevia to taste, lemon juice - 1.l. vodka - 1stl.
Preparation
In a blender, fold the raspberries and water and beat until smooth.
Rub the resulting mass through a sieve to remove the bones.
Add sugar and lemon juice to raspberry puree, mix until sugar is completely dissolved. Then add vodka and mix again.
Pour the mixture into a container and put in the freezer. After 30 minutes, remove and mix thoroughly with a spoon to break all the ice crystals. Return the container to the freezer. Repeat this procedure several times every 30 minutes until the sorbet freezes completely.
Stevia is available in many forms, including liquid, leaves, pure white and green powdered extract, and powder mixtures with various excipients. When baking, first of all pure extract is used, less often - liquid. Stevia can be purchased at health food stores and online. Currently, stevia is available in pharmacies.
Do not deny yourself your favorite sweets, because with proper preparation, they can be useful for your body!
