Sugar Free Stevia

What is sugar free stevia? Quite simply, Stevia is a plant and there is no sugar in it. This plant is native of South America and has been used as a sweetener for centuries by native people. It is 100 times sweeter than sugar and completely natural. Only recently has this mystery plant product been making an appearance to mainstream America.

 In the USA Stevia must be sold as a supplement rather than a sweetener. However, the vast majority of people use it as a natural sweetener. We all know the power of big business and for now the chemical sweetener companies are doing everything in their power to keep this healthy natural root off the shelves of grocery stores. You can likely find it in a health food store and some grocery stores will carry it but you will have to really look for it in a grocery store. Usually the display is small and most employees do not know what it is. The fact it cannot be advertised as a sweetener makes it more difficult to display also.

Stevia comes in powder or liquid. Each version works well in different food applications. I personally prefer the powder but use both. One of my favorite uses for Stevia is in oatmeal, rolled oats with strawberries, blueberries or other fruits. It's absolutely delicious and there's no sugar resulting in fewer calories. No chemicals either. Iced tea is very good when sweetened with stevia. It's very good sprinkled on fresh fruits. You can cook with Stevia and there are cookbooks available that are filled with a variety of Stevia recipes!

In Japan Wrigley's uses Stevia in their sugar free gum and has been doing so for years. Coke and other U.S. food companies have been experimenting with Stevia and probably have plans in place to quickly launch new sugar free natural products made with Stevia once the current laws have been changed. There is lots of discussion and debate going on in the USA and FDA about deregulating this plant. Once this happens it could open up a whole new world for diabetics. Some foods that were forbidden to people with sugar diabetes will likely be declared completely safe when Stevia is substituted for sugar.

Whether you are watching your weight, monitoring your blood glucose levels or just trying to avoid chemical sweeteners, Stevia is worth a try! If you can find just a few of your favorite sugary dishes to substitute this natural sweetener with you'll be doing your body a world of good.