Last Updated on June 14, 2022 by Lori Geurin
When I was a little girl I loved going to my beloved Nanny’s house to make and eat baked goods with her. People admired her for her kindness, for teaching home economics for over 30 years and baking the best desserts west of the Mississippi. Just ask her favorite (okay, only), granddaughter.
Baking is definitely an art and she was an artist. She taught me how to bake cookies and cakes, pies, and fudge, all so deliciously rich and delightfully sweet.
Still, eating the sweet treats didn’t compare to the time we spent smiling, laughing, and playing the occasional practical joke on my unsuspecting Papaw. She always made me feel special and I cherished our times together. I’m grateful for those cherished memories.
Even though everyone is familiar with sugar, Stevia is something fairly new to some. Below are some of the benefits to Stevia leaf.
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Stevia Health Benefits
- May lower blood sugar (6)
- Reduces the growth of breast cancer cells (7)
- Lowers blood pressure (8)
- Improves overall cholesterol (9)
Now, let’s take a look at why you might want to consider trying Stevia instead of sugar.
Processed Sugar And Your Health
In the 80’s people weren’t too concerned with sugar.
Back then fat was (erroneously) considered the dietary evil. I’m glad the horrible myths about fat have been cleared up, because (grass-fed) butter does make everything better.
Processed sugar may end up being the most dangerous offender in the American diet despite earlier beliefs of its innocence. But why?
The Dangers Of Sugar
Sugar:
- is full of empty calories
- causes tooth decay
- is highly addictive (1)
- raises your cholesterol and risk for heart disease (2)
- causes cancer (3)
- causes insulin resistance (4)
- can cause nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (5)
(For more about the harmful impact of sugar you may want to check out 20 Reasons Why Refined Sugar Is Bad For Your Health.)
Now that we know the dangers sugar presents to our health we can look to a healthy alternative for the sweetness we crave.
What Are Stevia Leaves?
Stevia is the only sugar the body doesn’t view as sugar. What I mean by that is it’s the only sugar that doesn’t cause an unhealthy spike in your blood sugar when you eat it. In fact, as you’ll see below, studies have shown it can actually decrease your blood sugar. Amazing, right?
Based on a 1 gram serving, it has zero calories and does not raise blood glucose levels, something that could be an issue for people with diabetes.
You can use it in baking. It’s also stable in a freezer and heat. But because it is so sweet you’ll have to make some adjustments.
Here are some basic conversions for baking with Stevia:
- 1 teaspoon sugar = 1/2 packet, or 1/8 teaspoon powdered stevia, or 5 drops liquid
- one tablespoon sugar = 1 .5 packets, or 1/3 teaspoon powdered stevia, or 15 drops liquid stevia
- 1 cup sugar = 24 packets, or 2 tablespoons powdered stevia, or 2 teaspoons liquid stevia
Two compounds in stevia make the leaves sweet:
- stevioside
- rebaudioside
You may have also heard of Truvia, which is a highly processed form of stevia. I recommend staying away from this and sticking with all-natural stevia.
Related: 4 Ways To Embrace A More Natural Lifestyle
Stevia Side Effects And Warnings
Generally speaking, most people are fine consuming stevia, especially in its purest form. But, it’s important to understand the different forms of stevia because some are more processed than others. Also as we know, the more processed foods are, the less healthy and more harmful to our health they are.
- The green leaf stevia is the all-natural plant form you can grow. The leaves can be dried and ground to a powder. This is the healthiest form.
- Stevia extracts
- Highly processed stevia (such as Truvia) is not recommended. It runs through 42 different processes, including the addition of harmful chemical solvents and GMO corn products. Consequently, at the end of all this processing, it scarcely resembles natural stevia at all. (You can read more about Truvia here.)
Stevia Video
Feel free to check out this video I made about natural stevia leaf.
Summary – Is Stevia Healthy?
Stevia is an excellent all-natural alternative to sugar, as long as you use the more natural forms and avoid the highly processed ones, such as Truvia. Not only can stevia sweeten your morning coffee or tea, but it offers impressive health benefits such as lowering your blood sugar.
It’s important to keep in mind that the quality and purity levels of different stevia brands can vary dramatically. It’s necessary to do some investigating before buying stevia leaf to make sure you get a quality product.
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Can you think of more health benefits of stevia sweetener? Have you tried baking or cooking with it?
Please share below in the comment section. I love hearing from you!
If you liked this article about stevia health benefits you’ll want to check out:
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So I’ve just started the keto diet and stevia is kind of a lifesaver for me because it’s the substitute for me sweets and I have sugar addiction. But other than being sweet I didn’t realize stevia had a lot more benefits.
Hello Heide! Thank you for sharing about how Stevia has been a good sugar substitute for you while maintaining your commitment to the keto plan. I agree 100%!
Informative article covering deep insights about Stevia, recently i wrote similar article on The Benefits of Green Leaf Stevia, i have covered some interesting story on history of Stevia. You can read about it in my article –
Thank you! I will have to check out your article!
I have a serious addiction to sugar. I should probably try Stevia
It’s a great alternative, Krystel. 馃槈
Oooooo Interesting! I keep hearing great things about Stevia. Might have to give it a try
Awesome, Courtney! Thanks.
I really had no idea there were benefits to using stevia. This post is loaded with helpful information, thanks for sharing!
It’s a pretty great little herb. Thanks, Heather!
I am always amazed at how large companies with profits on the brain will falsely put out information to the public at large. I do feel overwhelmed at times since the information seems to change every other year. This is good for; now this is bad for you; no actually it’s great for you. I can see why people simple phase out the info an go with what is presented in front of them via marketing.
thrifting diva
http://www.thriftingdiva.com
Yes, great points, Ayana! Unfortunately it happens way to much. And you’re right…it can be overwhelming when we are told one thing, then the next. Makes it hard to know what to believe. It’s so important to look at who is conducting and sponsoring the studies.
I’m a bit of a research nerd and it floors me how much is presented as fact but is truly manipulation by some of these big corporations. You really have to do your homework.
I know a lot of people who love using stevia. These are some great health benefits and reasons to use it.
That’s great Shannon! Thanks!
While Stevia isn’t something I would use, I am glad to see that it has many benefits for someone that would.
I appreciate your honesty, Jennifer…It’s true that it has many benefits!
Oh great to know about this Stevia. It is exactly important to pay attention on our sugar intake, but for sure we all need to taste the sweets of this world, good that Stevia exists.
Thanks, Donah!
I know I eat way too much sugar. Thanks for all this information on Stevia. It would be good to make a few changes in my diet.
You’re so welcome, Carolyn – I hope it helps!
It’s definitely so much better than sugar especially if you’re trying to live a healthier lifestyle. I think this is perfect. I’m definitely going to use stevia more.
I agree, AnnMarie…so much better than sugar!
I’ve always been hesitant to use Stevia, now I feel like I know so much more about it, I’ll definitely give it a try.
That’s great Julia! I’d love to know what you think.
Haven’t heard of it before. Love the benefits! Once again, the miracle of herbs.. Thanks for sharing!
This is a very helpful resource on Stevia. It has a lot of benefit but you have to be sure that you are getting in its most natural form because several of the brands available aren’t as healthy as they claim to be.
Thank you, Cindy – This is true and I’m so glad you mentioned it!
There are definitely differing levels of quality and purity when it comes to Stevia, so it’s best to do a bit of research before purchasing.
I’m currently using NuNaturals Clear Stevia Extract and have been pleased with it, but I know there are several other quality brands on the market.
Stevia seems like the sugar substitute we should be using. I have always been skeptical of these substitutes but this one seems natural and healthy.
I couldn’t agree more, Melissa!
We were definitely taught a lot of false things about sugar. It’s unfortante how big companies are allowed to be unhonest and how it’s drastically affected us. I don’t know anything about Stevia, definitely have to try it out.
It is incredibly frustrating to me too, Angela. When it comes to public health I can’t understand how some of these deceptions are carried out for so long.
People deserve to know the truth about nutrition and factors that are going to impact their health. Then they can make educated decisions about what foods they choose to eat and serve to their families.
I would have to try this and see how I like it. I know some sugar substitutes are better than others so maybe this is a good one.
Yes, it’s a good one to try, Jeanine!
I have never really got into sugary goods, especially since diabetes runs rampantly on both sides of my family. I love that there are sugar alternatives like Stevia, though!
That’s so good that you’re conscious about sugar.
Growing up, my mom was always a very health-conscious cook and we ate delicious meals. But we always left room for dessert too, and that was my downfall, the sweets. I never realized what they were doing to my body until I cut way back.
I love Stevia too!
This is a very informative post. For those who are monitoring our daily sugar intake, this gives us some sweet options to use instead.
Thank you Toughcookiemommy!
I have heard of Stevia, but never really knew much about it. Now that I am more informed, I will buy some 馃檪
That’s great, Robin!
It was useful
Hello Nexvan, I’m glad you found it useful. Thanks so much for your feedback and reading the blog!
I hope to see you back soon!