Diabetes: Stevia For Sugar Supplementation

Last year my husband was diagnosed with diabetes. It’s been a really strange and colorful year since; wrought with arguments and laughter, diet changes and frustration. Because his father and both brothers have the disease, he is at a higher risk of subsequent illnesses such as heart disease and circulatory problems. Since he is not overweight, and enjoys exercise, it seemed that we would have an easier time getting his insulin levels under control. Not so. It took a long time finding the proper foods and food combinations which will fill him up and help him metabolize properly. As with most people with diabetes, sugar was the enemy. I personally am against the ‘fake’ chemical sugars. I’ve always believed the old adage, ‘everything in moderation’ including real sugar. I am not one to use anything fake in my diet. No fake flavors and seasonings, nothing over-processed, nothing with chemical dyes, sugars, or taste.
I was reminded a few months ago about stevia, used it in my husband’s coffee one morning, and voila. I’ve been using it ever since in everything requiring sugar. Baking to sweetening it is my favorite addition every day. I love it so much I suggested it to my family and friends and now their hooked as well. Maybe this article will get you to try it too. Here is a bit of information about stevia.

Stevia is a small shrub native to Paraguay, used by the natives there for over 1500 years. The leaf contains phytonutrients and trace minerals, it tastes sweeter than sugar with no negative effects. It has no calories, no carbohydrates and will not lead to tooth decay. In fact it is a natural antibiotic, fluoride compatible and stops the growth of plaque. It is safe and beneficial for diabetics because it nourishes the pancreas but does not raise blood glucose levels. It is great for a weight loss program and has no negative side effects such as Aspartame. It’s been known to lower hunger pains, sweet cravings; it aids in digestion, and decreases hypertension.

It is measured to be 200-300 times sweeter than sucrose. Because of this a little will last quite a while. In fact, it is non-fermentable and non-discoloring so it has a long shelf life. It can be added to cooked, baked or processed foods. In Pacific Rim countries, China, Korea and Japan, stevia is regularly used in preparation of food and pharmaceutical products. In Japan alone, an estimated 50 tons of stevia is used annually with sales valued in the order of $220 million Canadian. Statistics say that in some countries, up to 30% of their needed sugar is replaced by chemical-based (synthetic) stevia-like sweetness products. Why bother, why not just use the real, natural thing? Stevia was recently allowed to be sold as a sweetener in Canada. Although used as a sweetener in Japan since the 1970's, and in other countries around the world, the Canadian government has just given permission to market stevia as a sweetener. This happened for a couple of reasons: the government was behind on it's regulations of natural products, larger companies were trying to keep stevia off store shelves in favor of their own questionable products, and because it is a natural product that is threatening the very existence of processed sweeteners. Ever try to grow an aspartame tree? Well now you can either grow your own, or purchase it from natural food stores, supplement stores and pharmacies.