INTRODUCTION;

Stevia plant is a small, sweet, leafy herb of South American origin.

Stevia is a sweetener and #sugar substitute derived from the leaves of the plant species.

stevia is a plant that contains #natural sweeteners that are used in foods.

The use of Stevia as #culinary herb was known already.

It is probably best known as a source of natural sweeteners.

This sweetness quality in stevia is due to several glycoside compounds including stevioside, steviolbioside, rebaudiosides A-E, and dulcoside.

Health benefits of stevia;

·        Controls Diabetes

The most widely praised aspect of stevia for human health concerns is its ability to regulate blood sugar levels in the body. This is an ideal replacement for normal sugar for diabetics or people on carbohydrate-controlled diets because they can eat sweet foods without having to worry about diabetic complications.

·      Weight Loss;

Stevia is very low in calories,This means that people can eat foods like cakes, cookies, and candies made with stevia without worrying about gaining plenty of calories from sugars,

• Regulates Blood Pressure;

As mentioned, stevioside is a type of glycoside, but there are other glycosides in stevia that can actually relax the blood vessels, increase urination, and facilitate the elimination of sodium from the body. This means that less stress is put on the cardiovascular system and there can be a drop in blood pressure

·      Anticancer property;

The rich source of antioxidant compounds found in stevia makes it an ideal dietary supplement for the prevention of various cancers including pancreatic cancer

·      Oral Health;

Stevia has been found to reduce bacterial formation in the mouth, It also prevents cavities and gingivitis, which sucrose certainly doesn’t do!

·      Skin Care;

Stevia is useful against skin conditions such as eczema and dermatitis. Topical application of it inhibits the spread of bacteria and acts as a steroid in these situations, making it a popular option for many people who can’t get relief from these conditions.

·      Prevents Osteoporosis

Stevia, unlike sugar, aids in increasing bone mineral density and treat osteoporosis. A study on animals shows its importance in increased calcium metabolism.

·      Other Benefits

Along with all the health benefits mentioned above stevia is also known to possess anti-diarrheal, anti-hyperglycemic, antihypertensive, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal, and immune-modulatory actions.

Selection and storage;

• Stevia plant leaves are harvested by hand picking as and when required.
• If you grow your own stevia plant in the backyard, pick up leaves with a short petiole for use.
• Fresh leaves can be sundried, powdered and stored in an airtight container for future use.
• To store, place it in cool, dark, humid-free place like the one you do it for other dried herbs such as #oregano, where it will stay fresh for several months.

Preparation and serving methods;

• Farm fresh stevia plant leaves can be used directly in drinks as a sweetener.
• Most often its dried powder/ refined stevia syrup are being used in the cooking.
• You can also make stevia syrup by adding a cup of hot water to 1/4 cup of fresh, finely-crushed leaves.
• In Japan and many East Asian regions, stevia plant parts are being used to sweeten tea, sweets, sauce, confectionary, and soft drinks.
• used as table sugar. It can then be added to jam, yogurt, ice creams, smoothies, desserts, chewing gum.