The average average U.S. citizen consumes at least 126.4 grams of inorganic sugar daily. This is ten times more than the recommended sugar intake of 11 grams per day, making America the largest consumer of sugar worldwide.
Today, at least 11.3 percent of the U.S. population is now suffering from diabetes as a result of too much inorganic sugar, according to the American Diabetes Association.
However, did you know you could still live a healthier and longer life by simply consuming organic stevia?
Why organic stevia
With the growing cases of diabetes and obesity, at least 50 percent of Americans prefer using natural products over synthetic products.
If you’re one of those people who prioritize their health over instant gratification, then organic stevia is the perfect source of sugar for you.
Organic stevia is one of those rare plant-based sweeteners that grow almost everywhere across the globe and can adapt to almost all climatic conditions.
In North America alone, there are at least 80 plant species of organic stevia that Americans can use as a natural sweetener in their food and beverages. For Americans living in South America, there are as many as 200 additional plant species of organic stevia that are native to the region.
As a plant-based sweetener, organic stevia is a better alternative to traditional sugar and artificial sweeteners due to its therapeutic benefits such as anti-hyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-tumour, anti-diarrhoeal, diuretic and immunomodulatory effects.
This means that organic stevia is very healthy and can fit the diet of most American households conscious about their health.
In the U.S. alone, organic stevia is the most popular plant-based sweetener used in food and beverages available across all major supermarkets across the country.
But, you may be asking yourself, what is organic stevia? Well, let’s get to this.
What is organic stevia
Organic stevia is a plant species with leaves that contain steviol glycosides, which gives the plant its high content of sweet compounds used as sugar.
As compared to table sugar and artificial sweeteners, organic stevia is 300 times sweeter and 100 percent calorie-free, making organic stevia way more natural and healthier to consume than traditional sugar or sweeteners.
If you’re a person who suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure or obesity, organic stevia is the perfect sugar substitute for you.
In farming, organic stevia is considered to be very sustainable and environmentally friendly. This is because organic stevia doesn’t rely on synthetic pesticides, herbicides or genetically modified organisms to grow.
In fact, the plant can grow in drought resistance areas where irrigation and application of fertilizer are not required.
Also, organic stevia is very sustainable, the plant only requires four times less land and less water to grow as compared to traditional sugar cultivation.
This is why the term “organic” is used to indicate that the stevia plant is grown and processed according to organic farming standards.
The global demand for stevia has generally been high, with many people increasingly keen to try alternatives that bear more health benefits.
For the key nutritional composition of stevia, please check this comprehensive analysis of stevia nutrition to find the different quantities for different nutrients such as calories, proteins, minerals and more.
Organic stevia in the raw
Many people seem to think organic stevia only exists as one kind of product. But, this isn’t the case.
There are two kinds of stevia sweetener, i.e;
- Organic stevia
- Organic stevia in the raw
The difference between the two-stevia sweetener lies in the ingredient of the end product.
Most companies like PureCycle, Apura and Pyure like to add flavors to organic stevia products to give a perfectly sweet and measurable taste. Some brands that offer organic stevia products also add preservatives and bulking agents to improve its durability and texture.
Unlike organic stevia, organic stevia in the raw contains only one ingredient, i.e. organic stevia leaf extract. According to Food Insight, sweet compounds are extracted from the leaves of the stevia plant and purified to remove some of the bitter elements found in the crude extract.
Some experts suggest that organic stevia in the raw has a better quality and purity than normal organic stevia products because of the way they’re produced.
So, depending on your taste and preference, you can decide on using the normal organic stevia products or settle for the organic stevia in the raw that is more purified and better quality.
Concluding Remarks
When compared to traditional sugar and artificial sweeteners, there is no doubt that organic stevia is way healthier and 300 times sweeter than table sugar or artificial sweeteners. Since organic stevia does not rely on pesticides and synthetic chemicals to grow, there is limited environmental impact to growing and processing organic stevia as compared to sugar plantation and production.
In terms of use cases, organic stevia can be used in the following scenarios:
- Sweeten beverages such as tea, coffee and soft drinks
- Baking and preparing cakes, cookies and sauces
- Sweeten homemade frozen desserts and creamy pudding.
- Excellent relief for an upset stomach