DESCRIPTION OF STEVIA
Stevia leaves are about 5 cm long and 2 cm wide. In the wild, the height of the plant varies from 40 to 80 cm but it can grow to about 1 metre tall when it is cultivated. Stevia is a very hardy plant, growing even on relatively poor soil. In Paraguay and Brazil, the commercial life of a Stevia plant is 6 years, yielding 5 harvests a year. The roots remain in place and so the plant can regenerates
The glycosides in its leaves, including 10% Stevioside, make it incredibly sweet. The dried leaves of Stevia are about 40 times sweeter than sugar. 1 tablespoon of Stevia extracts is about 200-300 times sweeter than a tablespoon of normal sugar. The refined product, Stevioside, is a white crystalline powder extracted from Stevia leaves. Although it is sweet, Stevia is a 100% natural sweetener that is also calorie-free. The body does not metabolize the sweet glycosides from the leaves nor any of its extracts, so there is no caloric intake. Stevia does not adversely affect blood glucose levels and thus may be used by diabetics.
Many different uses of Stevia are already well-known: as table sugar, in soft drinks, pastry, pickles, candy, jam, chewing gum, sorbets etc.
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