There are many sweeteners out there in the marketplace, but there is one natural sweetener that ranks among the best in terms of healthy, low calories and that is Stevia. Stevia is a plant filled with low calorie sweetness that has no effect on blood sugar levels, making it one of the best low calorie, natural sweeteners available. It makes a perfect alternative to artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and sucralose.

It is perfect for dieters and diabetics. Perfect for dieters because it has very low calories (zero - five per serving, depending on the brand), unlike its natural sweetener cousins sugar, honey, sucanat or agave (thirty-two or more calories per serving). Perfect for diabetics due to its zero glycemic level and no carbs, which means it will not cause a spike in your blood sugar levels.

Stevia is an herb that belongs to the sunflower family (Asteraceae). It’s grown primarily in Central and South America and is sometimes called sweet leaf or sugar leaf. For many centuries, people living in Paraguay and Brazil have used stevia to sweeten a drink called yerba mate.In the early 1930s, scientists isolated the ingredients, stevioside and rebaudioside, that give stevia its sweetness. These ingredients, collectively known as glycosides, are about 300 times sweeter than sucrose, although they are calorie-free and carbohydrate-free (meaning they don’t affect blood glucose levels). Stevia users describe stevia as tasting a bit like licorice.

A study published in 2003 by the Laboratory of Plant Physiology at Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium concluded that stevioside is safe to use as a sweetener. Another study points to stevia as being a source of natural antioxidants.

Summary information about stevia:
1.  Studies have indicated it may reduce cavities by slowing the grown of plaque in the mouth.
2.  Stevia doesn't lose its sweetness at high temperatures.
3.  It has undergone years of research proving it safe for human consumption.
4.  It is sugarless, adds no calories and can be used as a sweetener in any weight loss program.
5.  Stevia can be used by persons with candida (a fungal yeast which thrives on sugar).
6.  It is expense, but It lasts a long time.
7.  Stevia has a slight licorice aftertaste.
8.  It can be used in its natural state as pulverized leaves.
9.  The sweet glycosides are released more rapidly in hot liquid than in cool liquid.
10. One half teaspoon is approximately equivalent to one cup of sugar.
 
As a sweetener, Stevia can be purchased in stores under brand names such as PureVia, Sun Crystals, Sweetleaf Sweetener or Truvia.