Since the 1980s, worldwide obesity rates have nearly doubled. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in Australia, the number of overweight and obese people has increased from 56.3% in 1995 to over 64% in the last two years.
The causes of obesity around the world are quite complex and include various factors such as lack of physical activity and consumption of foods that are high in fat and added sugars (include a large variety of sweeteners with calories from sugar to agave nectar and high fructose corn syrup). The intake of added sugars can lead to weight gain and people that are obese have higher chances of developing long-term health conditions including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.
People trying to manage weight and live healthier can rely on stevia extract as a natural way to cut calories without having to sacrifice the taste. According to experts, replacing just 25g of nutritive sweeteners in foods and beverage can help a person to get a 100 kilocaloric reduction. While this may sound insignificant, in a long run, these small changes can deliver great results when done on a daily basis.
Available virtually in any health store online and offline, organic stevia extract is also found as an ingredient in a wide range of foods and beverages such as soft drinks, teas, juices, soy milk, yogurt, alcoholic beverages, baked goods, granola bars, cereal, chewing gum, salad dressings, etc. If this is the first time you are hearing about organic stevia extract, here are some important things for you to know about it.
What is Stevia?
Organic stevia extract comes from the stevia plant which is grows in tropical and sub-tropical areas in Latin America, where it has been used for centuries to treat burns, stomach discomfort and to sweeten foods. Stevia is calorie-free and can taste 200-300 times sweeter than the same amount of traditional table sugar.
What are the benefits of using organic stevia extract?
Although stevia extract is much sweeter than sugar, it contains no carbohydrates or calories. In addition, studies have shown that Stevia is beneficial for people who suffer from diabetes, memory and oxidative damage, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and even cancer.
Organic stevia and its safeness
Although there are still some questions about the dangers of Stevia, in general it is considered pretty safe. Furthermore, it is a 100% natural herbal product with centuries of safe usage by native Latin-Americans. Plus, it has been thoroughly tested in numerous tests around the world and found to be completely non-toxic.