Do you have a sweet tooth but want to watch sugar and calories? Are you looking for a natural way to sweeten your food without the added sugar and calories? Look for stevia leaf extracts and stevia sweeteners in your favorite foods and beverages.
Stevia, Naturally Sweet
The natural sweetness of the stevia plant comes from the sweet compounds naturally present in the leaves. These compounds, also known as steviol glycosides, are 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. The sweet compounds are extracted by steeping dried stevia leaves in water, filtering and separating the liquid from the leaves and stems, and further purifying the plant extract with either water or food grade alcohol – all conventional plant extraction methods. The result is a zero-calorie, great-tasting product.
Stevia Products in the Market
Stevia leaf extracts are available as an added ingredient in foods and beverages. They are also available in other forms such as powders, tablets and syrups that can be added directly to foods and beverages for a custom level of sweetness. And this sweetness is guilt-free because stevia leaf extracts (despite their immense sweetening power) do not contribute calories and do not cause tooth decay. These qualities make this natural sweetener an attractive alternative to artificial sweeteners.
Learn more about the natural sweetener, stevia leaf extract, with the International Stevia Council. The global trade association promotes the safety, quality and recognition of natural stevia products and provides sound information about stevia leaf extracts.