Diabetes is one of the fastest growing
diseases in this country, especially in the adult population.
People with the disease often are prone to high blood
pressure, vision changes and decreases in arterial blood flow,
which can lead to heart disease or stroke.
There are many reasons for the explosive
increase in diabetes, among them obesity, sedentary lifestyles,
genetics and, to some degree, sugar consumption. In the
United States, the average person consumes more than 120 pounds
of sugar each year.
Humans seem to be born with a sweet
tooth. This has spawned a multibillion-dollar industry
for the development of sugar alternatives.
Interestingly, nature has provided a
sugar substitute called stevia. Wild stevia is a
perennial shrub native to the Amambay mountain region in
Paraguay. It has been used for centuries by the natives
as a sweetener and in the 1800s was "re-discovered"
and used throughout Latin America. In 1931, stevioside
was isolated as the active part of the stevia leaf. The
Japanese use it and today it accounts for about 41 percent of
their total artificial sweetener market.
Stevia has some very interesting
properties. It has no calories but has actions similar to
several currently used medications. It stimulates the
release of insulin and normalizes the response to glucose,
especially in type 2 diabetes. It is used in Latin
America as an inexpensive therapy for hyperglycemia.
In good medical studies, regular
consumption of stevia also reduces high blood pressure without
reducing normal blood pressure. Medical publications have
shown that it affects calcium transport in a way that is
similar to a class of drugs called calcium channel blockers
(like verapamil), which commonly are used to treat high blood
pressure. In laboratory animals, stevia also can induce
diuresis or water release, similar to diuretics also used to
treat high blood pressure.
One study even showed that stevia could
prevent infection by the rotovirus, a common viral infection
among school-age children.
There are claims that stevia can help
skin conditions and stomach problems and enhance immunity, but
these have not been examined by the medical community. Raw
leaves might be contaminated by bacteria and fungi and I do not
recommend their use.
Industry heavy weights such as Coca Cola, Cargill and Pepsi have developed stevia based
sweeteners for use alone and as a food additive. These products are based on an extract of stevia,
not the entire herb.
In December 2008, the FDA gave its approval for the stevia extract rebinia
(Reb A) as a food additive. Coca Cola and Cargill have already branded the product Truvia, based
on the rebina extract, and it is set to be used in a host of new products. PepsiCo, Whole Earth
Sweetener Company and Pure Circle have also announce PureVia as their equivalent product.
For More Information on Stevia Cultivation
Pankaj kalita: 09854093470, 09085578408
For More Information on Stevia Cultivation
Pankaj kalita: 09854093470, 09085578408
