What is Stevia, How is it Used, What is it Good for?

Stevia is a plant that is used as a natural sweetener and also for various skin health problems. The stevia plant, also known as stevia in the market, is used both in dessert varieties and as a tea and coffee flavor.

What is the stevia plant?

The stevia plant is a wild, bush-like plant that grows in South America, used by its indigenous tribes. This herb has been used as a natural sweetener for years in South American countries such as Paraguay and Brazil. The turkey stevia plant comes to life in the market in sugargrass varieties used in both sweet tea and coffee.

The most important feature of this plant is that it is a healthy alternative to sugar use. Although stevia does not contain sugar, it is a sweet herb and has zero calories in terms of calories. Long time established in Europe and the United States is used as a natural sweetener stevia plant, Turkey has also started planting in the Black Sea side in recent years. When this plant is consumed, there is no need for insulin secretion in the body during the digestion phase.

Tropical climate is essential to obtain the plant. After the leaves of the stevia plant grown in such climates are dried, the extract is extracted and the glycoside substance is obtained from the leaves.

How is stevia used?

There is no need to be sick to use the stevia plant. Those who do not want to use sugar which is very harmful to the body and want to use a natural substitute instead of sugar can consume this plant. It can be used in tea, coffee, food and desserts. You can add a teaspoon of dried stevia to a glass of hot water, let it sit for 10 minutes, then strain and drink. In addition, the stevia plant is used raw.

This plant can be consumed both raw and by drying the leaves. It is possible to crush the dried leaves in a mortar and powder them and use them as a sweetener in beverages or as a supplement in desserts. When you want to use it raw, you can prepare it like linden.

The stevia sweetener to be used in desserts can be used in two main ways. These are stevia powder and concentrated stevia liquid. However, since using stevia powder will contain a mild herb and crumb flavor, most people have a hard time getting used to using stevia powder. For this reason, people often find stevia liquid concentrate best suited for use in desserts.

What is stevia for?

The benefits of the stevia plant and its products are as follows:

• The taste senses perceive the stevioside in the plant as 300 times sweeter than regular sugar. 1 liter of tea or coffee can be sweetened with just a pinch of stevia. Therefore, it can be used as a healthy alternative for those who prefer to use sugar.
• Unlike normal sugar, it slows down the formation of plaque in the teeth and does not cause decays.
• The amount of calcium that the body must absorb increases with the use of stevia.
• It has a protective effect on hypertension.
• The water obtained from the stevia plant acts as a regulator of blood sugar levels.
• Although it is a natural sweetener, it does not contain sugar. It just makes the taste buds on your tongue feel sweet. Thanks to this wonderful feature, it is a healthy option used by diabetics.
• The plant also has positive effects on the skin. It nourishes the surface of the skin, tones and removes wrinkles. A plant that can also be used as a skin mask reduces acne with the effect of dermatitis and minimizes the formation of new acne.
• It protects the intestinal flora as it is a healthy plant.
• It also protects the stomach flora. Provides acid and alkali balance in the body.
• It has a calming and therapeutic effect against problems such as constipation, depression and nervousness.
• It is also recommended for those who want to quit smoking because it reduces nicotine cravings.
• It is very beneficial for health thanks to the vitamins and minerals it contains.
• Since it does not have calories, it does not gain weight like white sugar, so it helps you lose weight. It is a product that can be used in the fight against obesity.
• There are no known or found side effects.

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Where is the stevia plant sold?

For those who want to buy the stevia plant, there are options in the market as tablets, powder, seedling or seed. It can be purchased from sites selling online. By comparing the prices between sites, the most affordable product can be supplied.

How is the stevia plant grown?

The best dates for those who want to grow and use the stevia plant are between May and August. This plant, unlike other plants, does not require much care and is easy to grow. People who want to grow the plant can do this in a suitable pot. The first thing to do is to plant the seed of the plant in a suitable pot.

After deciding which pot to plant, soil should be laid on the seed in the thickness of the seed. The pot should be stored for 3 days in a cool place away from sunlight. A little extra water must be given to the seed on the first day of these 3 days. Those who want to grow the plant are recommended to pay attention to this issue. At the end of the third day, the pot should be placed in a sunny place at certain times. In other words, the pot should not get sun during the day. Also, the seed needs to be watered the right amount each day.

What are the harms of the stevia plant?

Although the damages of the stevia plant are not much, there is no definite information on this subject. Although it is not known that the stevia plant has many negative effects in the market, research or scientific sources on this subject have not been clearly determined.

According to some sources, although the stevia plant is completely natural and has no side effects, it is claimed that it can cause infertility in men with digestive system problems. Therefore, it is necessary to consult a doctor before using the stevia plant for any purpose.