How Stevia Extract Could Help You With Issue Of Obesity & Support Weight Management
Stevia extract refers to the extract obtained from the leaves of stevia, an extremely sweet tasting plant. Also known as Stevia rebaudiana, this bushy shrub belongs to the Sunflower family. This plant is native mostly to North and South America, including Brazil and Paraguay. However, owing much to its health benefits which we shall learn about in this article, it is being cultivated in various other regions of the world, especially in China and Japan.
About Stevia
Stevia serves as a sweet and sustainable food additive for all kinds of foods and beverages. Its popularity goes as back as the 16th century. People would not only use the leaf extract to sweeten their food, but have also enjoyed chewing on some fresh stevia leaves as a sweet treat. It is believed to be over 200 – 300 times sweeter in taste, compared to the regular sugar that we use in our house. Therefore, only a pinch of this extract is enough to sweeten the dish which otherwise requires spoonfuls of sugar. Also, this non-nutritive sweetener is incredibly low on calories. That is perhaps what makes it a much healthier alternative compared to other sweeteners thronging the market, both natural and alternative.
Stevia contains eight steviol glycosides, which are nothing but these sweet, tiny components isolated from the leaf. These include stevioside, rebaudiosides, steviol bioside among others. However, it is only the high-purity ones that are considered safe and apt for consumption. For example, the use of rebaudioside is deemed to be safe for use as a sweet additive in foods and beverages.
Stevia for Health
The Stevia extract, however, did not get all that popular owing to its sweetness quotient alone, and the fact that it contains almost zero calories per portion. Interestingly, it comes loaded with a host of unique health benefits, and this gives us sufficient reason to substitute our regular sugar consumption with stevia. That is perhaps why this healthful sugar substitute is increasingly becoming a popular herbal supplement. In fact, over the past few years, stevia has been found to be especially effective in case of various endocrine diseases, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension. In this article, we shall learn at length about how the stevia extract could help us in taking care of obesity and managing our weight.
Overweight and Obesity
The condition of being overweight or obese is becoming more and more common in our fast paced lifestyle. That is perhaps why we also call it a lifestyle disease. This could be attributed mainly to a variety of factors, such as a sedentary routine, stressful jobs, excessive screen time, chronic health diseases, heredity, etc. A lack of physical activity and binging on foods that are high on fat, carbs and added sugar only makes it all the more worse. When our consumption of sugar is higher than the ability of our body to digest it, our blood glucose shoots right up. The same sugar, instead of being converted into energy, starts accumulating in our body in the form of fat. Thus, we not only feel more fatigued by the end of the day, but also see the inches and pounds going higher up. And when this starts happening more often than not, we are likely to end up as a type I or type II diabetic.
That is perhaps why, from diet point of view, it is recommended to watch what we eat, and reduce the intake of sugar and carbs. Stevia, however, is a sweetener in the most natural form. While it does not give us energy, it does allow us to satiate our sweet tooth and reduce our overall calorie intake. We tend to feel full even after having consumed much less calories. Therefore, we can safely include it as a part of our well-balanced diet, and not worry about giving up on taste or feel guilty about the same.
Take Care
However, please note that these sweeteners, Stevia included, do not directly help us lose weight. This potential weight loss aid allows us mainly to maintain our existing weight. We are much less likely to gain any more pounds. Although we may even lose some, thanks to the fact that it makes us feel much satiated, and for long. Besides, exercising regularly, getting sufficient sleep and avoiding stressful thinking also play an equally important role in allowing us to manage weight and keep fit.
About the Author:
Dr Sonica Krishan is Author and Speaker in the areas of Healthy and Joyous Living through Ayurveda, Meditation, Yoga and other Contemplative practices. She is a leading Ayurveda Professional in India. She is also Health Writer, Columnist, Editor, Ayurveda Consultant and Holistic Healing Coach. Dr Sonica is open for National as well as International Collaborations with interested people / institutions in fields of Ayurveda, Meditation and Yoga.
Dr Sonica Krishan’s Books are available at Amazon
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