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Stevia Concentrate – Powder - Original US Quality !
Stevia (also called sweetleaf, sweet leaf or sugarleaf) is a genus of about 150 species of herbs and shrubs belonging to the Asteraceae (sunflower) family, native to subtropical and tropical South America and Central America (north to Mexico). The species are found in the wild in semi-arid habitats ranging from grassland to mountain terrain. Stevia does produce seeds, but only a small percentage of them germinate. Planting cloned stevia is a much more effective way of reproduction.
KEY FEATURES
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Steviosides - 250–300 times sweeter than sucrose (ordinary table sugar).
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Purified steviosides are used as sweeteners.
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Stevia does not significantly alter blood glucose.
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Sweet taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar.
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Low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternative.
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Shown promise in medical research for treating such conditions as obesity, high blood pressure, and hypertension.
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US Premium-Quality!
For centuries, the Guarani Native Americans of Paraguay and Brazil used Stevia species, primarily S. rebaudiana which they called ka'a he'ê ("sweet herb"), as a sweetener in yerba mate and medicinal teas, for treating heartburn and other ailments. It has recently seen greater attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives, and is widely used as a sweetener in Japan, and is available in the US and Canada as a food supplement. Stevia also has shown promise in medical research for treating such conditions as obesity, high blood pressure, and hypertension.
In 1931, French chemists isolated the glycosides that give stevia its sweet taste. These extracts were named steviosides and rebaudiosides. These compounds are 250–300 times sweeter than sucrose (ordinary table sugar). Stevia's sweet taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, and especially at high concentration, it has bitter and liquorice-like after-tastes. Stevia does not significantly alter blood glucose, and so is attractive as a sweetener to diabetics and others on carbohydrate controlled diets.
In the early 1970s, the Japanese began cultivating stevia as an alternative to artificial sweeteners such as cyclamate and saccharin, suspected carcinogens. The plant's leaves, the aqueous extract of the leaves and purified steviosides are used as sweeteners. Stevia sweeteners have been produced commercially in Japan since 1977 and are widely used in food products, soft drinks and for table use. Japan currently consumes more stevia than any other country; there, stevia accounts for 40% of the sweetener market.
Today, stevia is cultivated and used in food elsewhere in east Asia, including in China (since 1984), Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia; it can also be found in Saint Kitts and Nevis, in part of South America (Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) and in Israel. China is the world's largest exporter of the stevia extract, stevioside.
Supplement Facts
Size: 50 g (1,75 oz)
Item Code PF0297
Serving Size: 1/8 Teaspoon (316 mg) in cooking or baking.
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Amount per serving:
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% Daily Value
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Stevia Leaf Concentrate
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316 mg
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* Daily Value not established
Other Ingredients: purified water.
Warning: If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult your health care professional before using this product.
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