WHAT IS STEVIA: Stevia
rebaudiana Bertoni is a native of Paraguay (a South American country), commonly known as sweet leaf, sugar leaf, or simply
Stevia. This is widely grown for its sweet leaves. The main productive part of the plant is its
leaves. Stevia leaves are 30 times
sweeter than normal sugar. The sugar
form of stevia is around 300-400 times sweeter than normal sugar. The sweetness of stevia also felt for longer
duration wherein regular sugar sweetness fades away within seconds. A leaf picked from a stevia plant directly and
chewed will give an extremely sweet taste sensation reminiscent of licorice
that lasts for quite a while.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION: There
are two main compounds in stevia leaves (1) stevioside (10%-20%) and (2) rebaudioside-A
(1-3%) which contribute for sweetness in addition to others steviol glycosides.
The stevioside is stable at 100 °C this
is main advantage of stevioside unlike other artificial sweeteners.
USES OF STEVIA:
Stevia
is available in many forms. The choice
is totally dependent on the amount of sweetness required for the purpose. The fresh leaves are least sweet and the
extracted white powder is the sweetest as shown below in the order of least sweet
to sweetest.
Stevia Dry Leaves è Stevia
Dry Leaf Powder è Stevia
Liquid Concentrate è Stevia
Sugar
Stevia
is in use in soft drinks, confectionery, bakery, etc. in many parts of the
world. Stevia prevents tooth decay with
its microbial property. There is no
increase in sugar level after consumption of stevia as sweetener as substitute
of normal sugar. Majority of the
supplementary food products for diabetic patients emphasize on the fibre and protein
content. Addition of Stevia leaves or stevia
powder in such products would serve the purpose of natural sweetness and would also
help in rejuvenating the pancreatic gland.
v
Natural
sweetener with zero calories, hence regulates blood pressure.
v
Induces
Pancreas to produce more insulin, helping in diabetes treatment.
v
Being
used as a weight loss aid as it contains zero calories.
v
Fights
dental cavities and tooth decay.
v
Anti-bactericidal,
anti-fungal, anti-viral properties – kills bacteria, fungus, viruses and
reduces inflammation.
DRIED
LEAVES & DRY LEAF POWDER: For more
of the flavor and sweet constituents of the stevia leaf to be released, drying
and crushing is necessary. A dried leaf
is considerably sweeter than a fresh one, and is the form of stevia used in
brewing herbal tea. It has a greenish
color and can be used in a wide variety of products like foods and beverages, coffee,
tea, and any other regular product to enhance its sweetness or taste. You also can use it to make an herbal tea
blend.
STEVIA SUGAR: This is the white crystalline powdered form of
stevia that is obtained after going through a specific process in stevia processing
plant. In this sugar form it is
approximately 200 to 300 times sweeter than cane sugar (by weight). This white powder is an extract of the sweet
glycosides in the stevia leaf. The quality,
taste, sweetness and cost of the various white stevia powders will likely
depend on their degree of refinement and the quality of the stevia herbs used.
LIQUID
CONCENTRATES: It is a syrupy black
liquid (that results from boiling the leaves in water), which can enhance the
flavor of many foods. Another type is
made by steeping stevia leaves in distilled water or a mix of water and grain
alcohol.
US FDA & WHO Approved: Use of extracts
of stevia Rebaudioside-A was approved as food additive. It is approved by FDA of United States
Government, WHO (World Health Organisation) and recently UK Government and also
Government of India as food additive.
Watch
out this space for a complete list of STEVIA APPROVALS and STEVIA's SAFETY in coming
articles.
SCOPE: Stevia opens up new avenues for crop
diversification and a sustainable agriculture and an alternative to age old
cultural crops to Indian farmers thereby helping avoid farmer suicides.
Stevia
is in use in soft drinks, foods and beverages industry, confectionery and
bakery industry, etc. It can be a
complete substitute for sugar-toothed Indians who cannot enjoy the sweetness of
cane sugar because of calorie constraints and diabetes.
MARKET: Today stevia is fast
becoming the King of the world sweetener market as demand of low carbohydrate and
NATURAL sweetener is increasing day by day and the demand is bound to increase
in the coming few years.
A good
market is being developed for stevia in India but due to lack of knowledge
sharing and accuracy and reliability of the available data, Indian farmers are
lagging behind to cash on this great opportunity.
Today
Stevia rebaudiana extract accounts for 40% of the sweetener market in Eastern
Block countries such as Japan, Korea and Malaysia. China is the world's largest producer of
stevia in the world market. Today in
India, it is being cultivated in places like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh,
Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, etc.
It is being cultivated in very few places compared to the scope that it
can be cultivated in due to its geographic advantages over China. Government of India (under National
Horticulture Board) is providing 20% subsidy for stevia cultivation.
Watch
out this space for more on LIST OF STEVIA APPROVALS, HOW TO GROW STEVIA IN
INDIA, STEVIA's SAFETY, STEVIA MARKET SCOPE in coming articles.