Stevia sweetener has been getting more and more attention, both by those who base their diets on all natural foods, and those who don’t. One of the biggest reasons that stevia sweetener has ended up in the spotlight is because of the increasingly disturbing reports coming out about other sweeteners like aspartame. Whether you choose to only eat all natural foods or not, you may want to consider switching to stevia rather than using sugar or the sugar substitutes currently on the market.

Stevia Sweetener Is Natural

One of the best aspects of stevia sweetener is the fact that it is comes from natural sources. In fact, it is derived from the stevia plant that is related to both lettuce and chicory. This is great news to those who want a healthy way to sweeten their all natural foods. Of course, other types of foods can benefit, as well. As stevia sweetener grows in popularity, so too does our understanding of new ways to utilize it.

Is Stevia Sweetener Better Than Sugar?

While it’s hard to say that one type of sweetener is “better” than another, there are certainly some areas in which stevia seems to have advantages over the sugar that we are accustomed to using. In addition to being 100% natural, stevia sweetener doesn’t contain any calories. That, in itself makes this sweetener appealing to many. Whereas sugar is known to cause tooth decay, stevia has been found to prevent cavities.

Stevia sweetener has also been recommended for diabetics in many cases. This is because it does not affect blood glucose levels in the same way that sugar does. Interestingly enough, it is also 250 to 300 times sweeter than sugar, which means that only a small amount needs to be used. Rest assured, it can be used in pretty much the same way as sugar. While the plant has been used by the Guarani Indians to sweeten tea for hundreds of years, it is now used in homes all over the U.S., not just in beverages, but even as a sugar substitute in baking.

The Acceptance of Stevia Sweetener

With the obvious benefits of stevia sweetener and the fact that it has been a known sugar substitute for hundreds of years, it is hard to understand why it hasn’t been in use in modern culture for more than a few years. The fact of the matter is that it has! Stevia has been used in Japan since the 1970s, and the studies that have been done on it have been very positive. In 1995, Sunrider International’s Dr. Tei Fu Chen successfully petitioned the FDA to allow the use of stevia as a dietary supplement in the United States.  More recently, it has been approved as a food additive and companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi are lining up to begin putting stevia in widely distributed products.

The reasons for the ban of stevia sweetener as a food additive were hotly debated, with many pointing to lobbyists from both the sugar and the sugar-substitute industries. It has experienced a number of classifications since being allowed in the U.S., and it’s likely that the use of stevia sweetener for both all natural foods and as a part of prepackaged foods will continue to grow as consumers learn about its many advantages.

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Cliff Smith began seriously researching nutrition when he lost 30 pounds in 30 days on a diet of advanced low carb foods and highly concentrated health drinks.  Read his natural weight loss story and learn more about stevia sweetener at his online health food store.