Can Stevia Prevent Obesity?

Author: Alexander Bruni Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

In this article, learn more about Can Stevia Prevent Obesity?. Stevia is a plant-based sweetener that contains zero calories..

One in three children in Greece, Italy, and Slovenia is overweight, according to the latest figures from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. This is the focus of the ongoing 21st European Congress against Obesity in Sofia. Another point of its focus is helping consumers of all ages find ways to reduce excess calories in their diet.

The focus of the congress is on educating health professionals about the use of stevia, a plant-based sweetener that contains zero calories. The summarized conclusions of more than 200 studies that confirm the safety of stevia, as well as its health benefits, are also presented.

According to Dr. Margaret Ashwell, a member of the Advisory Board of the Global Stevia Institute, pure stevia extract is part of the anti-obesity solution. It reduces excess calories while maintaining the sweetness that people expect.

According to the research agency Mintel for the period 2009 - 2013, stevia production has increased by almost 500%.

Like other products of plant origin, such as sugar cane or vanilla pods, stevia is extracted from the plant - the leaves in this case. The process of extracting the extract involves soaking the dried leaves of the plant, such as tea, and then separating and purifying the desired sugar compounds, known as steviol glycosides.

Steviol glycosides are 200 to 400 times sweeter than sugar, explains Dr. Kathy Kapica, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Global Stevia Institute. And because stevia is very sweet, very little of it is needed to sweeten foods and beverages compared to typical high- calorie sweeteners.

Can Stevia Prevent Obesity?

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