Sure Stevia Extract Powder - 3.5 oz

If you haven't noticed yet, sugar is in everything. It doesn't seem to matter what kind of packaged food product you get, it's in there in anything from cookies to ketchup to marinara sauce. Too much refined sugar can lead to diabetes, but this is not because sugar itself is bad. It's because of all the chemicals used to process it. This is what is meant by 'refined' when you hear about refined sugar.

Dangers of Simple and Refined Sugars

The most common type of simple sugar is high fructose corn syrup. This is the kind of simple sugar that is found in so many sodas, juices and sweet teas. It's one of the leading causes of obesity in the United States because of the way it can affect the appetite.

Glucose is a natural sugar that is produced by our bodies from carbohydrates. Unlike glucose, too much fructose causes you to develop a resistance to an important hormone called leptin. Leptin is the hormone that is stored in the fat cells of the human body.

Simply explained, leptin is responsible for telling the brain if more or less energy is needed for the body to function. When leptin levels begin to fluctuate, the brain is notified of this. When this happens, it triggers a reaction that is decoded as impending starvation by the brain. This is what makes people eat junk food in large amounts, causing weight gain, diabetes and poor cardiovascular health.

Making a decision to avoid refined and simple sugars can lead to a healthier way of life, weight loss and less of a chance of developing diabetes. Even all-natural cane sugar in large amounts can have some of the same negative effect if they are consumed too much. It's a healthier option to choose calorie-free sweeteners like stevia.

Why Is Stevia a Better Sweetener?

Stevia has been used as both an herbal supplement and a natural sweetener. Stevia is much sweeter than sugar, so it takes much less to sweeten your favorite foods. Millions of people with diabetes use stevia as a substitute for sugar in order to decrease or manage their high blood sugar levels.

If you are trying to lose weight, stevia is definitely a better option because it contains no calories and no fat when used as a sweetener. It has minuscule amounts of carbohydrates, but those are not enough to worry about increased blood glucose levels even, if it's used regularly.

There have been studies that have shown that stevia can have an effect on lowering bad cholesterol levels and raising good ones. The good kind of cholesterol is called HDL cholesterol and it's directly responsible for swimming through the bloodstream and removing bad cholesterol from areas in the body in which it doesn't belong.

Stevia has also been shown in some research to be beneficial for treating hypertension, or high blood pressure. More studies are in the process of being conducted to find out more about how this works and what other benefits there are to consuming stevia both as a sweetener and as a health supplement.

What is Stevia?

stevia is an herbal plant found in South America, whose leaves are used as natural sweetener. Contains Zero calories, and is many times sweeter than sugar. This herb has been in use for over a century mostly in Brazil and Paraguay as a sweetener that grows in the wild.

Stevia leaves contain glycosides which are responsible for the sweetness. Stevia was legalized to be used as a food additive in the United States in 2008 by the FDA, but has been other the counter as a supplement for many years before 2008.

Some of the proven health benefits of Stevia:

• Calorie and carb free
• Does not Elevate blood sugar levels
• Antibacterial properties

Calorie and carb free: As opposed to most sugars, Stevia comes clean and free of any calories and carbohydrates. This makes it great for dieters who have a sweet tooth yet are cautions of adding extra calories.

Does Not Elevate blood sugar levels: For people with high blood sugar levels, stevia is great, it does not raise blood sugar levels. Because it does not raise blood sugar, it is ideal for diabetics.

Antibacterial properties: Stevia has been incorporated in toothpastes and mouthwash products because of its antibacterial properties. It has been found to help in fighting gingivitis and cavities. It has also been integrated in ointments for the treatment of acne and eczema.