The Stevia Plant to Health

The sweeteners extracted from the stevia leaves, contains mainly of the glycosides of the diterpene derivative steviol. The steviol glycosides have 200 to 300 times more sweetness of sugar and are zero calorie, pH-stable, heat-stable, not fermentable and at high concentrations some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste. Stevia taste incorporates a slower onset and longer period than that of sugar. Non-caloric sweetener has generated vital interest within the scientific community due to its effects on diabetes mellitus, glucose homeostasis, blood pressure, tooth decay, all known consequences of obesity, hypertension, inflammation and cystic fibrosis. Studies even have shown that steviol glycosides found in stevia are not carcinogenic and cause no acute and subacute toxicity. Steviol glycosides undergo microbial hydrolysis in the colon to generate steviol, which is absorbed and metabolized into steviol glucuronide and excreted primarily through human's urine. Because of these applications all over the world different food regulatory bodies approved for the use of steviol glycosides as non-nutritive sweetener in various food products.