As the dangers of sugar’s sweet taste are emphasized, interest in artificial sweeteners is high.
Recently, stevia, an artificial sweetener, has been added to enhance the sweet taste of fruits. Stevia tomato and stevia watermelon are examples. It is true that there is a fear that the sweet taste that is stronger than the sugar you feel when you take a bite may be harmful to your health.
Stevia is a plant in the Asteraceae family, and leaves contain ‘stevioside’, a sweetener, about 6-7% of the weight. Stevioside is 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar.
Stevia has a superior taste than sugar, but has only 1% of the calories of sugar, so it is popular.
The sweet taste of stevia has the advantage that it does not affect blood sugar levels because it is hardly digested, absorbed, or metabolized by the body.
Because it is not absorbed and is mostly excreted through urine, it does not affect blood sugar levels and has virtually zero calories.
Stevia tomatoes contain polyphenols, which have antioxidant properties. Antioxidant action is one of the effects of stevia and suppresses excessive free radicals generated in the body.
In particular, stevia contains a component called ‘terpene’. This ingredient stimulates insulin-secreting cells, so stevia has no effect on blood sugar and blood pressure despite its strong sweetness, so it can be consumed by people with diabetes or high blood pressure.
Stevia is known to have fewer side effects compared to its efficacy. Most of the published side effects have been confirmed through animal tests, but the researchers explain that they do not work on humans.
Stevia is a plant in the Asteraceae family, so if you are allergic to it, you should avoid stevia because side effects may occur.
In addition, excessive intake may cause abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhea, and people with poor kidney function should be careful. People with hypoglycemia should only eat after consulting a specialist.
By Kim Yong-joo, reporter kgfox11@kormedi.com
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