The leaves of the stevia plant contain sweet-tasting steviosides that, unlike sugar, contain no calories. They also have a reputation for protecting teeth from tooth decay, regulating blood sugar levels and being able to lower blood pressure. However, critics warn against the natural sweetener as it may not be as harmless as many claim.

Stevia from the supermarket - often not as natural as promised

In South America, the original home of the stevia plant, the leaves of the sweet herb have been used to sweeten mate tea and as a gentle remedy since time immemorial. The stevioside it contains is responsible for the sweetening power of the plant, but it has a slightly different aroma than conventional table sugar. Very sweet, it tastes a bit bitter with a light liquorice aroma. This change in taste is the reason that until now only a very manageable amount of foods sweetened with stevia can be found on the supermarket shelves.

Commercially available stevia is very different from the sweet herb that you harvest from your garden and add to your tea. These powders or sweetener tablets are isolated stevioside, which is separated from the other plant substances by solvents and modern laboratory technology. Since Stevia tastes extremely sweet, it is difficult to dose. Fillers such as maltodextrin are therefore added to the sweeteners, which increase the volume and thus simplify use in the kitchen.

Is Stevia Healthy Or Harmful?

In the EU, stevia may only be used in limited quantities and in certain foods. Stevioside must also be declared on the packaging as an E960 additive. The European Food Safety Authority considers an ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) value of four milligrams per kilogram of body weight to be harmless. In its recommendation, it follows a WHO report from 2008. According to the current state of knowledge, if you do not exceed this recommended intake, you do not have to fear any health risks.

If you want to lose weight, stevia is a good alternative to other sweeteners. Unlike consuming sugar, consuming stevia does not increase blood sugar levels, which makes weight loss easier. In addition to obesity, the high sugar consumption in industrialized countries leads to other secondary diseases such as high blood pressure and tooth decay. You can also reduce these risks if you replace some of the sugar you eat with stevia.

Stevia from the garden

However, if you consume very large amounts of isolated stevioside, you can quickly exceed the recommended intake. With self-harvested stevia leaves, however, this risk is significantly lower than with industrially produced stevia sweeteners. Nevertheless, experts recommend that diabetics, calorie-conscious people and children pay attention to the amounts of stevioside they are actually consuming. As in many cases, the dose of stevia ultimately decides whether something is healthy or harmful.

tips and tricks

To sweeten food and drinks, use stevia that you have grown yourself. Do not replace conventional household sugar with sweet cabbage in all dishes. So you can be sure to enjoy without regrets and not to override the recommended maximum consumption levels.

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Vegetable garden