Choosing Wisely: What to Consider When Buying Stevia

You've probably heard of stevia by now and might be considering using it as a natural, sugar-free alternative sweetener. Because stevia comes from a plant and not a chemical, it's the safest option available if you want to avoid traditional sugar complete. Although maple syrup, coconut sugar, molasses, agave, and cane sugar may be more natural, they all are known to raise the glycemic index level. Stevia, on the other hand, does not raise the glycemic index and has been showing to help individuals deal with high blood sugar. But to be able to enjoy all the benefits of stevia, it is important to choose a high-quality product.

The secret to buying quality stevia products is to know exactly what you are getting instead of just relying on fancy marketing. If you look in the aisle of your favourite natural food store, you will see stevia tablet, drop and powder form products. Some of them even have added flavouring like vanila, grape, root beer, etc, so you can add flavour when sweetening your coffee or tea. While having different products to choose from is often a great thing, the huge variety of stevia we have access to today comes in the form of additives and fillers.

How to Choose a Stevia Sweetener

Read the Label - Whether you are getting a stevia tablet or a stevia drop or any other kind of stevia product, make sure you read the label. Just because the product is labelled "stevia" doesn't mean that is the only thing in it. It is common to see inulin, silica, maltodextrin and tons of 'natural flavours. in stevia products.

Give preference for powder or tablet forms of stevia - it takes processing and preservatives to make a shelf-stable liquid, while the powder and tablet forms are usually less processed and have fewer, if any preservatives.

Consider a stevia and sugar mix - while it contains more calories and uses sugar, most blends have no preservatives, no sugar alcohols, no added flavours, and no need for fillers like inulin.

Watch for additives - with a glycemic index of 0, stevia is great for carb watchers. However, additives like dextrose or maltodextrin can make glycemic index worse than sugar!

You can use stevia to make delicious things such as smoothies, ice creams, cookies, bars, etc. Like with other products, high-quality stevia comes with a higher price tag. However, it does taste the best and is the healthiest option possible.