Answer:
Stevia is a sugar substitute. It is made from the stevia herb, a plant that is
native to northeast Paraguay and a member of the chrysanthemum family. Stevia is currently
grown in many places including Brazil, Japan, China, India, Mexico and Colombia. Stevia
has been consumed in other countries outside the United States for decades. Stevia
is 30 times sweeter than sugar in its unprocessed form and 250-300 times sweeter once
it has been purified. Products made from Stevia include the brand names Sweetleaf
and Truvia and they contain zero calories. Truvia offers a conversion chart on its
Web site for cooking and baking purposes. For example, 3/4 teaspoon of Truvia = 2
teaspoons of sugar.
The World Health Organization and the US Food and Drug
Administration have deemed purified Stevia products safe in moderate amounts. The
FDA has not approved whole leaf or crude stevia as food additives because of concerns
about possible health effects. In particular, the FDA has concerns about the effects
of Stevia on blood sugar control, the kidneys, and the cardiovascular and reproductive
systems.
Stevia is now added to many beverages manufactured by the Coca-Cola
company. Stevia is used in gum, yogurt, pickles, dried seafood, condiments, fish,
meat, vegetables and confectionaries.
One benefit of Stevia use is that
fewer calories are consumed, so it could be helpful in a weight loss plan.
In
regard to your episodes of feeling weak and shaky, it is always a good idea to eat
every three to five hours and include lean protein in meals and snacks. This ensures
that our body gets the fuel it needs to control our blood sugars and appetite and
keep us energized.