Stevia as an alternative to sugar and sweeteners
More and more people are becoming aware of the adverse effects of sugar. In cases of obesity, tooth decay, and even behavioural problems, a link is often made to sugar. At present, it seems that artificial sweeteners offer a solution. They often have a low caloric value and are therefore suitable for a calorie-restricted diet. Some remain stable during cooking or baking and are therefore also suitable for general use. However, more and more research shows that sweeteners can also be harmful. The body recognises sweeteners as caloric sweet and starts to treat this sweetness just like sugar. So what can you use to sweeten delicious things responsibly? The great alternative is Stevia!

What is Stevia?
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is a plant that originates from subtropical and tropical South and Central America. It is also known as "honey herb". The Western world only became seriously interested at the end of the nineteenth century, after which the worldwide rise of Stevia began.
Stevia is found in the wild on high plains in the border area between Brazil and Paraguay. It is a small, green herbaceous plant whose leaves have a very sweet, refreshing taste. The substance responsible for this is Stevioside. Stevioside is 300x sweeter than sugar. The stevia plant has been traditionally used for centuries by Brazilian Indians as a sweetener for, among other things, tea. In Japan, Stevia has been the only permitted sweetener used as a sugar substitute for years. Stevia is known to inhibit the growth and reproduction of bacteria and fungi, including the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Its use can also reduce blood sugar problems (hyperglycaemia) and acidity issues, as it does not extract calcium from the bones like refined sugar does.

After being used as a substitute for sugar and other sweeteners in recent years in the US, New Zealand, France, and Switzerland, it is now finally available in the Netherlands! Lucovitaal® Stevia is made from Rebaudioside A (Reb A). This is the best form of Stevia (part of the plant with the highest quality), of which the purest form (98%) is used. The quality of Lucovitaal® Stevia is therefore the best and purest quality available.

Why is Stevia so unique?
Humans can recognise four basic tastes, namely: sour, sweet, salty, and bitter. Sweet is always perceived as positive; people find sweet delicious. However, everyone knows that sweet falls under the so-called "fatteners". Therefore, people have been searching for a sugar substitute with a lower dose of calories. Aspartame and Saccharin are artificial sweeteners with a small number of calories. However, these artificial sweeteners exhibit various side effects such as intestinal complaints and diarrhoea. Therefore, people have been searching for a substitute without side effects.
Stevia is not an artificial sweetener but 100% natural. Stevia is a low-calorie sweetener that is no less than 300 times sweeter than sugar. The sweet taste of Stevia comes from the leaves of the plant. The Stevia leaf owes its sweet taste to the substances Stevioside and Rebaudioside, which are present in the leaves of the plant. These are glycosides, plant substances with a sugary component and different properties than carbohydrates (sugars). Rebaudioside A (Reb A) is the best form of Stevia, the part of the plant with the highest quality. For Lucovitaal Stevia, the purest form (98%) is used, so this is the best and purest quality Stevia available. There is a small taste difference between Stevia and sugar, which some people need to get used to. The delicious sweet taste of Stevia is released more slowly in the mouth and lasts longer than the taste of sugar.
Stevia is a tasty and healthy alternative to sugar! There are no known negative effects of using Stevia.

What can you do with it?
Stevia can be used to flavour all drinks and dishes. Because stevioside remains stable at high temperatures and the variant Stevia rebaudiana (stevioside) is 300x sweeter than sugar, this is an excellent means to sweeten, for example, cakes and biscuits. In Lucovitaal® Stevia, 3% Stevia extract is used in the sprinkling powder to achieve the right sweetness, so a teaspoon of Stevia has the same sweetness as a teaspoon of sugar. The great advantage of this is that it is easy to dose. When dosing pure Stevia and only using a knife tip, the danger is that a dish will quickly become too sweet (or not sweet enough).

Ingredients:
Water (aqua purificata), 3.6% sweetener (steviol glycosides).

Nutritional values per 100 g:
Energy 0 kcal / 0 kJ
Protein 0 g
Carbohydrates 0 g
of which sugar 0 g
Fat 0 g
of which saturated fat 0 g
Fibre 0 g
Sodium 0 g