Stevia Reduces Global Sugar Consumption
This natural sweetener helps satisfy the yearning for sweetness while reducing your sugar intake overall.
Key points:
- Stevia is gaining popularity as the world’s demand for sugar drops.
- Stevia is a diabetic-friendly product.
- Food industry professionals are now making stevia taste more enjoyable.
Stevia is an almost zero-calorie sweetener that was first introduced to the US marketplace 12 years ago, has become a popular sugar substitute. A new report shows stevia takes a leading role in lowering the amount of sugar the global population eats. This coincides with this year’s statistical data, saying 74% of US residents are limiting or avoiding their sugar intake.
Consumers’ interest in stevia grew 49% over the past years. This is not surprising, because replacing sugar with this sweetener makes beverages and foods more attractive to those who want to lose weight. Moreover, stevia is considered safe for people with diabetes. A 2013 research concluded stevia can even lower blood sugar levels.
Although for some people, the biggest stevia’s downside is its bitterish taste and licorice-like aroma. Luckily, at the moment the industry professionals are working on making stevia’s taste more palatable.
“Most recently, we’ve seen companies introduce stevia products that access the better-tasting components of the stevia leaf-like Reb M and Reb D, enabling brands to reduce sugar content in a wide array of applications — sometimes as much as 100%,” said Robert Rankin, president of the Calorie Control Council.
Source:
Stevia takes leading role in global sugar reduction