Well, hit my library of herbal books, and with over a hundred of them, nothing on stevia! Only one book even mentioned the name....in the index. Well, it said page 14, however, after going over it three or four times, the word does not appear!!! So, I have hit the net and found info on it. Will cover it in more detail with 'net sources. This is one herb that I found very interesting! Not only the fact that it is great, but the fact that it is kept behind closed doors by large companies! Well, of course! I can't imagine them wanting this herb on the open market---don't let them stop you from investigating this herb! It will be one that I will be putting into my herb garden this coming summer. I have found a company that sells the plant--I will share this with you also, with further info in a couple of days!
Okay, here goes: STEVIA....Stevia Rebaudiana Known also as the "sweet herb of Paraguay" or "Sugar Leaf". The leaves are what is harvested for they contain steviaside-one of the sweetest substances known. Perhaps this is why it is considered to be 100 times sweeter than sugar----with no calories!!! Myself, I have the cut and sifted leaves, powdered leaves, and also a liquid form of the leaves. The liquid form is the form I like best, for it dissolves in tea quite easiliy, although, this form needs to be refrigerated.
Okay, now I am going to do what I don't like about alot of herbal net pages, and that is inform you of where you can purchase this herb plant. Nichols Gardens of Herbs and Rare Seeds is offering this plant for 10.50 plus shipping, etc. Letting you know this will save me alot of e-mail writing! I have puchased the cut and sifted from Blooming Prairie Co-Op in Iowa City. The liquid form was purchased there also. E-Mail me if you would like this in any of the forms--I'll get it for you. I order from there once a month, so it may take alittle time.
So, why am I so excited about this herb? Because, myself, I eat as little true sugar as possible, and NEVER use any of the artificial substances that are available. I look at immitations like this: can they be better for my body than using the real thing? So, when it needs to be sweetened, I use the real thing! And now, the real thing is STEVIA!!
This poor herb sure has a past, though! You will find it under most controversial herb lists in the National Food Markets. It has been on the import alert list since 1991 as an "unsafe food additive". According to Herb Resource Foundation, hundreds of scientists and consumers, especially in Japan, use it and have found it safe and intensely sweet and think it is a wonderful non-caloric sweetener! This is a MAJOR problem for a few artifical and real sugar companies that my sources won't mention but we all know who they are!! They want the FDA to ban stevia, however the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 has forced the FDA to allow it in Dietary supplements. This leaves the FDA saying it is okay as a dietary supplement but not as a food! Okay, you make sense of that one!!
I was able to find one page stating it is "safe" for diabetics. If you have any information on stevia pertaining to diabetics, write me and I'll add it to this page.
If you ever get a chance to give stevia a try, I will recommend it, for it is truly sweet! I mix it into my tea blends, for I see my tea is a tad bit sweeter, without any aftertaste! Let me know if it is something you do try! And, watch my gardening experiences for further reading on growing a stevia plant here in Iowa! It does need protection from frost, perhaps I'll plant the whole pot into the ground, making it easier to bring in for next winter! Any further info on stevia that you are willing to share with me would be great! There is a page out there with some recipes using stevia, so click here and visit the STEVIA COOKBOOK to see what they are! Follow this page for further reading on history of stevia.
This site was shared with me, containing more info on stevia: Healthfree. or purchase the plant through these guys.
