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imported post -
08-01-05, 02:28 AM
Is there a natural alternative to refined sugar?
Yes - Stevia.
Stevia is a natural, sweet-tasting, non-toxic plant that has no calories, lowers blood pressure and inhibits fat absorption. It is diabetic-safe as it does not adversely affect blood sugar. It is heat stable to 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) so is safe for use in cooking and can be added to hot drinks. It is said to be 10-40 times sweeter than sugar and can be bought in both powder and liquid form.
Japan has been using stevia to sweeten many food products, such as ice cream, bread, candies, pickles, soft drinks and chewing gum, since the mid 1970s. By the late 1980s, stevia represented approximately 41 percent of the market share of potently sweet products consumed in Japan.
In fact, Stevia has been used around the world for at least 1500 years with no reported side-effects, yet it has not been approved as a food additive in the US because "We don't have enough data to conclude that the use [in food] would be safe," (quoted from an agency position paper).
(Aspartame, on the other hand, is a constant source of complaint. A former FDA investigator admits that approximately 75 percent of all the 'adverse reaction' complaints the FDA receives are related to aspartame!)
There will be no race to test Stevia for approval while there is big money to be made from chemical substances such as aspartame because being a natural substance Stevia can't be patented by the huge pharmaceutical corporations.
Though not yet approved in the US as a food additive, Stevia can be sold, and consumed, as a 'dietary supplement'. In what way the FDA can justify how a natural food substance is safe as a supplement but unsafe as an additive is puzzling.
Stevia in the UK?
In the UK it is not possible to buy stevia from shops or other suppliers. The EU have totally banned sales and use of stevia for any purpose. So, in the EU the choice seems to be between the empty calories of sugar and the chemical toxins of aspartame.
Luckily, you can order stevia over the internet from several companies.
Other countries using Stevia today include Thailand, China, South Korea, Paraguay and Brazil.
Additional information on stevia:
Stevia is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar.
Studies have shown a beneficial relationship between stevia and the regulation of blood sugar levels. Hypoglycemics and diabetics have used stevia with favorable results.
Stevia is a calorie-free food.
Japanese studies show that stevia actually suppresses dental bacteria growth.
FDA regulations for stevia disallow it to be labeled as a sweetener or flavoring agent. It is allowed to be used and labeled as a dietary supplement or for use as a dietary ingredient of a dietary supplement.
The active (sweetening) constituent in stevia is called Stevioside.
Its botanical name is Stevia rebaudiana. Native to Latin America and
China and parts of the southwestern United- States.
EQUIVALENTS - One teaspoon of this concentrate equals (approximately) one cup of sugar.
What are the benefits of using stevia?
Sugarless with no calories
* Will not effect blood sugar levels like sugar does.
* 100% Natural
* 250 to 300 times sweeter than sugar
* Heat stable to 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit)
* Non-fermentable
* Flavor enhancer
* Plaque retardant Anti-caries (prevents cavities)
* Recommended for diabetics
* Non-toxic Extensively tested in animals and Extensively used by humans with no adverse effects.
Does Stevia have the same qualities as sugar in cooking recipes?
No! The molecular structures of sucrose and Stevioside are completely different. Sucrose (Sugar) when heated will caramelize making such delights as cookies, fudge and ... caramel, a possibility. Stevia will not. Some sweets, like caramel, is not possible, yet, but other sweets like cookies and fudge are possible if you can figure out how.
Will Stevia act as a "fuel" for yeast in baking as sugar does?
No! Stevia is non-fermentable and therefore will not act as a food source for yeast. (This is why stevia is great for anyone suffering from Candida!) Breads will still rise when baked but just not as big.
Does Stevia have any effect on hypoglycemia?
According to the report Effect of the Stevioside and of the aqueous extract of Stevia Rebaudiana (BERT) Bertoni on the glycemia of normal and diabetic rats By: Professor Carlos Eduardo Pinheiro, Presented to the II Brazilian Convention on Stevia rebaudiana (Bert) Bertoni - September 1982, they found that the use of Stevia did not produce any significant glycemic effects in normal or diabetic rats. In other words, stevia does not add sugar to the blood stream as sugar or even fruit can do. This allows the body to regulate the blood's sugar levels naturally. Of course if you drink tea with stevia with a twinkie, all bets are off but if you are careful with your diet, stevia is a wonderful way to satisfy your cravings for sweets without sugar.
Recipe Name: Stevia (Vegan) Banana Bread
Ingredients:
2 cups amaranth flour
1/2 cup arrowroot flour
1/4 tsp. stevia extract powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup safflower oil
How to Prepare:
1. Preheat oven to 350, oil
and flour a 9" by 5" loaf pan.
2. Combine amaranth flour,
arrowroot flour, stevioside,
cream of tarter, baking
soda, and spices until well
blended.
3. Add walnuts to flour
mixture.
4. In a separate bowl,
combine mashed bananas
and oil. Beat until smooth.
5. Working quickly, add the
mashed banana mixture to
the dry ingredients. Stir until
wet. Do not over mix or the
trapped air bubbles will
escape. The batter will be
stiff.
6. Spread the batter into the
prepared loaf pan.
7. Bake at 350 for 55 to 60
minutes, or until a toothpick
inserted in the center
comes out clean.
8. Remove and allow to
slightly cool in pan.
9. Remove from pan serve
warm or allow to cool
completely.
Recipe Name: Spice Cookies
Ingredients:
1 C. amaranth Flour
1/2 C. quinoa flour
1/2 C. millet flour
1/4 C. Jerusalem artichoke flour
2 T. Omega Nutrition Nutri-Flax
1/3 C. Water
1 T. lecithin granules
1/4 t. sea salt
2 t. baking powder
2 T. vanilla flavoring
1 1/2 t. stevia extract powder
4 oz. Earth Balance (OR other expeller pressed oil spread OR butter OR 6 T. organic unrefined coconut oil)
How to Prepare:
1. Combine all dry ingredients and sift.
2. Mix the Nutri-flax and the water.
3. Soften the butter, and add the oil, lecithin, and flavorings to the butter.
4. Add the Nutri-Flax to this mixture.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix until it comes together.
6. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet and then flatten. (This dough can be rolled out 1/4" thick in amaranth flour and cut into interesting shapes.)
7. Bake in 350 degree oven for 12mins.
Peace!
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