Metabolic diseases like diabetes are potentially debilitating problems that can wreak havoc on the sufferer’s lifestyle and quality of life. Unfortunately, there are still no known effective cures for diabetes and various metabolic disorders. The best, and so far, the only way to handle diabetes is taking medication and initiating a complete lifestyle change, most specifically doing more exercises and changing the diet.
The intake of carbohydrates is one of the factors that are closely monitored in diabetes patients. Simple carbohydrates are a big no-no for a person who has a metabolic disease like diabetes because it can swiftly elevate the blood sugar levels of the body. That’s why table sugar or sucrose, a form of simple carbohydrates, is not a good addition to a diabetic’s diet.
For diabetics who still need their sweet fix, artificial sweeteners are one solution. But these are basically chemicals that you’re ingesting so it’s not really a good choice health wise. A better option are natural sweeteners because they are not artificially created chemicals and most of them have zero calories.
One natural sweetener that’s getting a lot of attention lately is stevia. This natural sweetener is extracted from the leaves of the stevia plant. Stevia is increasingly being used both by consumers and commercial manufacturers because it is seen as a healthier alternative to table sugar and artificial sweeteners.
One other benefit of using stevia is that it contains vitamins. Various studies made on stevia have confirmed that this natural sweetener contains many different vitamins, among them Vitamin A, Vitamin, C and compounds that form part of the B group of vitamins.
Aside from vitamins, stevia was also found to be rich in essential minerals that are crucial to many of our body’s functions. Among the minerals found in stevia are selenium, manganese, potassium, sodium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, niacin and silicon.
Stevia now occupies a rare class of sweeteners that are not only natural but also have actual health benefits due to its vitamin and mineral content. This makes stevia especially helpful not only for diabetics but also for people who suffer from high blood pressure, heartburn, and even various skin disorders.
Stevia has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as a sugar substitute, which is an acknowledgement of its safety as a food additive
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The stevia plant, which gained popularity as a natural sweetener because of low calories in it, also has several vitamins and minerals.