Stevia

(Stevia rebaudiana)

Family: Asteraceae
Genre: Stevia
Species: rebaudiana
Synonyms: Eupatorium rebaudianum
Common Names: Stevia, sweet leaf of Paraguay, caa-he-e, kaa jheéé, ca-a-jhei, ca-a-yupi, azucacaa, Eira-caa, Capim doce, erva doce, sweet-herb, Honey yerba, honeyleaf, yaa waan, candy leaf
Phyto elements: apigenin, austroinulin, avicularin, beta-sitosterol, caffeic acid, campesterol, caryophyllene, centaureidin, chlorogenic acid, chlorophyll, cosmosiin, cynaroside, daucosterol, diterpene glycosides, dulcosides AB, foeniculin, formic acid, gibberellic acid, gibberellin, indole -3-acetonitrile, isoquercitrin, isosteviol, jhanol, kaempferol, kaurene, lupeol, luteolin, polystachoside, Quercetin, quercitrin, rebaudioside AF, scopoletin, sterebin AH, steviol, steviolbioside, steviolmonoside, stevioside, stevioside a-3, stigmasterol, umbelliferone, xanthophylls.
Parts Used: leaves

PROPERTIES AND ACTIONS
Main actions:
natural sweetener
lowers the blood sugar level
increases diuresis
lowers blood pressure
dilates blood vessels

Other actions:
kills bacteria
kills fungi
kills viruses
reduces inflammation


Assay standards:
Leaves
Leaves: ¼ teaspoon of tea is equivalent to 1 tablespoon sugar

Infusion: 1 cup 2-3 times a day

Perenna Stevia is a herb that grows up to 1m in height and has leaves 2-3cm. It grows wild in areas at higher altitude on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. It is commonly grown for commercial purposes in many areas of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Central America, Israel, Thailand and China.

The interest for the West Stevia comes around the 19th century when researchers went to Brazil they heard talk of a plant from the leaves so sweet that just one leaf was able to sweeten a bowl as big as a gourd full of the tea ' bitter yerba mate. Stevia was for the first time analyzed in 1899 by botanist Moises S. paraguainense Bertoni, who wrote one of the earliest articles about Stevia.

Since then, have been discovered more than 100 items in phyto Stevia. It is rich in terpenes and flavonoids. In 1931 were discovered 8 new glycosides, responsible for the sweetness of Stevia.

The great interest in the natural sweetener Stevia as a calorie and not many studies have fed on the plant, including some toxic. It's been documented non-toxicity of the main chemical sweetener, stevioside. In addition, it was demonstrated that stevioside does not cause cell changes and has no effect on fertility. The natural Stevia leaf has been shown to be non-toxic and does not possess anything mutogena. The studies are conflicting, however, on the leaf of Stevia on fertility. Most clinical studies showed that the leaf has no effect on fertility both male and female. However, in one study it was reported that an aqueous extract of leaves can reduce the levels of testosterone and the amount of sperm.

Brazilian scientists in 1991 have documented the ability of stevioside to lower blood pressure. In 2000, was conducted a double blind study on 106 men and Chinese women suffering from high blood pressure. The researchers concluded that: This study shows that oral administration of stevioside is well tolerated and is an effective mode of administration, that it can be considered as an alternative or supplementary therapy for patients with hypertension. Another team of researchers tested the effects of hypoglycaemia in a single glycoside Steve and he attributed the effect of Stevia on the production of glucose to stevioli glycosides, isosteviolo and glucosilsteviolo. Danish researchers have published a study (2000) documenting how the action in vitro of hypoglycaemia and of stevioside steviolo is the result of their god stimulate insulin secretion through direct action on beta-cells. They therefore concluded that the results indicate that the compound may have a potential role as anti-agent treatment of hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus type II.

The effects and uses of Stevia as a heart tonic to normalize the levels of blood pressure to regularize the heartbeat and the cardiopulmonary system have been reported for the first time in 1978. Following these studies, in 1996 was conducted a clinical trial that has documented the hypotensive action of a crude extract of Stevia. In addition, a group of Brazilian researchers has demonstrated that an aqueous extract of Stevia leaves had an effect hypoglycemia and increased glucose tolerance and significantly decreased levels of glucose in the blood during the test after overnight fasting in all volunteers . In another study on humans, the blood sugar levels had decreased by 35% of six to eight hours after oral intake of an aqueous extract of the leaf.

In another search. Stevia has demonstrated antimicrobial action, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-yeast. An aqueous extract of Stevia has been shown to be useful in the prevention of dental caries by inhibiting the bacteria streptococcus which stimulates the formation of plaque. Moreover, in 1993 received a U.S. patent that claimed that the Stevia extract had a vasodilator and was effective for various skin disorders (acne, vent, pruritis) and diseases caused by poor blood circulation.

For centuries, indigenous peoples of Brazil and Paraguay have used Stevia leaves as a sweetener.

Besides being a dolcificane in Brazilian herbal medicine Stevia is used as hypoglycemia, hypotensive, diuretic, tonic and cardiotonico. The leaf is used in cases of diabetes, obesity, tooth decay, high blood pressure, fatigue, depression, dependence on sugar, and infection.

For nearly 20 years, millions of consumers in Japan and Brazil (where Stevia is approved as a food additive) using the extract of Stevia as a sweetener safe and not calories. Japan is one of the largest consumers of Stevia in the world: the leaves and extracts of the plant are used to sweeten any food from soy sauce to the pickles, sweets and soft drinks. Even multinationals such as Coca-Cola and Beatrice Foods use Stevia extracts (instead of saccharin) to sweeten foods for sale in Japan, Brazil and other countries where it is approved as a food additive.

STEVIE

Primary method of preparation:
infused or dry powder
Key actions (in order):
sweetener, hypoglycaemia, hypotensive (lowers blood pressure), cardiotonico (tones, balances, strengthens the heart), antimicrobial

Main uses:

as a sweetener maturale
for diabetes
for high blood pressure
to prevent caries
as an aid to weight loss

Properties / actions documented by research:
antibacterial, anti-candida, antifungal, anti-viral, cardiotonico (tones, balances, strengthens the heart), diuretic, hypoglycaemia, vasodilator

Other properties / actions documented by traditional
tonic, healing


Traditional preparation:
Stevia in the U.S. is used as a substitute for sugar. Approximately ¼ teaspoon of tea leaves is equivalent to 1 tea spoon of sugar. In South America, a cup of infused 2-3 times a day is sometimes used as a natural aid for diabetes and hypertension

Contraindications:
Stevia leaf if taken at doses higher than those used to sweeten showed the effects hypoglycaemia. People with diabetes should take Stevia with caution and monitor their blood sugar level for the possible occurrence of this effect.
Stevia leaf if taken at doses higher than those used for sweetening has documented hypotensive actions. People with low blood pressure or who assumer medication against hypertension should not take large amounts of Stevia and should monitor their pressure for the possible occurrence of this effect

Interaction with drugs:
At high doses, could enhance the medication for hypertension and diabetes

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