Tag: Steviol glycosides

According to Zevia's official website, all of its products are exclusively sweetened with highly purified stevia extract. This plant-based sweetener allows Zevia to offer zero-sugar, zero-calorie beverages that are naturally sweetened and free from artificial additives.

Over 270 million people worldwide are estimated to consume stevia-based sweeteners, yet a common point of confusion persists over the terminology. Is there a difference between stevia and steviol, or are they interchangeable names for the same sweet substance? The short answer is yes, they are fundamentally different, with one being the plant itself and the other being a specific compound found within it.

According to Healthline, Splenda is approximately 450–650 times sweeter than sugar, while stevia is about 200–400 times sweeter. This major difference in sweetness intensity is just one factor in determining whether stevia or Splenda tastes more like sugar, a common question for those seeking sugar alternatives.

According to a 2020 market analysis, the global demand for stevia-based sweeteners is consistently rising as consumers seek healthier alternatives to sugar. This trend has led many to question, 'Is SugarFree Green healthy?' which prompts a closer look at its composition and overall health impact beyond its zero-calorie appeal.

A recent study showed that taste perception of non-nutritive sweeteners varies widely among individuals, influenced by genetics and tastebud sensitivity. While both are sweet, the flavor profile of stevia is distinctively different from that of regular table sugar.

Health organizations worldwide have established a very conservative Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for high-purity steviol glycosides, the sweet compounds in stevia, at 4 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day. This level is intentionally set with a significant margin of safety to protect consumers over a lifetime of use.

According to Healthline, pure stevia, derived from the Stevia rebaudiana plant, does not contain sorbitol. However, many commercial stevia products are not pure and are often blended with other sweeteners, such as sugar alcohols like sorbitol, to add bulk and mask aftertastes. This blending is a crucial distinction for consumers seeking to avoid sorbitol.

The acceptable daily intake (ADI) for steviol glycosides, the sweet compounds in stevia, is 4 milligrams (mg) per kilogram of body weight per day. This guideline provides a scientifically determined safety limit for consuming purified stevia products throughout one's lifetime, though exceeding this is difficult due to stevia's intense sweetness.

Stevia has been used as a sweetener for hundreds of years, but the powder you buy in stores is a highly-purified extract from the stevia plant. This leads many to ask: is stevia powder natural?

While many people rely on the zero-calorie promise of refined stevia, the unprocessed 'green' version offers a different nutritional profile derived from the whole plant. But does green stevia have calories in a meaningful amount, or is it truly the calorie-free alternative it's marketed to be?