Stevia Natural Sweetener to Replace Sugar on the Candida Diet
November 25, 2009 by Dee
Filed under Candida Diet
Has the candida diet left a bad taste in your mouth? Is your life lacking 
sweetness? Then you’ll be overjoyed to discover Stevia, a calorie-free all natural sweetener that takes the place of sugar. Unlike artificial sweeteners, Stevia has no known negative side effects. Finally, you can enjoy sweets again without having to worry about making your candida worse.
What is Stevia?
Stevia is actually an herb and a member of the sunflower family. It’s official title is Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni but it is also known as “sweet leaf” or “sugar leaf “. It is native to South America and Central America and people in Paraguay and Brazil have used the sweetener for centuries. They have even used it for medicinal purposes, brewing teas to soothe heartburn and other digestive problems.
The sweetening agents, steviosides, glycosides and rebaudiosides, are extracted from the leaves, resulting in stevia. Stevia is believed to be 250 to 300 times sweeter than the main sweetening agent in sugar, sucrose. And the best part? Stevia has zero calories. None. Nada. Zip.
Stevia is the number one sugar substitute in Japan and has been in use there for more than 40 years. It is also popular in South Korea, China and throughout South America. North Americans are becoming familiar with this natural sweetener and demand for the product is growing rapidly. Even Coca-Cola and Pepsi have jumped on the Stevia bandwagon.
Stevia and Candida
If you have studied the candida diet, you know that you should avoid sugar altogether. Candida Albicans loves carbohydrates and thrives on sugar, devouring it hungrily in order to fuel the growth of the fungus. Candida sufferers are advised to eat as natural a diet as possible, so artificial sweeteners are not a good alternative. Stevia, on the other hand, is completely natural. It does not feed the candida. In fact, there is a growing belief that Stevia may actually kill yeasts.
This is great news for candida sufferers. Now you can indulge your sweet tooth while sticking to your diet.
Stevia Sweetener Has Other Health Benefits
Stevia has been found to be an excellent choice for diabetics. In fact, it seems that some of the glycosides in stevia are capable of lowering blood sugar, helping to maintain it at healthier levels. It encourages the release of insulin and is used in Latin America as an affordable treatment for hyperglycemia.
There are also good reports about stevia and its effects on elevated blood pressure. Tests have shown consumption of stevia resulted in a significant improvement in blood pressure readings when taken regularly by people with hypertension.
Of course, Stevia is also a boon for the treatment of obesity.
How to Use Stevia
Stevia can be used in any number of ways. There are a multitude of recipes and cookbooks available. It’s great for sweetening smoothies, can be used in baking (remember to use gluten-free products in your baking), and you can even make jams and jellies with it. Stevia can leave a licorice-type aftertaste, so until you get used to using it, it is best to follow recipes as they are written.
Stevia comes in both a liquid and powder form. You can find it in natural food stores, from many online retailers, or you can even grow your own. The leaves are a great way to sweeten a cup of tea. When you purchase Stevia, make sure you are getting a pure form with no added carbohydrates.
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I use SweetLeaf stevia, which to my knowledge, is the most pure stevia product on the market. It has 0 calories, 0 carbs, and a 0 glycemic index!
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