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Is stevia the healthy alternative to sugar?




Greensweet-stevia sweetener can now be found in many health and organic stores, gyms, dieticians, nutrition coaches and web stores. This is because stevia contains no calories, no carbohydrates and no glycemic index. In addition, our products do not contain any chemicals, alcohols, solvents or enzymes at any stage of extraction and purification.

Greensweet-stevia sweetener is ideal for everyone, including people looking after their weight, people with diabetes and anyone who wants to use a natural sweetener.

Studies have also shown that Stevia usually lowers elevated blood pressure, but it does not affect normal blood pressure. It also inhibits the growth and multiplication of certain bacteria and other infectious organisms, including bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease. Stevia is an exceptional tool for weight loss and weight management as it contains no calories and reduces the need for sweets and fatty foods.

Researchers from KU Leuven have discovered that stevia stimulates a protein that is essential for our taste perception and for the delivery of insulin after meals. These results, based on fundamental research, offer perspectives for new treatments for diabetes.

Stevia is very popular as a low-calorie sugar substitute. In addition, the sweetener would have a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels, although no one has yet known exactly why. Koenraad Philippaert and Rudi Vennekens of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the KU Leuven have now changed this. They did this in collaboration with colleagues from Leuven and colleagues from Université catholique de Louvain and University of Oxford.

Basic research

"Our experiments have shown that the active components of stevia extract enhance the functioning of the TRPM5 ion channel," explains Dr. Philippaert. “An ion channel is a protein that serves as a kind of microscopic lock through which tiny particles flow in and out of the cell. These channels are at the basis of many processes in the body. "

Ion channel TRPM5

"TRPM5 is first and foremost essential for the taste perception of sweet, bitter and umami on the tongue," continues Philippaert. “This taste sensation is further enhanced by the stevia component steviol, which stimulates TRPM5. That explains the hugely sweet taste of stevia and also the bitter aftertaste that lingers in the mouth for a while. ”

Effect on pancreas

In addition, TRPM5 also ensures that the pancreas secretes enough insulin, for example after a meal. This prevents abnormally high blood levels and the development of type 2 diabetes. This condition can occur if the pancreas releases too little insulin, often under the influence of an unhealthy lifestyle.

Protection against diabetes 2

"Mice that eat a lot of fat for a long time eventually develop diabetes," explains Vennekens. “But that is not the case for mice that also receive a daily dose of stevia components: they are protected against diabetes. This beneficial effect did not occur in mice without TRPM5. That indicates that the protection against abnormally high blood levels and diabetes is due to the stimulation of TRPM5 with stevia components. "

Product development perspectives

The study opens perspectives for the development of new treatments to control and possibly prevent diabetes. "But we cannot go too fast", Philippaert warns, "This is fundamental research and we still have a long way to go before there can be new diabetes treatments. For example, the doses of stevioside that the mice received were a lot higher than the amounts in soft drinks and other food items. Further research must show whether our findings also apply to people. So new medicines are definitely not for tomorrow. "

Scientific publication

The study was published in Nature Communications.


Pay attention

Many suppliers add Isomalt (= artificial sweetener!) Or Maltodextrin to their Stevia products. These are artificial sweeteners that ensure that your stevia product contains carbohydrates (and therefore also calories!). Greensweet Stevia's products are pure nature. Only pure Stevia with a high percentage of stevioglycosides (98%) without the addition of artificial sweeteners.