Stevia rebaudiana
Stevia rebaudiana is a plant species in the genus Stevia of the family Asteraceae, native to Brazil and Paraguay. The plant is widely grown for its sweet leaves, which are used as a sweetener and sugar substitute.
Description[edit | edit source]
Stevia rebaudiana is a perennial herb that grows up to 1 meter tall. The leaves are oppositely arranged, lanceolate, 2-3 cm long, and have a sweet taste. The flowers are white, tubular, and arranged in loose clusters. The fruit is a small achene.
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Stevia rebaudiana is cultivated in many countries, especially in East Asia, for its sweet leaves. The plant prefers a warm, humid climate, well-drained soil, and full sun. It is propagated by seeds, cuttings, or division.
Uses[edit | edit source]
The leaves of Stevia rebaudiana are used as a sweetener and sugar substitute. They contain steviol glycosides, especially stevioside and rebaudioside, which are 200-300 times sweeter than sugar but have no calories. The leaves are used fresh or dried, and are also processed into a white powder or a liquid extract.
Health effects[edit | edit source]
The steviol glycosides in Stevia rebaudiana have been studied for their potential health benefits. They have been found to have anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diarrheal, diuretic, and immunomodulatory effects. However, more research is needed to confirm these effects and to understand their mechanisms of action.
Regulatory status[edit | edit source]
The use of Stevia rebaudiana as a sweetener is regulated in many countries. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of rebaudioside A, one of the steviol glycosides, as a food additive, but not stevioside or the whole leaf. In the European Union, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has approved the use of steviol glycosides as a food additive, but not the whole leaf.
See also[edit | edit source]
Translate: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
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Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD