Stevioside(ST) is the active ingredient in Stevia Extract Powder. The sweetness of stevioside is much higher than sucrose. The calories are much lower than that of sucrose. It has been widely used as a sugar substitute for food, beverages, and medicines in many countries.
Is stevioside a natural sweetener?
The answer is definitely, yes. Stevia is the third natural sugar source after sucrose and beet sugar. Stevioside is a good source of vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, fatty acids, and other health-promoting biological activities.
It is the main strong sweet component of stevia and is a diterpene glycoside. There is a glucosyl group at the C-4 position of stevioside, and a disaccharide group at the C-13 position. Stevioside is white in appearance, about 300 times sweeter than sucrose, and tastes similar to sucrose. But its aftertaste lasts longer than sucrose. The calories are only one-third of sucrose.
Stevioside is non-fermentable and non-coloring, does not cause Maillard reaction, and does not affect the viscosity and coagulation of food. It is a very stable molecule in aqueous solution over a wide temperature and pH range. The high thermal stability of ST has facilitated the global commercialization of stevioside.
Stevia Stevioside Benefits
Stevioside is non-teratogenic, carcinogenic, mutagenic and harmless to the human body, and has excellent biological activities such as anti-diabetic, anti-oxidative, anti-hypertensive, anti-caries, anti-obesity, anti-virus and anti-tumor.
1. Control blood sugar levels
Stevioside is likely to be seen as a promising new therapy for diabetes that could reduce complications associated with this pathology. ST helps control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
2. Antibacterial
Stevia extracts (in water, ethanol or alcohol) showed potential antimicrobial activity against pathogens compared to a commercial antibiotic (chloramphenicol). Its antibacterial and antioxidant properties can act as a preservative in salmon sauce and other seafood products.
3. Antioxidant
Additionally, stevioside was found to have antioxidant properties due to high concentrations of bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds, tannic acid, flavonoids, and vitamin C, among others. Therefore, ST has great potential as a source of natural antioxidants in the cosmetic and food industries.
4. Prevent dental caries
Stevioside protects against dental caries-induced microbial contamination (including Streptococcus mutans, Curvus sp., Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis). Compared with sugar-based snacks, short-term consumption of stevioside-containing snacks reduced plaque acidity and cariogenic flora. It reduces the likelihood of new caries developing in the future. This prevention strategy helps combat this common childhood disease.
Summary
Stevia is the main component of Stevia Extract Powder, a natural biomass with high sweetness and rich nutrition. In addition to its use in the food and pharmaceutical industries, stevioside prevents diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cancer, dental caries, oxidative stress and acts as an antibacterial drug.