POWERFUL HEALTH SECRETS/HOW STEVIA HEALS DIABETES

I was researching the natural sweetener stevia last week  and made a surprising discovery: It has an under-publicized healing effect on Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.
In one study, researchers induced diabetes in laboratory rats by giving them alloxan, a chemical that damages the cells in the pancreas responsible for producing insulin. (This is the same alloxan found in white bread by the way.) In the study, researchers discovered that giving stevia to the diabetic rats counteracted the damage done to the pancreas.
Granted, this was an animal study. But many scientific studies begin with rats because their physiology is remarkably similar to that of humans.
Pennington Biomedical Research Center showed that people who consumed stevia with their meal had lower insulin and glucose levels compared to people who consumed the very same meal with Splenda or aspartame.
Stevia is a centuries-old folk remedy for diabetes
In case you don’t know about it, stevia is a super-sweet plant from South America, where it has been used as a sweetener for more than 1,500 years.
A member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae), the species known as stevia rebaudiana (commonly called sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or stevia) is 45 times as sweet as table sugar (sucrose) in the natural plant form.
But when its steviol glycosides are extracted, the resulting product is an incredible 300 times sweeter than pure cane sugar.
Not only have the early cultures of Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia used stevia to sweeten their food and beverages, but it’s also in their “medicine cabinet.” They’ve used stevia medicinally for centuries to regulate blood sugar (they also appreciate its anti-hypertension, anti-hypoglycemic, and many other healing properties).




Modern research confirms stevia’s health benefits
Indeed, stevia is an ideal sweetener for people who want to control their weight and/or blood sugar. And here’s why...
While it is super-sweet, stevia contains zero calories, making it ideal for weight loss. (By comparison, a teaspoon of table sugar contains 16 calories.)
In addition, stevia has no negative effect on blood glucose -- nor does it trigger the body’s insulin response. In fact, some preliminary studies are giving scientists reason to believe that stevia may even play a key part in stabilizing blood sugar levels in diabetics.
Another explanation offered for stevia’s beneficial effect on diabetes and blood sugar problems is that it allows the pancreas to rest and repair itself because it doesn’t stimulate the insulin response.






Stevia: The safe, smart sweetener
The same can’t be said for artificial sweeteners such as NutraSweet, Splenda, and Sweet-n-Low, which contain aspartame.
Stevia is very different from these so-called "diabetes safe" chemical products.
First of all, stevia is completely natural and safe. Aspartame, on the other hand, produces a number of adverse side effects and is linked to brain disorders, MS, Parkinson’s, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.
In his excellent book, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, Dr. Russell Blaylock describes numerous research studies that show a direct link with aspartame and the destruction of brain cells connected to these  disorders.
Aspartame is also responsible for 75% of all adverse reactions reported to the FDA, including seizures and death, making it the most dangerous additive in our foods and beverages. People relying on these diet foods and beverages to help them lose weight and/or manage their blood sugar are making a big mistake
Last year, our Test Kitchen put every single stevia-based sweetener to a stringent taste test -- and not one of them passed.
Every product and brand produced this aftertaste to one degree or another.
It’s a shame, because everything else about stevia makes it a “dream sweetener” -- and perfect for weight loss ... blood sugar control ... and, quite possibly, helping to reverse Type 2 and prediabetes.
Some people I’ve spoken to don’t mind stevia’s aftertaste. One man told me: “It’s a small price to pay for being able to eat sweets again without blowing my diet or spiking my blood sugar.”
Still, with so much going for it, you’d think someone would be able get rid of stevia’s bitter aftertaste. That would take it from “almost perfect” to “absolutely perfect” in my book.
Who knows, maybe someday someone will.



Do you use stevia -- or have you tried it?
Have you tried stevia? How do you currently use it? Do you like its flavor?
Do you have a favorite food or beverage recipe using stevia that you and your family really enjoy? Would you like to more?Check this out!