Stevia: sweet relief from high blood pressure with no side effects!
Hypertension is no joking matter. It can kill you. If you're taking antihypertension drugs, you'll be interested in the blood pressure lowering effects of stevia, a natural sweetener.
Brazilian sweetener has been used for 1,500 years
Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a plant grown in Brazil, where it's been used for 15 centuries as a sweetening agent. In recent years, scientists have been able to extract the essence of stevia's sweetening abilities. This essence is known as stevioside. Because compounds made of the leaves of the stevia plant also have a bitter aftertaste, the sweetener hasn't enjoyed widespread use. However, the extract - stevioside - has a much more pleasant flavor and is now giving the sweetener worldwide acceptance.
Lower blood pressure without any side effects!
Prescription drugs for high blood pressure have many side effects. Here's a short list of what you can expect: gout, higher blood sugar, insomnia, depression, impotence, skin rash, loss of taste, kidney damage, constipation, swollen ankles, dizziness, heart palpitations, drowsiness and excessive hair growth. Stevia has NONE of these side effects. The only thing you'll get with stevia is lower blood pressure! Don't take my word for it. Researchers have tested stevia extensively and proven stevia's efficacy and safety.
Taiwanese doctors at the Taipei Medical University Wan Fang Hospital conducted a clinical trial involving 87 men and 87 women who took 500mg of stevia powder or a placebo three times a day for two years. Systolic blood pressure dropped from 150 to 140, while diastolic blood pressure dropped from 95 to 89. According to the patients' own weekly records, their quality of life measurements "were significantly improved overall with stevioside compared with placebo." Lower blood pressure, PLUS your life is better. And, there were no side effects with stevia use! Can you say the same about your blood pressure medicine?
Stevia helps diabetics lower their blood sugar
An interesting side effect of stevia is that it also helps lower blood sugar. If you look at the list of drug side effects I listed a couple paragraphs above, you'll see that higher blood sugar is a known side effect of prescription medication. If you're also diabetic, then antihypertension drugs could make your blood sugar reach a life-threatening level. If you're not a diabetic, antihypertension meds could still cause blood sugar irregularities. Stevia naturally lowers blood sugar while lowering your blood pressure!
Danish researchers at the Aarhus University Hospital conducted a lab test on mouse islet cells and found that stevia stimulates these pancreatic cells to secrete insulin. Stevia works WITH your pancreas to make sure there is adequate insulin!
Not all stevia is made alike
If you've tried stevia before and disliked it, you've probably tried an unrefined product. I use a highly refined extract called stevioside that sweetens without the bad taste. If you use too much, however, you will get a funny licorice aftertaste.
Over the years, I've tried several brands but finally settled on stevioside sold by Emperor's Herbologist. It has no additives. Some stevia products have other ingredients because their stevias are not pure and won't sell unless they mix them with something else. I've been buying Emperor's Herbologist stevioside for a long time and have never been disappointed with their quality or ervice. They're friendly people, and I've met the owners at commercial shows. Nice people selling a great product! I buy a kilogram of stevia every few years, and I make sure I never run out. Click on the link below to lay in a supply for your family. Stevioside is available in individual packets or bulk sizes.
High-quality stevia
There are some great cookbooks with gobs of mouthwatering recipes using stevia, such as The Stevia Cookbook, Sensational Stevia Desserts and Sugar-Free Cooking with Stevia. Click on the Amazon links below to learn more about these books.
Additional resources:
Clin Ther. 2003 Nov;25(11):2797-80
Metabolism. 2000 Feb;49(2):208-14
* * * * * * * *
I am not a doctor and have no medical training.
The information in this blog is not intended
to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Statements made on this blog
have not been evaluated by the FDA.
Consult a healthcare professional before using any products,
treatments or exercises mentioned on this blog.
"Let food be thy medicine and
medicine be thy food" - Hippocrates
Brazilian sweetener has been used for 1,500 years
Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a plant grown in Brazil, where it's been used for 15 centuries as a sweetening agent. In recent years, scientists have been able to extract the essence of stevia's sweetening abilities. This essence is known as stevioside. Because compounds made of the leaves of the stevia plant also have a bitter aftertaste, the sweetener hasn't enjoyed widespread use. However, the extract - stevioside - has a much more pleasant flavor and is now giving the sweetener worldwide acceptance.
Lower blood pressure without any side effects!
Prescription drugs for high blood pressure have many side effects. Here's a short list of what you can expect: gout, higher blood sugar, insomnia, depression, impotence, skin rash, loss of taste, kidney damage, constipation, swollen ankles, dizziness, heart palpitations, drowsiness and excessive hair growth. Stevia has NONE of these side effects. The only thing you'll get with stevia is lower blood pressure! Don't take my word for it. Researchers have tested stevia extensively and proven stevia's efficacy and safety.
Taiwanese doctors at the Taipei Medical University Wan Fang Hospital conducted a clinical trial involving 87 men and 87 women who took 500mg of stevia powder or a placebo three times a day for two years. Systolic blood pressure dropped from 150 to 140, while diastolic blood pressure dropped from 95 to 89. According to the patients' own weekly records, their quality of life measurements "were significantly improved overall with stevioside compared with placebo." Lower blood pressure, PLUS your life is better. And, there were no side effects with stevia use! Can you say the same about your blood pressure medicine?
Stevia helps diabetics lower their blood sugar
An interesting side effect of stevia is that it also helps lower blood sugar. If you look at the list of drug side effects I listed a couple paragraphs above, you'll see that higher blood sugar is a known side effect of prescription medication. If you're also diabetic, then antihypertension drugs could make your blood sugar reach a life-threatening level. If you're not a diabetic, antihypertension meds could still cause blood sugar irregularities. Stevia naturally lowers blood sugar while lowering your blood pressure!
Danish researchers at the Aarhus University Hospital conducted a lab test on mouse islet cells and found that stevia stimulates these pancreatic cells to secrete insulin. Stevia works WITH your pancreas to make sure there is adequate insulin!
Not all stevia is made alike
If you've tried stevia before and disliked it, you've probably tried an unrefined product. I use a highly refined extract called stevioside that sweetens without the bad taste. If you use too much, however, you will get a funny licorice aftertaste.
Over the years, I've tried several brands but finally settled on stevioside sold by Emperor's Herbologist. It has no additives. Some stevia products have other ingredients because their stevias are not pure and won't sell unless they mix them with something else. I've been buying Emperor's Herbologist stevioside for a long time and have never been disappointed with their quality or ervice. They're friendly people, and I've met the owners at commercial shows. Nice people selling a great product! I buy a kilogram of stevia every few years, and I make sure I never run out. Click on the link below to lay in a supply for your family. Stevioside is available in individual packets or bulk sizes.
High-quality stevia
There are some great cookbooks with gobs of mouthwatering recipes using stevia, such as The Stevia Cookbook, Sensational Stevia Desserts and Sugar-Free Cooking with Stevia. Click on the Amazon links below to learn more about these books.
Additional resources:
Clin Ther. 2003 Nov;25(11):2797-80
Metabolism. 2000 Feb;49(2):208-14
I am not a doctor and have no medical training.
The information in this blog is not intended
to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Statements made on this blog
have not been evaluated by the FDA.
Consult a healthcare professional before using any products,
treatments or exercises mentioned on this blog.
medicine be thy food" - Hippocrates
posted by Edith Gaylord | 7:05 AM
4 Comments:
Have you got any tips to get rid of acne/better skin?
http://touchwolf-org-uk.blogspot.com
I would suggest reading The pH Miracle/Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health by Dr. Robert O. Young and Shelley Redford Young. I've mention this book in previous blogs. While they don't specifically mention acne in their books, they do talk about the beneficial side effects of an alkalizing diet on skin. Personally, I've noticed several benefits of eating alkaline: zero acne on my chin (I'm 58 and still got occasional acne!), reversal of wrinkles on my face and throat, much softer skin and smaller pores on my face. This all came about by following Dr. Young's diet in the above-mentioned book.
To learn more about stevia, you may want to check out this non-commercial web site, SteviaInfo.com. It's got stevia recipes, news articles, research studies and more.
Excellent resource! Thanks for the link.
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