Stevia adds the right amount of sweetness without the calories, says Prathamesh Krishang
Sugar has been the most prominent ingredient in every Indian’s daily diet. Its consumption starts right from the beginning of the day as tea, coffee or any other form and continues till the very end of the day. Every Indian meal includes one or more sweet dishes, making sugar a staple food item in every household. However, this has led to increased health concerns and issues. Hence, health-conscious people opt to reduce their sugar intake, as a first step, with the aim to inculcate a healthy lifestyle. People want to reduce it slowly or step by step to reach the goal of ‘zero sugar’.
They face a lot of difficulty in curbing sugar craving because, even if it’s a very small amount, its consumption is consistent. This is one hurdle that marks every New Year’s resolution and health goal i e they are unable to find the right source to supplement their energy and sweetness needs. This leads to consistent consumption of sugar through other sources such as jaggery or honey. Although raw and refined jaggery has digestive benefits, it is not one of the best substitutes for sugar, in terms of calorie density or its glycemic index.
Among the natural sources to supplement the sweet factor, which could create a balance between sweetness and health, is the lesser-known natural alternative called stevia. It has not been known for long in India as a natural source of sweetness. This lack of awareness has kept people away from using it in their diets.
However, stevia has been in use for 1,500 years by South American communities. However, the Government of India had initially miscategorised it as artificial sugar. This contributed to the confusion and underestimated the usage and importance of stevia in Indian households and, as a result, the usage of sugar, jaggery, honey and even brown sugar. remained high in Indian households.
Stevia is the most practical and natural source of sweetness. It is about 150-300 per cent sweeter than conventional sugar and other sources. Additionally, its sweetness contributes to zero-calorie intake making it one of the healthiest alternatives to sugar and promoter of a sugar-free lifestyle.
WHY STEVIA?
The highest quality of stevia is found in the Himalayan ranges. It contains steviol glycosides, a chemical compound responsible for sweetness in the stevia leaves. The high and addictive intake of sugar is generally due to neurological reactions. The mesolimbic dopamine system/the reward system of the brain propels individuals to consume more sugar. Stevia eliminates the addictiveness and side effects of sugar while providing health benefits for Indians in the best way possible.
As the awareness and information regarding stevia is spread, it is being adopted in the Indian market as health and fitness enthusiasts are turning to it to fulfill their sweet needs. Moreover, it’s not just the individuals, but also the industrial players — like Amul, Mother Dairy, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola — among others who are turning to stevia as a zero-calorie sugar alternative for their products. All this has contributed efficiently to making communities consider stevia as a substitute for sugar intake.
In recent times the Indian market has experienced a surge in stevia products. The early issues of inaccessibility of stevia too have been resolved leading to its increased consumption. One of the most apparent and major issues with the less consumption of stevia till now has been its adaptation in the market. Manufacturers were unable to create ready to use, natural and acceptable forms. As consumers are used to crystallised and/or powdered forms of sugar, hence the concept of stevia leaves (available largely in form of drops) as a sweetener was not adopted by the masses.
Nowadays, variants of stevia such as powder and drops in place of powdered sugar can be used in halwa, kheer and other milk-based desserts, common food items in any Indian household. For snacks, there are many alternatives sweetened with stevia and 100 per cent natural.
Stevia with zero glycemic indexes and zero calories is considered safe for diabetic patients. This property contributes to a reduction in many sugar-related health issues among people.
AS a result, its market size has expanded exponentially in recent years and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 8.95 per cent between 2021-2028 while claiming a $1.1 billion market capacity by 2028.
In recent times stevia has been considered for the F&B industry and the Indian Government has also taken steps to promote stevia farming. However, its usage has not been limited to just these domains. It has been expanding in various countries with 40 per cent of the Japanese sweetener market constituting stevia and the increase in its usage in the USA.
Hence, stevia is more than sugar. It is sweeter, it is healthy and eliminates the toxic side effects of sugar without compromising on taste. It promotes India’s sweetness culture and good health by reducing sugar-related health issues. That’s why stevia has come to be known as the king of all sweeteners.
(The author is the co- founder, Magicleaf.)
