Details:

Stevia-EX™ Stevia Extract

Stevia-EX™ is a branding Stevia Extract of Botaniex, which is a natural and non-caloric substitute for sugar in beverages and other food items including supplements. It is perceptively up to 300 times sweeter than table sugar (sucrose) at equivalent concentrations and does not noticeably affect blood glucose levels making it a perfect natural sweetener for diabetics or individuals partaking in a carbohydrate restricted diet. Botaniex’s Stevia Extract removes the bitter aftertaste which is common in competitor products. Botaniex offers Stevia Extract in the following specifications.

Stevia

The Stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana) is native to Brazil and Paraguay where it has been grown and cultivated for its sweet leaves for thousands of years. Its leaves are used sweeten teas, foods, and are sometimes eaten fresh as a treat. The active component of Stevia leaves that gives them their distinct sweetness is a family of compounds known as steviol glycosides whose mechanisms of action are well understood.

Benefits and Features

·             Non-caloric; doesn’t add dietary calories when added

·             Heat stable; usable in cold and hot beverages

·             pH stable; can be mixed with other flavouring agents

·             Highly soluble; dissolves completely even when refrigerated

·             Up to 300 times sweeter than sugar (sucrose); more efficient

·             Negligible impact on serum glucose levels; suitable for diabetics

Mechanisms

Steviol glycosides come in many forms, the two main extracts that Botaniex provides are Rebaudioside A and Stevioside, with the former being sweeter perceptively. glycosides contain glucose attached to Steviol through ester and acetal bonds. When consumed, the glucose functional groups bind to taste receptors triggering the sensation of sweetness, Rebaudioside A contains a greater number of attached glucose molecules leading to a sweeter flavour. Rebaudioside is metabolized into stevioside in the digestive tract, which is then further hydrolyzed to form glucose and steviol. Steviol is not further metabolized and is excreted, the remaining glucose is consumed by the bacteria present in the colon and does not enter the blood stream, allowing Stevia Extracts to be non-caloric and suitable for diabetics.

Safety

Stevia Extracts are not mutagenic or harmful at quantities consumed by humans. Review studies conducted in 2010 found no health concerns regarding the use of Stevia and its derivative sweeteners.

Dosage

Both the WHO and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have established an acceptable daily intake of steviol glycosides at four milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day (4mg/kg/day).