Benefits of Stevia

Benefits of Stevia

Health functions of Steviol Glycosides

Steviol glycosides do not participate in physiological and biochemical reactions in the human body, have a certain degree of antibacterial and antiseptic effects, and are safe. A large number of drug experiments have proved that stevioside has no toxic side effects, no carcinogenicity, and is safe to eat. Regular consumption can prevent high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, dental caries, etc. It is an ideal sweetener that can replace sucrose.

1. Prevent diabetes

Steviol glycosides cannot be decomposed and digested by enzymes in the human digestive tract. The ingested steviol glycosides enter the colon through the stomach and small intestine, and are fermented and utilized by intestinal microorganisms to generate short-chain fatty acids. The calorific value of steviol glycosides is indirectly generated from short-chain fatty acids, about 6.3kJ/g. The indigestibility of steviol glycosides will not cause the increase of blood sugar concentration after ingestion, nor will it promote the increase of insulin concentration in the blood, which is suitable for diabetic patients. JeppesenPB et al. used diabetic mice as test materials. The study found that stevioside has a direct insulin secretion-stimulating effect on isolated islets and β-cells, significantly reducing blood sugar levels and inhibiting glucagon secretion. GregersenS et al. administered steviol glycosides to patients with type 2 diabetes, observed the changes in blood sugar, and found that taking steviol glycosides could significantly reduce the increase in blood sugar after lunch, and believed that it could be a beneficial treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes. Steviol glycosides may treat patients with type 2 diabetes by correcting alpha-cell dysfunction.

2. Prevent high blood pressure

LeeCN et al. injected 25mg/Kg steviol glycosides into mice with essential hypertension, and the mice showed a dose-dependent relaxation of vasoconstriction induced by vasopressin induced by steviol glycosides. blood pressure, and it was proved that this effect of stevioside may be related to its inhibitory effect on calcium ion influx. WongKL. Some studies suggest that isosteviol can act on potassium ion channels and have a relaxing effect on the aortic muscle of mice. HsiehMH et al. administered steviol glycosides to adult patients with essential hypertension for 2 years and found that steviol glycosides reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients.

3. Prevent cancer

Coudray C et al. used rainbow trout as experimental materials and found that steviol glycosides have protective effects on epithelial cell shedding and proliferation caused by histamine damage to the gastric mucosa, which may be related to steviol glycosides inhibiting gastric secretion or directly inhibiting the secretion of pepsin. The mixture of steviol glycosides can inhibit the formation of skin cancer in mice caused by dimethylbenzanthracene, which shows that it has the effect of preventing tumorigenesis. The indigestibility and non-fermentation of steviol glycosides can promote the maintenance of normal intestinal ecology, increase the volume of feces, reduce the pH value of feces, and have a good preventive effect on constipation and anal and rectal diseases. In addition, as the stool volume increases, it can dilute the toxic substances in the intestines, thereby preventing the occurrence of cancer diseases.

4. Regulate blood lipids

It has been reported that steviol glycosides can reduce the content of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, and reduce the concentration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the body, without affecting the concentration of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which increases the HDL/LDL ratio. It is speculated that the reason for the decrease in blood cholesterol may be that steviol glycosides effectively increase the elimination of bile acids and inhibit the activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA, thereby reducing the biosynthesis of cholesterol in the liver; Decreases were associated with reduced lipid absorption and fatty acid synthesis.

5. Inhibit pathogenic bacteria

Numerous studies have shown that steviol glycosides can promote the proliferation of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli and inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli. The mechanism of action may be that the acetic acid and lactic acid produced by the fermentation of steviol glycosides reduce the pH value of the intestinal tract and prevent the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria and spoilage bacteria in the intestine. In addition, short-chain fatty acids produced by fermentation also inhibit the production of bacterial toxins.

6. Promote mineral absorption

Many researchers have found that steviol glycosides can promote the absorption of minerals, especially calcium. This is because the fermentability of steviol glycosides reduces the pH value in the intestine, causing calcium and magnesium to become soluble, which are easily absorbed by epithelial cells. Human body absorbs.