Sweet herb (Stevia rebaudiana), also sweet sheet or honey herb mentioned, is one since centuries well-known plant, which one can call a natural Originally coming made of South America, their contents materials are used now particularly in Asia as sugar replacement, used intensively frequently for this also the designation Steviosid. In parts of Europe and in the USA they are forbidden as food additive.

It is krautige plant type of several years and a wind-dusted from that of the basket bloom plants (Asteraceae), it like a one year's plant is mostly cultivated. It grows up to a meter high and has 2 to 3 cm long sheets. One finds natural occurrences in the high country of the border area between Brazil and Paraguay, e.g. in the Departamento Amambay.

History

Traditional use as

Stevia is cultivated at present in many parts of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, in central America, Israel, Thailand and the People's Republic of China. For centuries Stevia is already used of the indigenen population of Brazil and Paraguay as The Indians call it ka'a and use it, around their Mate dte to sweet. Likewise it is used for the sweet one other tea and food.

The Europeans became acquainted with Stevia in the sechzehnten century, when the Spanish Konquistadoren reported on it that the South American natives used the sheets of a plant, around herb dte to sweet. Since then Stevia became ever more well-known in Europe and Asia. In the United States herb experts used the sheet against diabetes, high blood pressure, infections and as In Brazil and since 1970 also in Japan, Stevia is certified as food additive and sugar replacement.

Contents materials

Scientifically the plant was examined for the first time around 1888 by the Botaniker Santiago Bertoni emigrated from the Tessin to Paraguay, which wrote also the first articles over Stevia. Larger interest in the plant began around the following turn of the century, when researchers in Brazil heard of it that there is a plant, from which a sheet is enough, around a fully with bitter Mate dte to sweet.

In the first half 20. Century the plant was examined in detail. One determined in the sheets of the Stevia over 100 Phyto chemicals. These belong particularly to the groups of the Terpene and Flavonoide. The components, which for the sweet one the Stevia is responsible, were documented 1931. It concerns eight unknown Phyto chemicals, which one called Glykoside. One estimates one of it, which got the name Steviosid, after tests as approximately 30mal as sweetly as sugars. The Steviosid has the largest portion of the Stevia sheet with 6-18%.

Steviosid is regarded as 300mal more sweetly than Saccharose with a Saccharose concentration of 0,4%, 150mal more sweetly with a concentration of 4%, and 100mal more sweetly with 10%-igen-Saccharosekonzentration. Other sweet components have the name Steviolbiosid, Rebaudiosid A, C, D, E and F as well as Dulcosid A.

Medical effect

From the it is well-known that they use Stevia also as medicine. Among other things Stevia is to be worked heart-strengthening, as well as be used against predominance, blood high pressure, Sodbrennen and for the decrease of the urine acid mirror.

In the Brazilian herb medicine and in the traditional Paraguayan medicine Stevia is also used except as because one assumes a hypotonische, diuretische, heart-strengthening, and generally strengthening effect. Therefore the sheets of the Stevia there assigned with diabetes, predominance, Karies, blood high pressure, tiredness, depressions, sweet hunger and infections.

Risks

The large interest in Stevia as calorie-free, natural led to many further investigations of also toxicological kind.

Results over possible dangers

With the published studies no poison effect showed up with rabbits, guinea pigs and poultry; the Stevioside was invariably separated. With rats by gift of a superelevated quantity of Steviosid an impairment of the fertility was determined. In order to cause this disturbance also with an adult humans, this daily more than half of its own body weight would have to itself to take. In these quantities also the normal sugar, would be the Saccharose, dangerous.

With the actual no mutagene or genotoxische effect could be proven to the Steviosid. The sheets are not poisonous also. The dismantling product Steviol is fruit-damaging in hamsters and mutagen in vitro. This dismantling product develops in the intestine and is fast absorbed, contrary to Steviosid. Being based on it it is justified to fear, the Steviol also in humans is absorbed and damaging works.

With most studies no effects showed up on the procreativeness with men or women. In a study however aqueous Stevia excerpts caused a lower Testosteron mirror and a smaller number of seeds with male rats.

possible side effects

No side effects were observed, however it is conceivable that it can have an effect with to high dosages on the effect of blood pressure lowering, blood sugar lowering and urine driving medicines. Due to its effect endangered person's groups should make certain that the blood pressure, which does not become blood sugar mirrors and the pulse with excessive Stevia use too low.

Studies of positive characteristics

As positive characteristics Brazilian scientists 1991 could prove the blood pressure-lowering effect of the Stevioside with rats. 2000 were determined in a placebo-controlled double-blind study with 106 Chinese men and women, who suffered from blood high pressure, likewise a blood pressure-lowering effect. 60 persons had to take three times daily caps with Steviosiden, while got the other magnesium. The test ran over a whole year and it took place monthly controls. The group, which got Stevioside, showed a substantial improvement of the systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which stopped the whole year over after three months.

Similarly positive results supplied studies of other scientists concerning the effect than to blood-sugar-lower active substance, whereby however the main sweet material Steviosid did not show this effect, but only the escort substances. With rats the sheet excerpt showed altogether positive effect to the cardiovascular system and also to the kidney activity.

Further an antibiotic, antibacterial and antimicrobial effect could be proven. Thus an aqueous reduced excerpt Karies, as the bacterium was suppressed "„Streptococcus courage to "“.

In the United States 1993 a patent were submitted, which stated that a vergorener Stevia excerpt has a vasodilatierende, thus container-extending effect and against different skin diseases (acne, heat excursion, Pruritis) is effective.

Use

In South America frequently the sheets are used directly. Thus one takes dte for a cup to two fresh or dried sheets to the sweet one. One can use naturally also the pulverized sheets, whereby one takes then 1/4

Further there are different kinds of excerpts: Extracted powder, tablets, caps, aqueous or alcoholic solutions.

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