Stevia is the fashionable plant. Since this natural sweetener has arrived in Europe, and more and more products are incorporating Stevia as a sweetener, extracted from the plant. Its consumption does not affect the glycemic index or hypertension. It has no calories, saturated fats, sugars, or carbohydrates. It does not produce cholesterol, nor does it ferment or react with other food components.
But in addition to its extract, Stevia, this sweet leafy plant, is diuretic and digestive. Effects are attributed Antioxidants y anti-inflammatory and cardiotonic and bactericidal properties. With all these qualities, it deserves a special place in the list of medicinal plants that can be grown at home.
Stevia includes about 200 recognized species, but it is the «Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni»The one that has been cultivated for centuries in South America and the one already used as a sweetener by the native Guarani in Paraguay. Its leaves are 30 times sweeter than common sugar and its dry extract, 200 to 300 times sweeter.
Su discovery It is attributed to the Spanish botanist and physician Pedro Jaime Esteve (1500-1556), who discovered it in the northeast of the territory that is now Paraguay. He gave it its name Stevia. The Swiss naturalist Moisés Bertoni was the first to describe the species scientifically in Alto Paraná and added his surname to its scientific name.
In 2011, the European Union approved its use as a sweetener and food additive. It also has the positive scientific opinion of the EFSA, the highest European authority on Food Safety.
And this wonderful plant, we can grow it at home. It reproduces by cuttings, so if we don't have a nearby plant that can provide us with a shoot (for cuttings, always use non-flowering ones), we can acquire an already grown plant to reproduce later. If you'd like to learn more about how to grow this plant, you can visit our guide on How to grow stevia at home.
Requires location In sunny areas, it must be taken into account that it is a tropical plant, it likes heat and humidity.
Regarding irrigationDuring the heat of summer, it's necessary to water every day, but in spring and fall, we should water when, when we touch the soil with our hand, it feels dry. During winter, when the plant stops growing, we should water very little, practically not at all, to prevent the roots from rotting, which should sprout again in spring.
learn more about Stevia It can be very useful for those interested in growing stevia at home.
Very interesting . I had never read it. We will have to acquire a stevia plant
Isn't it a real discovery? Thanks for following us, Anamaper. A hug!