HYDERABAD: Sweet is something that most of us cannot resist, be it in the form of chocolate, dessert or cake. Sometimes even when it gets unhealthy to have sugar in our daily diet, we continue to have it, at the risk of getting sick. But what if we have a substitute for it?
The stevia leaf, which is considered sweeter, has been trending as a health option among influencers and food bloggers these days. We got in touch with some people who have been producing stevia sugar and nutritionist to learn about its benefits.
G Naga Jyothi, the founder of Plantae, has been making sugar out of stevia. An agricultural entrepreneur, her love for plants helped her come up with the substitute, which has named.
“Many of us are prone to diabetes, obesity and other sugar-related complications. So, I thought this product would help people become healthy. Now all the more, with the pandemic, people are starting to go for healthier options,” she says.
Archana Das, a food blogger who is known for sharing recipes during the lockdown on Instagram (Handful_of _Aroma), has been using stevia in her cooking.
“The food tastes great. In fact, a lot of people have been using it as a substitute for sugar. It is a boon for diabetics.”
Preeti Sharon, also a food blogger, shares how stevia products have helped her shed weight. The trend to stay fit and in shape has made this BTech student replace sugar with a substitute.
“I always wanted to lose weight and had to give up sugar. I have been using stevia regularly in my coffee and even made halwa with it. It tastes just like sugar. There cannot be a better alternative than this,” she says.
Meanwhile, nutritionists have some tips on maintaining sugar levels especially at a time when your immunity is the priority. Sandhya, know for her website Wellness with Sandhya’s, has been suggesting diets that people should follow and using sugar substitutes.
“Sugar suppresses the immune system. But there are different forms of sugar, not just what you add to your tea, coffee and cookies. We get sugar from refined carbohydrates, which is rice and flour, and it is unhealthy,” she says.
One has to look into the basic reasons as to why they are obese or why they suffer from a certain illness.
“They should focus on eating the right thing instead of a sugar-free alternative. Stevia is a natural sweeter but it may not suit everyone’s tastebuds as it is a bit bitter too. It is only for those diabetics, who hate their tea or coffee without sugar,” she says.