Has anyone tried it, does it work????
I have heard it is a plant that is a natural sweetner and you drop a leaf into your tea or coffee for calorie free sweetner that has no chemicals in. They also say you can use it in cooking, i am intrigued and would love to hear from anyone who has used it :)
Yes i had a plant last year, i grew it from seed from i think nicky's nursery. I really is sweet, too sweet for a whole leaf in your tea.
It works although I found it hard to grow. There are side effects though, involving things that you expect to be gas being more solid.
Quote from: djbrenton on February 01, 2011, 16:16:09
It works although I found it hard to grow. There are side effects though, involving things that you expect to be gas being more solid.
:o :o ;D ;D
Thank you, that is definitely something to consider, starting to sort of go off the idea a bit now ;D ;D
I have been interested in trying this but a few year's back was put off by some reported health scares. It's had a bit of a controversial past I think. In the US it was banned as a food additive. Something to do with inerfering with blood sugar & possible kidney problems.
I've just had a 'google' & it seems to be ok to use now, possibly why more seed/plant sellers are supplying them. I think I'll give it a try now.
I've been growing it several times in past..and used to use it a lot.
Well..it definitely sweeten things. I used to use it by popping leaf into mug with tea bag..and then I used it by 'stewing' handfull at the time in small amount of hot water and added as a consentrated liquid when needed..
Easy to use..but my 'royal' mouth did taste the herb though the food and drinks I added into. Not unpleasant taste..but it didn't 'tickle' my tastebuds...then again I'm bit 'funny' with herb flavours anyway.
As for health scares..controversial yes..but nothing to do with human health..more like sugar industry and artificial sweetener manufactures in America got scared of loosing money. Stevia has been used world wide for years without problems for health...apparently it is been used in Japan to sweeten Coca cola too ::) So, I've read, but as I've never been to witness it myself I don't swear by the statement.
Some research were done with rats and those result are the 'bad'news that are used for scaring people. The amount of consentrated liquid used per rat would have been impossible human hman to use if calculated equal quantity per weight. ::)
I found stevia grows best under glass.
I grow it in the polytunnel, very sweet, sweeter if you dry the leaves. I only had 1 plant but have enough dried to make a cake now, it goes like a grey powder when crushed. As ray is diabetic, I'm growing more this year from cuttings ;D
ohh..and to add to my rattle...in research they found stevia had most effect on male rats and fertility. In South-America stevia has been used to as a helping 'agent' against pregnancy..not quite birth a proper control measure but as a natural remedy ;) So any males who want to get their girls pregnant..it might me good idea go easy with quantity of consumption ;D ;)
Probably one of those where you have to eat vast quantities (far much more than you normally would) for it to do any harm. Noticed Soft Drinks Firms are beginning to use it. I think they didn't ban it in dietry products.
It certainly doesn't cause the harm of aspartame :o
Part of the row over the stevia was that food agengy in America required such a quantity of research done to 'able' to license it as a sweeterner..but that would cost millions and as it is something the everybody can grow/produce..who would go through the trouble.
...AND...aspartamine and many other sweeteners have not even gone through any tests where their effect human health would have been proven good or bad!
More and more there is evidence coming through now about aspartamine's bad side effects.
Like with many other things...''big boys get a way thing things''
Does any one have seeds or cuttings to sell swap. as a diabetic i feel its worth a go. Just been on fleabay no seeds on there but 119 products so in must be pretty ok.
It is available as crystals, liquis etc in the US and Canada and is widelt advertised on TV on both sides of the border so not banned this side of the pond now.
I have grown it, start it early though as it has a long growing time and don't plant out till warm.
I think seeds are available in the UK, if not let me know. There are several strains of seeds here now .
Original Stevia
Stevia Candy..very robust
Stevia, Crazy Sweet but on this one U can onlt get plants as it is protected.
XX Jeannine
Plants of distinction and Nicky's nursery sell the seeds ;) Seed are straight forward to deal with but will need heat to germinate..
Cuttings are reasonably easy too but the material doesn't stay fresh very long and travel well..very soft stemmed..
You are better off by either seeds or if some generous soul would root some cuttings ready for you and send them with a little rootball.
I used to sell some Stevia through Ebay and getting the plants to buyers unharmed was bit issue.
Here is the pages.. ;)
http://www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk/acatalog/A-Z_of_Vegetables_STEVIA.html (http://www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk/acatalog/A-Z_of_Vegetables_STEVIA.html)
http://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/garden-shop/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=stevia§ion=Home&cPath= (http://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/garden-shop/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=stevia§ion=Home&cPath=)
I haven't seen the plants here, or seeds, but I did buy a small pot in powder form from a health food shop.
I used it the other night to sweeten frozen Worcesterberries for OH's pud. It took only half a teaspoonful where I would have used at least 4 ounces of sugar so has to be good news for diabetics and dieters.
Thanks for all the info.
Suttons seeds are showing it on there site buy so & so and get a free mug
Was beaten to saying that Suttons are selling it this year.
Free mug too.
Alison
Poyntzfield Herbs sell plants, as do Jekka's Herbs
http://www.poyntzfieldherbs.co.uk/catalogue1.asp
Thanks for all the help and advice guys, it definitely gives me something to think about
;D ;D ;D