Stevia.ws, the Stevia website, is an interactive community on Stevia with recipes, baking tips, information about steviosides and REB-A, all about the sweet herb.

The applications of Stevia are endless. There are numerous benefits that it offers in food products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and medicines. The only thing that holds Stevia back is its limited legalities. Many countries have not yet approved Stevia or have only approved it as a dietary supplement. Yet the benefits far outweigh the negatives.

Stevia Benefits in Food:

• Enhances flavor
• Enhances taste
• Intensifies sugar’s sweetness by taking out a percentage of sugar through the addition of Stevia allowing you to use less sugar.
• It is heat stable at high temperatures making it a good cooking product.
• It has a naturally occurring anti-bacterial effect, which also gives it increased shelf life.
• Enhances beer foam production.
• Costs are reduced when you use the right Stevia product

Stevia in Cosmetics- The Benefits:

• Aids in the treatment of skin disorders
• Has antioxidant properties
• Helps to smooth out wrinkles
• Helps to heal skin blemishes and acne
• Helps to tighten the skin like a facial mask
• The hydrating effect of Stevia is proven 3 times better than glycerin
• Enhances fragrances
• The anti-bacterial effect of the product gives it increased shelf life
• Beneficial for both the hair and scalp

An extract taken from whole leaf Stevia is useful as a facial mask. Simply smooth the dark liquid over your entire face and allow it to dry for 30-60 minutes. Rinse and moisturize your skin. It helps in tightening the skin, smoothing wrinkles and helping to heal skin blemishes and acne. Stevia has also been proven effective for seborrhea, dermatitis and eczema

Adding Stevia concentrate to shampoo has been proven helpful. Another tip for great looking hair is to also apply the concentrate to your hair after shampooing. Let it sit on the hair for a few minutes before rinsing.

Stevia Use for Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Industry:

• Stevia is non-fermenting
• It is not altered in acid media. It hydrolyses only in a very alkaline media such as PH9, while thermally it remains very stable.
• Safe and healthy enough to be used as a component in medicines

Some of the popular food products that can be enhanced by Stevia include:

• Jams, sauces and pickles
• Jellies and desserts
• Chewing gum
• Soft drinks, fruit drinks and fruit juices
• As a sweetener for tea, coffee and other beverages
• Ice cream, yogurts, sherbets
• Pastries, pies, baking
• Candies and other confectioneries
• Seafood and vegetables
• Flavor, color and odor enhancers
• Alcoholic beverages

Suggested Uses of Stevia

Confections

• Hard candy
• Chocolate
• Chewing gum
• Mints

For certain products, blending Stevia with other sweeteners provides the best possible results. Other sweeteners to use include Sorbitol, Matitol, Erythitol, corn syrup and Maltodextron. Stevia:

• Significantly reduces the amount of refined carbohydrates you consume
• Lets you consume fewer calories
• Makes food tastes better

Beverages

You'll find Stevia works well in:

• Carbonated drinks including diet sodas, champagne and cider
• Fruit drinks including fruit juice, cocktails, nectars, smoothies, lemonade and frozen concentrates.
• Health/Energy Drinks including vitamin drinks, powder drink mixes and energy drinks.
• Other beverages including flavored water, vitamin enriched water and flavored alcoholic beverages.

For particularly sweet products you should blend Stevia with other sweeteners. It will help to ensure:

• a significantly lower refined carbohydrate intake
• consuming fewer calories
• better taste
• lower Glycemic index

Pharmaceutical uses include:

• Pill coating
• Cough Syrup

Stevia can help to eliminate sugar from medicine in order to achieve:

• a significantly lower refined carbohydrate intake
• fewer calories
• better taste
• lower Glycemic index

Stevia in Alcoholic Beverages

• Whiskey
• Margarita
• Vodka

Stevia in alcohol helps:

• make strong alcoholic flavors smoother
• to add a slight hint of fruity flavor
• to reduce refined carbohydrate intake
• to lower calories
• enhance taste

Stevia use in Dental Products:

• Toothpaste
• Dental floss flavor
• Mouthwash
• Flavored Toothpicks
• Breath mints
• Sprayed breath freshener

Some items may require blending with other sweeteners such as Sorbitol, Matitol, Erythitol, Maltodextron, etc. in order to have fewer calories, better taste and a lower glycemic index.

Stevia use in Sauces:

• Steak Sauce
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Marinades

Stevia may need to be blended with sweeteners such as Sorbitol, Matitol, Erythitol, Maltodextron, corn syrup, natural fruit juices or concentrates, etc. in order to:

• reduce intake of refined carbohydrates
• consume fewer calories
• enhance taste
• lower Glycemic index

Stevia use in Teas/Coffee:

• Iced coffee
• Blended teas

Stevia helps to lower calories consumed and enhance taste.

Stevia use in Dairy Products

• Yogurt
• Whipped cream
• Liquid cheese cream
• Dry cheese powder
• Ice cream

Stevia helps to lower calories consumed and enhance taste.

Stevia use in Bakery type foods:

• Cherry pie filling
• Apple pie filling
• Low fat cookies
• Low fat brownies
• Low fat pies
• Low crab bread
• Sensei (Japanese rice cracker)
• Pastries and dessert items

Stevia helps to lower calories consumed and enhance taste.

Stevia use in Condiments:

• Ketchup
• Mayonnaise
• Pancake syrup

Stevia helps to lower calories consumed, reduce glycemic index and enhance taste.

Stevia use in Vitamins:

• Spray vitamins
• Children’s vitamins
• Vitamin drinks
• Vitamin bar
• Vitamin cookies
• Vitamin enriched water

Stevia helps to lower calories consumed, reduce glycemic index and enhance taste.

Stevia use in Cosmetics:

• Facial creams
• Lip balm/lipstick

Stevia Blends: Suggested Applications

Can be blended with Erythitol, Sorbitol, maltodextrin, aspartame, sucralose, saccharine, sugar and Fibersol

Can also blend with non-sweeteners depending on product bulk density.
For example: A 200 to 1 with Fibersol to Stevia blend provides bulk fiber with the same sweetness level as sugar per unit volume.

Stevia helps to lower calories consumed and enhance taste.

Stevia use in Flavoring:

• Flavor such as cherry, vanilla, cinnamon
• Flavored syrups for shaved ice

Stevia helps to lower calories consumed and enhance taste.

Miscellaneous Stevia Applications

• Seasoning
• Breakfast cereal
• Dried squid
• Flax seed oil
• Fish oil

Stevia helps to lower calories consumed and enhance taste.