There are many types of stevia chocolate items out there, all having that amazingly rich and sweet taste that is great for health-conscious chocolate lovers. However, many do not know much about stevia. Here are some details.

The actual plant, Stevia rebaudiana, is a South American plant grown by the Guarani people in Paraguay and Brazil and is used as a natural sweetener for beverages like teas and yerba mate. It may also have nutritional and medicinal properties.  Its discovery by Spaniards in the 16^th century (cocoa beans were also discovered around the same time, but it took another 400 years to combine the two) revealed that stevia leaves have a remarkable level of sweetness – more than 30 times or more than that of table sugar!

It has become a great replacement since investigations in the mid-1970s revealed that artificial sweeteners like aspartame may have cancer-inducing properties. Even in stevia’s extract form it remains safe, as all the alcohol used in the process is removed – something that does not happen when aspartame is created. The extract used in stevia chocolates is also used in many sports drinks and certain sodas. The US Food and Drug Administration have also granted stevia Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status as a sweetener.

Chocolates with stevia are diabetic-safe, non-GMO, gluten-free, and chemical-free. They are the perfect solution for a little craving or gift with none of sugar’s negative effects. An organic stevia dark chocolate bar with just the right hint of sweetness from that interesting little plant makes it worth a taste.

Article By: Jesus Garay, Photo Credit: Starr Environmental via photopin cc