A fruit that is 300 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia and lippia - sweet herbs

Its substitutes can be used in limited quantities. Andrey Sharafetdinov, Head of the Department of Metabolic Diseases of the Clinic of the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, talks about some sweeteners and their properties.

Aspartame

Most often sold under the names "Nutrasvit" or "Sanekta". In the list of ingredients, indicated by the code E951.

It was synthesized back in 1965 from two amino acids found in any protein. Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar, so it is used in small quantities in food production.

This sweetener is never added to baked goods or cooked foods. But many soft drinks are made with it.

Permissible dose per day- no more than 40 mg per kg of body weight. Contraindicated in patients with phenylketonuria.

Saccharin

How a food supplement is coded E954. Opened at the end of the last century.

Saccharin is widely used in medicine as a constituent of many medicines, since it has no calorie content and is 98 percent excreted by the kidneys unchanged. Therefore, it is also used in the production of products for diabetics.

Saccharin is 300-500 times sweeter than sugar, but has a specific bitter taste, which is why it is often mixed with cyclamates.

Permissible dose per day- 5 mg per kg of body weight.

Cyclamic acid

Cyclamate, cyclamates, E952. This is the so-called old generation sweetener, which was synthesized in 1937.

Most often used to correct the bitter taste of saccharin. Since it is only 30 times sweeter than regular sugar, it is mixed with saccharin in a ratio of 10 to 1.

True, studies have shown that the intestinal microflora is capable of producing cyclohexamines from cyclamates, which potentially toxic.

In addition, products containing cyclamate, contraindicated in pregnancy, since it can cross the placenta and affect the metabolism of the fetus.

Permissible dose per day- 11 mg per kg of body weight.

Acesulfame potassium

Also called sunnet, denoted by the code E950. This sweetener is 200 times sweeter than sugar, while being resistant to heat treatment and does not lose its properties when boiled.

E950 is widely used in the production of confectionery, sweet soda and ice cream. This sweetener is not absorbed by the body at all and is completely excreted in the urine.

Permissible dose per day- 15 mg per kg of body weight.

Sucralose

Trichlorogalactosucrose or E955. It is a very intense sweetener that is 500-600 times sweeter than sugar.

It is resistant to high temperature and the proximity of acidic products. It is considered completely safe for the human body.

Permissible dose per day- 15 mg per kg body.

stevia

One of the newest and most discussed sweeteners. Isolated from the leaves of the stevia plant and approved for production in 2008 food products in the USA.

Stevia is 200-300 times sweeter than regular sugar and is heat resistant. Because it can be used in most types food production- and for confectionery, and for sweetening drinks.

Permissible dose per day- 2 mg per kg of body weight.

Sorbitol

He is E420. It is made from vegetable raw materials and by itself is contained in many fruits.

In terms of sweetness, it is three times inferior to sugar, but not much less caloric. Often used in the manufacture medicines and chewing gum, tolerates boiling well.

One of the most interesting properties sorbitol - the ability to slow down the growth of bacteria in oral cavity and protect against caries. True, if the daily dose is exceeded, it can lead to to intestinal disorders.

Permissible dose per day- no more than 40 g.

Xylitol

Denoted by code E967. Like sorbitol, it is part of chewing gums and helps protect teeth from caries. It is made from corn and cotton waste.

Xylitol is suitable for diabetic nutrition because its absorption does not require the production of insulin. In high doses it causes bowel disorder.

Permissible dose per day- no more than 10 g.

Take note!

Name	calories per gram	Taste relative to sugar	Safe daily dose
natural sugar	4 kcal	1	Up to 10 percent of your daily calorie intake
artificial substitutes
Acesulfame sodium		200	15 mg per 1 kg of body weight
Aspartame	4 kcal	200	40 mg per 1 kg of body weight
Saccharin	No calories, not metabolized	300-500	5 mg per 1 kg of body weight
Sucralose	No calories, not metabolized	600	15 mg per 1 kg of body weight
Cyclamates	No calories, not metabolized	30	11 mg per 1 kg of body weight
natural substitutes
stevia	no calories	250-300	2 mg per 1 kg of body
Xylitol	4	1	Up to 10 g for any person
Sorbitol	3,4	0,6	Up to 40 g for any person

Can't do anything. It was she who supplied us with the sweetest substance - saccharin, which is 300 times sweeter than ordinary sugar. Recently, however, plants have been discovered whose fruits are much sweeter than both sugar and even saccharin.

Let's take, for example, unusual plant, which is located in the savannas of the South American country of Paraguay. It's a bush stevia, the leaves of which contain a substance resembling saccharin. It is over 300 times sweeter than sugar. This plant has already begun a successful procession through the fields of Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Laos. In Europe, where stevia was brought at the beginning of the last century, it is intensively cultivated. An extract made from stevia can, for example, be sweetened confectionery for diabetics.

The great interest of scientists in last years causes the so-called sugar grass, growing in Central America, mainly in Mexico. From its leaves and flowers, a sweet oily liquid was isolated, which, as it turned out, is 1000 times sweeter than sugar. In honor of the Spanish doctor Francisco Hernandez, who discovered this plant in 1570, the isolated substance was named hernandulcin. Especially valuable is the fact that, unlike natural sugar, this substance is completely harmless to diabetics and does not favor obesity.

Under the burning rays of the sun African savannah growing herbaceous plant with large leaves with a Latin name - thumatocus dannelius. The special substance talin, which is found in its red berries, is 2000 times sweeter than sugar.

The champion among the sweetest plants is the shrub ketemf that grows in tropical forests West Africa. Scientists have isolated from it the sweetest substance in the world - toumatin. It is 100,000 times sweeter than sugar! This substance will be sweet even if toumatin is dissolved at a concentration of 10 g per ton of water!

There are plants that may not be sweeter than sugar, but they affect the taste sensations of a person. Interesting shrub synsepalum dulcificum grows in the tropical forests of West Africa. Its fruits are amazing. If you chew a few of its fruits before eating, miracles will immediately begin to happen to your taste: sour lemon will seem sweeter than orange, and sugar - bitter. This effect lasts for about an hour, and sometimes more, depending on the amount of fruit eaten. Local population from Ghana to Zaire, its fruit is used to sweeten sour palm wine. It is interesting that there are plants similar in action in the south of Tajikistan and in China. This is a tree from the buckthorn family - jujube, also known as unabi or Chinese date. Red-brown fruits of jujube 3-4 cm long contain up to 30% sucrose, 3.5% proteins, about 4% fats and 2.5% acids. Compotes, jams, marshmallows are prepared from them. Keep dry. It has long been used in folk medicine for hypertension, asthma, kidney stones.

Synonyms: Momordica grosvenorii Swingle; Thladiantha grosvenorii (Swingle) C.Jeffrey. Siraitia grosvenorii is a perennial herbal climbing plant from the gourd family, native to southern China and northern Thailand. The plant is valued for its fruits, the extract of which is almost 300 times sweeter than sugar. In China, monk fruit is used as a natural low-calorie sweetener for iced drinks, and in traditional Chinese medicine to treat diabetes and obesity. In publications on English language the fruits of the arhat are often called luo han guo or lo han kuo (Lo Han Guo), from the Chinese Luohan guǒ, 罗汉果 / 羅漢果. The plant is also called la hán quả, Buddha fruit, monastic fruit, or longevity fruit (the latter name is also used for some other plants). Siraitia grosvenorii is named after Gilbert Grosvenor, who, as president of the National Geographic Society, helped fund an expedition in the 1930s to locate the plant in its cultivation.

Description

The vine reaches a length of 3 to 5 meters, "climbing" other plants with tendrils that wrap around everything they touch. The plant has narrow, heart-shaped leaves 10-20 cm long. The fruits are round, 5-7 cm in diameter, smooth, yellow-brown or green-brown in color, with stripes running from the end of the stem, with a tough but thin skin covered with small hairs. The inside of the fruit contains an edible pulp, which, after drying, forms a thin, light brown, fragile shell about 1 mm thick. The seeds are elongated and almost spherical in shape. Monk fruit is sometimes mistaken for an unrelated species, the purple mangosteen. The inside of the fruit is eaten fresh, and the bitter peel is used to make tea. Siraitia grosvenorii is famous for its sweet taste, which can be concentrated from the sap of the plant. The fruit contains from 25 to 38% of various carbohydrates, mainly fructose and glucose. The sweetness of the fruit is enhanced by the presence of mogrosides, a group of triterpene glycosides (saponins). The five different mogrosids are numbered I to V; the main component is mogroside V, which is also known as esgoside. The fruit also contains

cultivation

Seed germination is slow and may take several months. The plant is grown mainly in the far southern Chinese province of Guangxi (mainly in the mountains near Guilin), as well as in the provinces of Guangdong, Guizhou, Hunan and in the province of Jiangxi. Because of the mountains, the plants are in the shade and are often surrounded by fog, which protects them from the sun. However, the climate in this southern province is quite warm. The plant is rarely found in the wild; it has been specially cultivated for several hundred years. Records dating back to 1813 mention the cultivation of this plant in Guangxi Province. There is currently a 16 km2 (6.2 sq mi) plantation in the mountains of Guilin with an annual production of about 100 million fruits. Most of the plantations are located in Yongfu and Linggui counties. The city of Longyang in Yongfu County is said to be "the home of the Chinese fruits of Lo Han Guo"; a number of companies specializing in the production of Lo Han Guo extracts and finished products from the fruits of the arhat, were founded in this area. The oldest of these companies is Yongfu Pharmaceutical Factory.

Traditional use

The plant is most valued for its sweet fruits, which are used in medicinal purposes and as a sweetener. The fruit is usually sold dried and is traditionally used in herbal teas or soups.

Non-toxicity

No adverse events reported side effects fruits of arhat. The FDA defines the fetus as "generally safe for health". No restrictions have been made regarding the consumption of the fruit or its extracts.

Active substances

The sweet taste of the fruit is provided by mogrosides, a group of triterpene glycosides that make up about 1% of the pulp of fresh fruits. By means of solvent extraction, a powder containing 80% of mogrosides can be obtained, the main one being mogroside-5 (esgoside). Other similar substances found in fruits are siamenoside and neomogroside. Recent studies indicate that isolated mogrosides have antioxidant properties and possibly limited anti-cancer activity. Mogrosides have also been shown to inhibit the induction of Epstein-Barr virus in vitro. The plant also contains momogroswine glycoprotein, which inhibits ribosomal protein synthesis.

Cultivation and marketing

Traditional processing methods

Arhat fruits are round and green when harvested, and in the process of drying they acquire Brown color. They are rarely used fresh due to storage difficulties. In addition, during the fermentation process, the fruits acquire a rotten taste, which is superimposed on the already present unpleasant aromas. Thus, the fruits are usually dried and sold dried in Chinese herbal shops. The drying process is carried out over low heat in ovens, thanks to which it is possible to preserve the fruit by removing most of the unpleasant odors. However, this method also results in a bitter and astringent taste. This limits the use of dried fruits and extracts in teas, soups, and as a sweetener for foods traditionally consumed with sugar or honey.

The Procter & Gamble Process

In 1995, Procter & Gamble patented a process for making a healthy sweetener from the monk fruit. The patent claims that while arhat is very sweet, it contains too many off-flavours that make it useless to use. The process, patented by the company, is focused on the removal of foreign odors. Fresh fruits are harvested until the moment of their final ripening, and then they are stored for some time so that the process of their processing falls just at the stage of ripeness of the fruits. The shell and seeds are removed and the fruit pulp is made into a fruit concentrate or puree, which is then used for further food production. Solvents are used to remove unpleasant odors.

Story

During the Tang Dynasty, the Guilin area was one of the most important places for Buddhist retreats with many temples. The fruit was named after the Arhats (Luohan, 羅漢), Buddhist monks who hoped to achieve enlightenment and liberation through what they believed to be proper lifestyle and meditation. The word "luohan" (羅漢) is a shortened form of "āluóhàn" (阿羅漢), which is a very old transliteration of the Indian Sanskrit word "arhat". In early Buddhist traditions An arhat was a monk who attained enlightenment. This process was called "achieving the fruits of the arhat" (Sanskrit: arhattaphala). AT Chinese this word evolved into "Luohan guǒ" (羅漢果, lit. Arhat fruit), which later became the designation for this type of sweet fruit in China. According to Chinese history, the fruit is first mentioned in the records of the monks of the 13th century, who used it for food. However, plantation space was limited, and arhat grew mainly on the slopes of the Guangxi and Guangdong mountains, and to a lesser extent in Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi and Hainan. Because of this and the difficulties associated with growing it, the fruit did not become part of the Chinese traditional medicine, which used more affordable herbs and plants. Because of this, the fruit is also not mentioned in traditional herbal reference books.

Rediscovery of the arhat in the 20th century

The first mention of this plant in English is found in an unpublished manuscript written in 1938 by Professor Groff and Hoch Hin Chung. The report states that the fruit was often used as the main ingredient in "cooled drinks", that is, drinks used in the heat, and as a remedy for fever or other disorders traditionally associated with heat (inflammation). Then it was known that the juice from the fruit is very sweet. Interviews have confirmed that the fruits have only recently gained importance in Chinese history. However, a small group of people, apparently, have long mastered the cultivation of the plant and have accumulated extensive experience in matters of growth, pollination and climatic requirements plants. The fruit was brought to the USA at the beginning of the 20th century. Groff mentions that during his visit to the American Ministry Agriculture in 1917, botanist Frederick Coville showed him the fruits of the arhat, bought in a Chinese shop in Washington. Fruit seeds purchased from a Chinese store in San Francisco were introduced into botanical description species in 1941. The first study of the sweet components of arhat is attributed to S. H. Lee, who wrote a report on the plant in English in 1975, as well as Tsunematsu Takemoto, who studied it in Japan in the early 1980s (Takemoto later decided to focus on a similar sweet plant gynostemma). In China, the development of the production of products from the fruits of the monk fruit, in particular, concentrated extracts, is still ongoing.

Arhat (Siraitia grosvenorii) Synonyms: Momordica grosvenorii Swingle; Thladiantha grosvenorii (Swingle) C.Jeffrey. Siraitia grosvenorii is a perennial herbaceous climbing plant in the gourd family native to southern China and northern Thailand. The plant is valued for its fruits, the extract of which is almost 300 times sweeter than sugar. In China, monk fruit is used as a natural low-calorie sweetener for iced drinks, and in traditional Chinese medicine to treat diabetes and obesity. In English language publications, the fruit of the arhat is often referred to as luo han guo or lo han kuo (Lo Han Guo), from the Chinese Luohan guǒ, 罗汉果 / 羅漢果. The plant is also called la hán quả, Buddha fruit, monastic fruit, or longevity fruit (the latter name is also used for some other plants). Siraitia grosvenorii is named after Gilbert Grosvenor, who, as president of the National Geographic Society, helped fund an expedition in the 1930s to locate the plant in its cultivation.
Description

cultivation
Seed germination is slow and may take several months. The plant is grown mainly in the far southern Chinese province of Guangxi (mainly in the mountains near Guilin), as well as in the provinces of Guangdong, Guizhou, Hunan and in the province of Jiangxi. Because of the mountains, the plants are in the shade and are often surrounded by fog, which protects them from the sun. However, the climate in this southern province is quite warm. The plant is rarely found in the wild; it has been specially cultivated for several hundred years. Records dating back to 1813 mention the cultivation of this plant in Guangxi Province. There is currently a 16 km2 (6.2 sq mi) plantation in the mountains of Guilin with an annual production of about 100 million fruits. Most of the plantations are located in Yongfu and Linggui counties. The city of Longyang in Yongfu County is said to be "the home of the Chinese fruits of Lo Han Guo"; a number of companies specializing in the production of extracts of Lo Han Guo and finished products from the fruits of the monk fruit were founded in this area. The oldest of these companies is Yongfu Pharmaceutical Factory.
Traditional use

The plant is most valued for its sweet fruits, which are used medicinally and as a sweetener. The fruit is usually sold dried and is traditionally used in herbal teas or soups.

Non-toxicity
There have been no negative side effects reported with arhat fruit. The FDA defines the fetus as "generally safe for health". No restrictions have been made regarding the consumption of the fruit or its extracts.

Active substances
The sweet taste of the fruit is provided by mogrosides, a group of triterpene glycosides that make up about 1% of the pulp of fresh fruits. By means of solvent extraction, a powder containing 80% of mogrosides can be obtained, the main one being mogroside-5 (esgoside). Other similar substances found in fruits are siamenoside and neomogroside. Recent studies indicate that isolated mogrosides have antioxidant properties and possibly limited anti-cancer activity. Mogrosides have also been shown to inhibit the induction of Epstein-Barr virus in vitro. The plant also contains momogroswine glycoprotein, which inhibits ribosomal protein synthesis.

Traditional processing methods
Arhat fruits are round and green when harvested, turning brown when dried. They are rarely used fresh due to storage difficulties. In addition, during the fermentation process, the fruits acquire a rotten taste, which is superimposed on the already present unpleasant aromas. Thus, the fruits are usually dried and sold dried in Chinese herbal shops. The drying process is carried out over low heat in ovens, thanks to which it is possible to preserve the fruit, removing most of the unpleasant odors. However, this method also results in a bitter and astringent taste. This limits the use of dried fruits and extracts in teas, soups, and as a sweetener for foods traditionally consumed with sugar or honey.

The Procter & Gamble Process
In 1995, Procter & Gamble patented a process for making a healthy sweetener from the monk fruit. The patent claims that while arhat is very sweet, it contains too many off-flavours that make it useless to use. The process, patented by the company, is focused on the removal of foreign odors. Fresh fruits are harvested until the moment of their final ripening, and then they are stored for some time so that the process of their processing falls just at the stage of ripeness of the fruits. The shell and seeds are removed and the fruit pulp is made into a fruit concentrate or puree, which is then used for further food production. Solvents are used to remove unpleasant odors.

Story
During the Tang Dynasty, the Guilin area was one of the most important places for Buddhist retreats with many temples. The fruit was named after the Arhats (Luohan, 羅漢), Buddhist monks who hoped to achieve enlightenment and liberation through what they believed to be proper lifestyle and meditation. The word "luohan" (羅漢) is a shortened form of "āluóhàn" (阿羅漢), which is a very old transliteration of the Indian Sanskrit word "arhat". In early Buddhist traditions, an arhat was a monk who had attained enlightenment. This process was called "achieving the fruits of the arhat" (Sanskrit: arhattaphala). In Chinese this word became "Luohan guǒ" (羅漢果, lit. Arhat fruit), which later became the designation for this type of sweet fruit in China. According to Chinese history, the fruit is first mentioned in the records of 13th-century monks who used it as food. However, plantation space was limited, and arhat grew mainly on the slopes of the Guangxi and Guangdong mountains, and to a lesser extent in Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi and Hainan. Because of this and the difficulties associated with growing it, the fruit did not become part of Chinese traditional medicine, which used more readily available herbs and plants. Because of this, the fruit is also not mentioned in traditional herbal reference books.

Rediscovery of the arhat in the 20th century
The first mention of this plant in English is found in an unpublished manuscript written in 1938 by Professor Groff and Hoch Hin Chung. The report states that the fruit was often used as the main ingredient in "cooled drinks", that is, drinks used in the heat, and as a remedy for fever or other disorders traditionally associated with heat (inflammation). Then it was known that the juice from the fruit is very sweet. Interviews have confirmed that the fruits have only recently gained importance in Chinese history. However, a small group of people seem to have long mastered the cultivation of the plant and have accumulated extensive experience in the growth, pollination and climatic requirements of the plant. The fruit was brought to the USA at the beginning of the 20th century. Groff mentions that during his visit to the US Department of Agriculture in 1917, the botanist Frederick Coville showed him arhat fruits bought from a Chinese store in Washington. Fruit seeds purchased from a Chinese store in San Francisco were included in the botanical description of the species in 1941. The first study of the sweet components of arhat is attributed to S. H. Lee, who wrote a report on the plant in English in 1975, as well as Tsunematsu Takemoto, who studied it in Japan in the early 1980s (Takemoto later decided to focus on a similar sweet plant gynostemma). In China, the development of the production of products from the fruits of the monk fruit, in particular, concentrated extracts, is still ongoing.

author V.V. Chernyak, photo by M. Rybka

It's hard to imagine life modern man no sugar plants. Sugar beet, sugar cane and other less famous plants have long served as a source of sugar for the food industry.

Recently, more and more attention has been paid to plants that have a sweet taste, but do not contain sugars. This is due to the fact that not all people can consume sugar. In addition, non-sugar sweeteners create a sweet taste at much lower concentrations.

One time in our country among amateurs rare plants was very popular stevia(Stevia rebaudiana) - plant containing sweetener stevioside, which is 300 times sweeter than sugar. I also grew stevia for several years, but I didn’t really like it. Yes, there is a sweet taste, but there is a strong grassy aftertaste. In addition, the sweetness of this plant does not go into solution; for example, when brewing tea, it does not become sweet by adding stevia.

After my stevia was attacked by a false shield, I had to get rid of this plant.

Fortunately, the list of such non-sugar-bearing sweet plants is not limited to stevia. A few years ago, I learned about the existence of the "sweet herb of the Aztecs." According to the literature, this plant contains a sweetener hernandilcin, which is 500 times sweeter than sugar.

Botanical name for Aztec herb sweet lippia(Lippia dulcus, or Phyla scaberrime, or Lippia mexicana). Lippia sweet belongs to the verbena family. homeland of lippa Central America, Nicaragua. This herb has long been used by the Indians as a sweetener.

After two years of searching, I managed to acquire some lipppia seeds. They turned out to be very small, light brown, and gave the impression of not matured.

For lipppia seeds I used normal version sowing in medium loamy soil, lightly sprinkling the seeds with a small layer of the substrate. The box with crops was covered with a film and placed in warm place under the battery, where the temperature was maintained at about 30 degrees. Unfortunately, the shoots of lippia did not appear even after 2 months.

My friend got the seedlings of this plant on coconut flakes. Subsequently, I also managed to germinate lippia seeds on very loose soil, consisting almost entirely of leaf humus.

Even with optimal conditions Lippia seeds germinate for a long time - about a month. Seedlings grow slowly at first, and only after the appearance of 3-4 true leaves, their growth accelerates.

With a lack of lighting and low air humidity, lippies suffer and can lose almost all the leaves, but when favorable conditions occur, they quickly come to life. My friend's lippia stood for a month without watering - he went on vacation, and the neighbors did not water his plants, although he asked them about it. When he returned, the plant looked completely lifeless, and the earthen clod had completely dried up. Nevertheless, he still watered it, and a week later new leaves suddenly appeared on the seemingly dried up shoots. The grass quickly recovered and gave a lot of greenery. Apparently, in nature, the sweet grass of the Aztecs is able to endure severe droughts.

I planted lippia seedlings in the ground at the end of May, when it was warm. While the nights were cold, the plants grew very slowly despite fertilizing and watering. warm water. Strong growth in lippias began only in July, when it became steadily above 15 degrees at night. I fed sweet lippia mainly with urea in the form of a dilute solution, and only starting from August with ash. Grass shoots grow up to a meter, they take root very easily when in contact with wet ground, and therefore it is advisable for them to put props. If this is not done, then lippia quickly occupies a significant area.

At favorable conditions the sweet grass of the Aztecs blooms profusely and for a long time. Lippia flowers are very small (less than a millimeter), collected in large inflorescences in the axils of the leaves. The plant is self-fertile and produces seeds without cross pollination but only under favorable conditions. With a lack of light and heat, seeds in lippies do not form.

Lippia seeds ripen gradually and are harvested selectively. At the very beginning of the ripening of the seedlings, they become loose and begin to crumble. In this state, they must be collected, since overexposure to the plant leads to the loss of a significant amount of seeds. Lippia seeds are dried on paper, the seeds are collected and stored for storage.

Lippia cuttings root very easily in both water and soil. For rooting, you need to take a well-ripened cutting with 5-6 pairs of leaves and put it in water, or plant it at home in a seedling cup. At first, to reduce evaporation, it is advisable to cover the stalk plastic bag. At room temperature rooting of a lippia cutting usually takes place within two weeks. AT open ground it can be planted only when high temperatures are established. In areas with cold summers, it is preferable to grow lipppia in greenhouses.

In the bright southern sun, in our hot climate, the plants are oppressed, the leaves of lippia acquire a bronze hue. Therefore, our lippia develops best in partial shade under trees with a rare crown (for example, in the shade of peach trees).

As I have seen, the sweetener content in the aerial part of the plant is highly dependent on the growth conditions and the age of the lippia. The sweetest were the leaves from the central part of the shoots, grown at low temperatures (about 25 degrees), with a moderate amount of nitrogen fertilizers. Old leaves of lippies (more than two months old) begin to taste bitter.

Lippia shoots are cut off for raw materials, which have not yet begun to lignify, and they are dried in the shade, like any grass. Subsequently, the dried sweet Aztec herb can be added to tea or homemade preparations.

V.V. Chernyak (Tuapse, Russia)
TopTropicals.com

All about stevia on site site

Weekly Free Website Digest website

Every week, for 10 years, for our 100,000 subscribers, an excellent selection of relevant materials about flowers and gardens, as well as other useful information.

Subscribe and receive!