Stevia

Never heard of it Phreddy, are you hoping to use it as a sweetener?

I've never heard of it either Phreddy but looked it up as you mentioned it. I'm not sure it would grow outside in Britain as it sounds frost tender but I imagine you might be able to grow it in one of your homes in Malaysia or Bulgaria? It seems strange that in America they're not allowed to call it a sweetener but I think it's like other herbal products over here now in that tests have to be carried out on anything before you can claim any particular properties. Here's a link I found that might be of interest.
http://www.stevia.net/growingstevia.htm

Also in the US there are some political issues with this stevia in such that we produce lots of corn sweetener and sugar cane.

I have talked to people who have grown stevia and they say it is good. They used it mainly in tea and coffee.

I have seeds and plan on growing them next year. I have heard the seeds are hard to start and that it is better to start via a cutting. Also each plant can have different sweetness, thus once you find a plant that is very sweet, take cutting from that plant.

Dean

Hi Phreddy,

I have grown them before for my in laws ( 2 years ago). The leaf is used to replace sugar ( for diabetic patient) and people who wish to cut down sugar intake ( slimming ). It need fertile soil ( I give them some compost and a bit of manure) they can reach to 80 cm. You can actually over winter them in a green house and use it as the seedling source.
My advice is to grow the seedling from a reliable source but of course you can grow them from seeds too ( germination is very irregular) the thing is stevia from seeds can not be guaranteed to produce the same sweetnes as it's original plant.
Once you have your stevia grow, you can propagate them easily. Remember to collect the leaves & dried it for storage ( I still have my dried stevia leaves), the more you cut the more it will produce otherwise it will start to produce flower and stop growing. You will need around 3 leaves to give a cup of tea sweetness ( brew it together with your tea and let it sit for 2 minutes or so before drinking ).

Happy planting,
Momol

I got a plant from the local Focus store out of curiosity (much reduced in price, evidently most people did not share my curiosity) - do you think it might overwinter in an unheated greenhouse?

Thanks,

Carl

Facinating stuff this! Is the plant an annual or half hardy perennial?

I'll have to keep an eye out for a plant and have a chew on one of it's leaves to see how sweet it is.

Anyone know of any stockists in the UK and would it be sold as a houseplant or what?

Cancel last question....found the seeds on eBay...where else?

Hi carl,

I think it should be ok if your green house don't go far beyond freezing point.My inlaw has 2 small plant which she let it outside last year ( she give them a glass dome as cloach and they survive and still growing now ). During overwintering,do not over water it and make sure you cut it back to around 8 cm or so.

Good luck,
Momol

Hi Snadger,

They should be in the group of half hardy parennial ( or half hardy biennial ).
Do give it a try, the leaf does taste sweet if you chew them raw.

Momol

I don't have much to add except that I bought a plant from a garden I visited this summer. I had heard of it from my aunt who bought bottles of it as a liquid fom the USA to add to her tea.
My plant has not grown much (about 9ins tall) but I shall be overwintering it in the greenhouse and hope it survives. The leaves are very sweet. Haven't used them in drinks yet as the plant is a bit on the small side and don't want to kill it off.

My apologies to everyone. I posted this on the day that we took off for Malaysia. It then escaped my mind what with a long flight, jet lag etc.
The seeds are obtainable from Nicky's Seeds.
I have asked my sister-in-law who is a dietitian and health writer, but she has nothing to add other than the law etc for US and Europe. There are sites out there suggesting a conspiracy vis: Govt + Sugar co's. I favour that view. It has been used in Far East for a long time.
Thanks to all posters. I will get the seeds and be ready to report back next summer/autumn. Will there be a class in the veg show - biggest stevia?
Don't know how many seeds will be supplied but is anyone else interested in having a few?

Phreddy in Thailand for the present.

Just had an e-mail from my sister-in-law:
Stevia has received much attention recently as it is thought to be 300 times sweeter than sugar, without the calories, making it a potential sugar replacer, without the use of synthetic ingredients. Researchers in India have now found that stevia may also be a potent antioxidant, which may help to protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Stevia rebaudiana commonly known as Stevia (also known as sweet leaf or sugarleaf) has received much attention recently as a non-calorific natural alternative to sugar. This plant is native to subtropical and tropical South America and Central America. The dried mass of the leaf includes stevioside, rebaudiosides A-F, and dulcoside A. Stevioside is approximately 300 times sweeter than common sugar, and is receiving attention as a potential ingredient in a reduced calorie diet. It is thought it will be particularly advantageous for people suffering from diabetes mellitus, obesity, heart disease and dental caries.

In 2006 the World health Organisation (WHO) concluded that stevioside and rebaudioside A are not genotoxic. However this natural sweetener has not yet been approved for use in food in Europe or the US. However the approval process has begun and according the Food Navigator the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has begun a scientific evaluation of the ingredient.

Although the sweetness and safety of stevia have been major areas of research the antioxidant activity of this herb has not been evaluated in detail. Now Srijani Ghanta and colleagues from the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India, have found that stevia also protects against DNA damage due to its radical scavenging capacity, and in addition it also inhibits lipid peroxidation.

The team found six flavonoids and the flavone apigenin in Stevia extract. The team report that stevia has a high antioxidant potential. The mechanism of action of these flavonoids is multifold, including the inhibition of enzymes that are involved in reactive oxygen species generation, chelating of trace metals such as free iron and copper, and the ability to reduce highly oxidising free radicals by donation of hydrogen atoms, thus protecting the body from various diseases including heart attack, stroke and cancer.

The team therefore conclude that the health benefits of Stevia may go beyond its potential as a non-calorific sweetener. (From The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, published online ahead of print, 2007, doi: 10.1021/jf071892q)

How about that. I shall be buying seed from Nicky's Nursery 40 for £2 odd.

Phreddy

Just resurrecting this thread as I had been intrigued by reading an article some time ago about Stevia and then saw a plant in the local GC and bought it on a whim. Apparently it originates in Paraguay, so I'm planning to keep it in my (flimsy plastic) greenhouse until winter and then bring it in doors - and take cuttings as well, in case it doesn't overwinter.

Now that it's grown on a little bit - maybe 8" high now - I harvested a few leaves tonight and ate one raw - initial taste very sweet, then just tasted sort of green, iykwim. I also tried a bit in some fresh peppermint tea and I can't say I noticed a particular difference, but then I only put in one small leaf just to see, as I don't have a very sweet tooth! And I've heard if you use too much it can have quite a bitter aftertaste so I am being cautious... I can still taste a sort of fresh sweetness in my mouth, but that may be from the leaf I chewed rather than the tea!

Anyway, I was wondering after reading this thread if anyone else ended up growing any this year, what you're doing with it, how you're getting on, whether you've tried it yet etc.

not yet, but it sounds like something else i might have a go at, sweet without calories sounds a darn good plan ...... i still need to figure out how to grow choccie bars and tea bags though