Stevia as a Treatment
One of the many papers on research of stevia suggests a possible treatment for Lyme disease . One report shows that using whole leaf stevia extract can kill the agent of Lyme disease in petri dishes . It appears as effective as antibiotics in treating live bacteria , though stevia goes one step further . Antibiotics do not recognize or kill the cysts of bacteria or the bacteria that hide under a protective cover called biofilm . These other forms of bacteria can resurface into active bacteria , leading to relapse . According to this paper , whole stevia extract will also kill the cyst and biofilm-protected bacteria , whereas the antibiotics do not . This remarkable research implies that stevia might be useful in chronic Lyme disease , malaria , and other infections that reoccur . This has huge implications for human health , but , admittedly , it is a long way from human trials .
Environmental Benefits
Current agricultural practices require 65 gallons of water a day to produce 28 ounces of sugar . A square meter of stevia requires half a gallon of nutrient water a day , a daily savings of 64.5 gallons . Over the course of a year , one square meter of stevia requires 182 gallons of water while 28 ounces of sugar requires more than 23,000 gallons . Sugar cane and sugar beet are now grown on 74 million acres of land in 120 countries . Sugar is produced at the rate of 4.5 tons per acre of land , or about one pound per square yard . At this rate , it takes 129 square yards to produce each person ’ s sugar requirement . The annual production is 375 million tons a year . The World Wildlife Fund claims sugar production may be responsible for more loss of diversity than any other crop on the planet due to heavy needs for water and soil-based chemical fertilizers .
“
THE WORLD WILDLIFE Fund claims sugar production may be responsible for more loss of diversity than any other crop on the planet due to heavy needs for water and soil-based chemical fertilizers .”
The environmental impacts of using refined sugar include the agricultural runoff , the impact of sugar refining , and transportation . There are also human rights issues for agricultural workers producing sugar crops , especially in developing countries . All of that can be eliminated for the person who switches to growing their own fresh herb .
Easy to grow , stevia is an excellent replacement for refined sugar and high-fructose corn syrup , and it offers many indirect health benefits in the form of a tasty sweetener in baking and in beverages . For people on a tight budget , it should be considered to help reduce grocery costs by eliminating sodas and unhealthy snack purchases . Environmentally , homegrown stevia can reduce water consumption , reduce arable land consumption , improve crop diversity , reduce harmful fertilizer use , and address human rights issues . With further research , it is possible that many medicinal benefits will also be realized through this versatile and healthy plant .
40 Maximum Yield