Sugar reduction: Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni as a natural sweetener
Abstract Excessive sugar consumption is associated with the development of numerous health problems, such as obesity and many chronic diseases (e.g. cardiovascular disease, diabetes) Obesity is a rapidly growing public health problem, thus its prevention and treatment are crucial to improve the quality of life. Among others, sugar sweetened beverage consumption was considered as a key risk factor that contributes to a significant excess of sugar in the diet. The World Health Organization is intensively working on strategies to reduce sugar intake by featuring educational methods and innovative marketing techniques for various communities, media, governments, and industries. Despite many studies about low energy sweeteners and their impact on health, it is still controversial to use low energy sweeteners as adequate substitutes for sugar in low energy products. One of those sweeteners is steviol glycoside (E 960) that is obtained from the plant Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, which increased in popularity due to its natural origin. Stevia also stands out for its rich profile of biologically active compounds, of which the most significant and the most researched, are diterpene glycosides, polyphenols, carotenoids, and chlorophylls. Stevia plants have been considered as a biosweetener with important functional and sensory properties, and superior to many other high potency sweeteners, thus it is likely to find its application as a high potency low calorie sweetener for the growing natural food market in the future.