Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Sucrazit’s Stevia Based Sweetener Packets


סוכרזית סטייוויה
Sucrazit, one of Israel’s leading sugar substitute companies, have finally gotten on board and came out with a Stievia based sweetener in packets. For years now I have been looking for a convenient stevia based sweetener here in Israel. I was able to find dried stevia leaves or a liquid alcohol based one but those did not suit my needs. I ended up buying stevia packets from overseas but now finally they are available here, from Sucrazit. They can be found at many of the major supermarkets most likely in the “health food” department.

In case you’re unfamiliar with what stevia is here is a rundown from Wikipedia:


“Stevia is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), native to subtropical and tropical regions from western North America to South America. The species Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sweetener and sugar substitute, stevia's taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations.

source
With its steviol glycoside extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar; stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets.

The availability of stevia varies from country to country. In a few countries, it has been available as a sweetener for decades or centuries; for example, stevia is widely used as a sweetener in Japan where it has been available for decades. In some countries health concerns and political controversies have limited its availability; for example, the United States banned stevia in the early 1990s unless labeled as a dietary supplement, but in 2008 approved rebaudioside A extract as a food additive. Over the years, the number of countries in which stevia is available as a sweetener has been increasing. In 2011, stevia was approved for use in the EU starting in early December, 2011”

I added a packet of Sucrazit’s Stevia to my tea this morning and it seemed to be exactly the same as the packets I had bought from overseas. Yes stevia is like 300 times sweeter than sugar so only a very little bit is needed to sweeten a cup of tea, or anything for that matter, but the one gram packet I used was the perfect amount for me.

Stevia does not taste like sugar. Its sweet but it has a taste of its own that took me time to get used to. I didn’t like it at first but now if I use the correct (tiny) amount I don’t mind it. My suggestion is start off with way less than you think you want or need to see if you are OK with the taste and if it sweetens enough for your likening.

There are cookbooks and recipes available on line or in bookstores for all sorts of ways to use stevia in baking and cooking to replace sugar or sweetener. It took me time to perfect cakes and other items but with trial and error I did manage to get a few recipes that I enjoyed. Others who had never tasted stevia didn’t really like what I made at first so yes it’s a taste most need to “get used to” in order to enjoy.

source
Not only is stevia a natural plant and therefore not an artificial chemical concoction, like most sugar substituted available here, but studies have shown that stevia can possibly be good for you and beneficial for diabetics.

Back to Wikipedia for that information:

“Two 2010 review studies found no health concerns with stevia or its sweetening extracts. In addition, a 2009 review study found that stevioside and related compounds have anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diarrheal, diuretic, and immunomodulatory actions

In relation to diabetes, studies have shown stevia to have a re-vitalizing effect on β-cells of pancreas, improve insulin sensitivity in rats, and possibly even to promote additional insulin production, helping to reverse diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Stevia consumed before meals significantly reduced postprandial insulin levels compared to both aspartame and sucrose. A 2011 review study concluded that Stevia sweeteners would likely benefit diabetic patients”

It goes without saying that if you have diabetes or any other health issues you should talk to your doctor or health care professional before you try this or any such product.

Aside from stevia these packets also contain Dextrose which is another name for glucose, D-glucose, or grape sugar.

Bottom Line: I’m happy to finally see stevia packets easily available here in Israel. I know not everyone will like the taste and after taste it has. I for one have a harder time dealing with the taste and aftertaste of most other sugar substitutes. Plus I can never get over the fact that most of those are made of chemicals that are not good for me. If you know and like stevia you should be just as happy with Sucrazit’s version as you are with any brand you may have been buying from overseas.

Box of 100 (1gram) packets 35.00 NIS

Kosher Badatz


Disclaimer: All items were purchased by me.  No one is paying me for this review. All opinions are my own

12 comments:

  1. Great news! Thanks for the information and chag sameach!

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    1. You're welcome, glad to let you know. Chag Sameach to you too:)

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  2. Where did you find it? I haven't seen it at Rami Levy or Mega.

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  3. Sorry you haven't been able to find it. I got mine at a Mega Bool but I saw it at a Shufesal Deal too. Did you check the health food section?

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  4. No, I haven't. I am going to Supersol tomorrow so I will. Thanks very much!

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  5. Hope you find it if not ask the department manager, I find that most of the supermarkets are usually really good at ordering things that I ask them for.

    Oh BTW I saw a press release for a stevia packets from Marmolight as well, I haven't tried them but my guess is they should be sort of similar if not exactly the same to the Sucrazit ones maybe you will have more luck finding the Marmolight one, let me know, Good Luck :)

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  6. I love this stevia, so good that I found this because I love coffee and cakes and thats spoons and cups of sugar. Ive now tried it for cooking, baking, coffee, tea and making ketchup. It does the job every time with better results than brown sugar or sucrazit with none of the artificial sweetners after taste. The problem of course is price which is beyond ridiculous. So what I do is I combine it with also using sugar. If I win the lottery or prices are cut in half, I'll move to stevia only.
    Guy

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    1. Smart idea mixing it with sugar but I find that I need so little of it to make things as sweet as I want them but for baking and cooking yes I can see it being good to mix with sugar.
      I have seen there are a few brands now that have a steiva but yeah the price needs to come down on all of them, but then again the price of many things really needs to be cut in half especially healthier items that are unfairly hiked up.

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    2. In sweet recipes like cookies where we'd need half a cup, a cup or two cups of sugar what we've done is used steiva and reduced the regular brown sugar to half because in most cases the sugar is still needed in its form for all the great baking qualities it adds. This way its much healthier without loosing the sweet taste and at least ~somewhat~ starts to justify their current price.

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  7. I am a bit confused. The ingredients say dextrose and stevia. Is this meant for diabetics or not?

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    1. Hi Rhea
      I am not sure if this product is meant for diabetics or not but I do know that "according to the American Diabetes Association. Dextrose is a type of sugar that may be used by diabetics in special circumstances"

      Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/469232-sugar-dextrose-diabetes/#ixzz1xNdr0EyL

      That having been said not all diabetics can have dextrose so I guess this would not be a good option for those that can not have it.

      The people I know who use stevia happen not to be diabetic but they don't want the calories that come with sugar or the chemicals that come with artificial sweeteners so this product is perfect for them.

      There are stevia packets from other companies now on the market here that I have not tried or looked at yet, It's possible they do not have the added dextrose so they may be the choice for diabetics, I have to read the ingredients next time I see them in the store.

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    2. Btw I noticed that the liquid version from this line does not have Dextrose in it, so I would think that could be good for diabetics.

      http://www.upsite.co.il/uploaded/images/1123_043d12b5071dd24f6fdb012f24f81662.jpg

      http://www.naturalsucrazit.co.il/product.html

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