Nirvana Health Products

Nirvana Stevia - Herbal Extract Sweetener

* Zero Calories * Zero Carbs * Zero GI

Australia’s Favourite All-Natural Alternative to Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners that is actually good for you and tastes great too!

Stevia is a 100% natural alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners and at Nirvana Organics® our Stevia is the best tasting and highest quality product on the market. Stevia, found in the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant, has been used for centuries in South America, and now the secret of this deliciously sweet herb has spread to the rest of the world.  Nirvana Organics® superior Stevia is certified organic and has been grown, processed and extracted without the use of chemicals, making it the healthy substitute to sugar and artificial sweeteners. 

With no calories or carbohydrates, and a Zero GI, Stevia has become the new product of choice for those wishing to control their blood-sugar levels and for followers of weight management programs. Now you can have the sweet taste you love, without the worries of calories, carbs, spikes in blood-sugar levels or nasty additives! 

Our chemical-free Stevia is available in tablets, liquid concentrates, 100% pure extract powder and our new easy-measure spoonable powder.  With a diverse range of strengths, packaging and dispensing options, Nirvana Organics® has all your Stevia needs covered, and we are sure we have the perfect naturally sweet Stevia for you!

•100% natural, certified organic and has NO NASTY additives
• Highest quality and best tasting Stevia on the market
• Ideal for weight-management and blood-sugar levels
• Available in tablets, liquid concentrates, 100% pure extract powder and NEW easy- measure SPOONABLE STEVIA powder
• Easy, innovative and convenient packaging options– great for busy people on the go!
Manufactured/packed in Australia by an Australian owned company

For more information about the amazing benefits of Stevia please follow these links;

A study on the Antihyperglycemic Effects of Stevioside in Type 2 Diabetic Subjects;
http://www.steviainfo.com/research_articles/Gregersen%20et%20al%20(2004).pdf

The Food Standards of Australia and New Zealand’s report approving Stevia as a sweetener;
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/FAR_A540_Steviol_glycosides.pdf

Stevia FAQ

Q. Where does Nirvana Stevia® come from?

A. Nirvana Stevia® is extracted from the Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni plant. The leaves of the stevia plant have been used for centuries in Brazil and Paraguay to sweeten food and drink. Stevia has been embraced as a sugar substitute and food additive in many countries around the world. Steviol Glycosides, which are the sweetening properties extracted from the Stevia plant, are now an approved intense tale top sweetener by FSANZ (Foods Standards Australia New Zealand) in Australia and New Zealand.

Q. Does Nirvana Stevia® products contain any harmful additives?

A. NO. There are no harmful additives. Nirvana Stevia® uses only the highest quality, best tasting Certified Organic Stevia. Nirvana Stevia has NO: calories, carbs, sugar, artificial sweeteners, fat, wheat, yeast, soy, milk derivatives, added flavours, artificial colourings and no toxic chemicals.

Q. Does Nirvana Stevia® taste good?

A. Yes. Most people love the taste of good quality Stevia. High quality Stevia, like that used in Nirvana Stevia® does NOT have the grassy or slightly bitter after taste that has been reported in some other Stevia products on the market.

Q. How much Nirvana Stevia® should I use?

A. In it natural extract form, Stevia is many times sweeter than sugar – so you need far less to get to your preferred level of sweetness. To help you use the correct amount, Nirvana Stevia® is available in tablet and liquid form so you don’t have to worry about using too much. We even have convenient pocket size containers that are easy to carry in your handbag.

Q. Is Nirvana Stevia® suitable for people who need to monitor and manage blood sugar levels?

A. Yes. Unlike sugar, Stevia does not trigger a rise in blood sugar levels. You do not get a sudden burst of energy followed by fatigue and the subsequent need for another “fix”. Studies suggest that Stevia has a regulatory effect on the pancreas and could help stabilize blood sugar levels in the body. If in any doubt please consult your doctor.

Q. Can Nirvana Stevia® replace sugar in the diet?

A. Yes. Refined sugar is virtually devoid of nutritional benefits and, at best, represents empty calories in the diet. At worst, sugar has been implicated in some degenerative disease. For example, we are all aware of the dramatic increase in the incidence of excess body fat – in adults and children, and replacing sugar is one suggested solution.

Q. Has Stevia been used in cooking and baking?

A. Yes. Stevia has been used in cooking in South America for centuries. Whilst Stevia has grown in popularity in many countries around the world, it is Japan that represents and interesting example. It has been reported that artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, have been banned in Japan for over 30 years and natural Stevia is being used in over 40% of the country’s food products. Stevia has been used in Japan in several major packaged-goods brands.

Q. What is the best Stevia product to use for cooking and baking?

A. For easy measuring and cooking with Stevia, we have introduced our new Stevia Slim Spoonable Powder™. Blended with Erythritol (the most superior naturally derived sugar substitute that looks and tastes very much like sugar), one teaspoon of our Stevia Spoonable™ equals the sweetness of two teaspoons of sugar - making it ideal of cooking delicious treats, including pastries, cakes, biscuits, muffins and pancakes or for flavouring desserts like ice-cream and custard. You can even create your own natural, sugar-free drinks and health shakes. It has been reported that artificial sweeteners have been banned in Japan for more than 30 years.

The Stevia Story

Stevia Rebaudiana is an outstanding sweet tasting herb that has remarkable health promoting qualities, contains zero calories and it is absolutely safe to use. Approved in Australia as a safe food additive by FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand). The glycosides in its leaves (Steviosides/Rebaudiosides) account for its incredible sweetness, making it unique among the nearly 300 species of Stevia plants. A good quality Stevia product has a taste that has been described as sweet, delicious and refreshing. Some people experience a slight licorice aftertaste, but generally high quality Stevia contains very little of this aftertaste.

Stevia is a small shrub that is native to North Eastern Paraguay and adjacent sections of Brazil in South America, where the Native Guarani Indians have used it for over 1500 years as a sweetener, a digestive aid, a tonic and as a topical aid in wound healing.

In the late 1880's a scientist named Antonio Bertoni discovered Stevia in Paraguay and announced his discovery of this species in a botanical journal and was credited with "discovering" Stevia, hence the botanical name "Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni." Since then, there has been a steady growth in the popularity of Stevia outside of South America, to the extent that it is now being consumed in North America, China, Japan, Malaysia, Israel, South Korea, the whole Pacific Rim and now in Australia.

Stevia has many favourable and exciting health benefits and is completely non-toxic. The herb is nutrient rich, containing substantial amounts of calcium, phosphorous, as well as sodium, magnesium, zinc, rutin, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and over 100 phytonutrients.

Stevia is also being used as an aid to weight loss and weight management, since it contains zero calories and reduces the craving for sweet and fatty foods and therefore weight-watchers love it. It is ideal for children as it prevents tooth decay and cavities.

Unlike sugar, it does not trigger a rise in blood sugar levels. You won’t get a sudden burst of energy followed by fatigue and a need for another "fix". Studies suggest that Stevia has a regulatory effect on the pancreas and could help stabilize blood sugar levels in the body, making it a wise choice for the people with diabetes and hypoglycemia. It increases energy, aids digestion and gastrointestinal functions and has many other health benefits.

It has been reported that artificial sweeteners have been banned in Japan for more than 30 years. The Japanese are one of the greatest consumers of Stevia and it is now estimated that in Japan Stevia is being used in over 30% of their food products. In Japan Stevia is used in Coca Cola for its Diet Coke, by Sunkist and Nestle as a sweetener and by Wrigleys in their sugar free gums. Stevia leaves vary widely in quality depending on where the plant is grown. Other than its native countries Paraguay and Brazil in South America, Stevia is also being cultivated in a number of countries including Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia and China.

Brazil, China and South Korea closely follow Japan in Stevia consumption, with over 400 tonnes of Stevia consumed per country each year. Introduced to South Korea in 1973, Stevia currently accounts for 40% of the sweetener market and it is being used more widely in the food industry as a sugar substitute than any other alternative sweetener, for products from ice cream to sweetened beverages.

Stevia has been reported to have a variety of tastes. The degree to which those flavors and aftertastes are present are based on the the region in which Stevia is grown, environmental factors, including soil, irrigation methods, sunlight, air purity, farming practices, processing, degree of refinement, extraction methods and storage conditions. All these factors can influence the quality and taste of a Stevia product. Bacterial and fungal contamination can be a problem and one must be careful about the original source of the Stevia. Generally Stevia plants that are grown in its natural habitat or grown via strict certified organic guidelines are of superior quality and taste.

Stevia comes in many forms. Fresh Stevia leaves and dried crushed leaf are Stevia in its most natural state. These are 15 to 30 times sweeter than sugar, green in colour and not water soluble. Liquid forms made from whole leaf are very dark in colour, almost black and come in different purity and strengths. READ LABELS CAREFULLY, some contain chemical additives and some liquids contain alcohol. Generally speaking the white extract powder is more pleasant with only a slight and negligible aftertaste and is available in different strengths and purities. Stevia extracts range between 150 to 300 times sweeter than sugar and come in either powder form, or are manufactured into tablets or clear liquid (liquids need refrigeration if they do not contain preservatives and/or alcohol).

REMEMBER a good quality Stevia extract does not have the grassy or slightly bitter aftertaste that sometimes have been reported with the use of Stevia.

Enjoy the sweetness, taste and health benefits of good quality Stevia products without the guilt and worry of consuming sugar and other sweeteners.