stevioside & health benefits day 19

Unlike sugar consumption, which causes osteoporosis, eating stevia benefits the health of your bones. A Japanese patent application for possible osteoporosis treatment with stevia suggests that the sweetener may help promote absorption of calcium in the body and help improve bone density. The Japanese researchers investigated how stevia benefits bone strength when used as a medicinal herb in a study involving farmed chickens. The study revealed that chickens fed food with added stevia have dramatically reduced eggshell breakage.  First, farmers provided their chickens extra calcium, but it had no effect on their eggshells as the chickens’ calcium metabolism could not keep up with their egg production. However, the farmers then gave their chickens stevia powder. The results indicated calcium metabolism increased substantially and only 2 to 3% of the total eggshells broke – all without a decrease in egg production.