Stevioside (stevia)
Stevia is a plant that has been used for thousands of years. Its use was first recorded in South American tribes, where it was used to sweeten tea and was believed to have healing properties. This natural sweetener is 300 times sweeter than sugar, so only a little bit is needed each time.
Two main components are extracted from the leaves of stevia, which determine the sweetness of stevia:
1. Stevioside: It has a sweet taste and a licorice aftertaste.
2. Rebaudioside: It is the main component of highly refined stevioside products and has a sweet taste, but without the taste of licorice.
While these extracted stevia ingredients may be healthier than other chemical sweeteners, stevia whole plant extract should be a healthier choice.

Monk fruit (Figure 3)
A melon-like fruit native to Southeast Asia, where it has been harvested and eaten for hundreds of years. Similar to stevia, monk fruit is a natural sweetener that does not get its sweetness entirely from sugar. Instead, monk fruit contains sweet compounds called mogrosides that are 300 times sweeter than sugar, without the drawbacks. monk Fruit Extract has entered the US market, sometimes mixed with other artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols, which is very deceptive. Too many companies deceive consumers by advertising their products as "containing only 100% mogrosides." Be aware that your favorite sweetener may also be the case.

Stevioside vs. mogroside:
Both are excellent alternatives to sugar-based and chemical-based sweeteners on the market. Although there are other good alternatives to processed and artificial sweeteners (such as coconut palm sugar), this author always considers stevioside and mogroside to be the best. The reasons are as follows:
1. Blood sugar response
One of the main reasons the author believes these two natural sweeteners are superior is that they have no effect on blood sugar. This means that not only do they not cause blood sugar imbalance, they can also be safely used in people with diabetes. It is also keto-friendly.
Stevioside has been found to be good for blood sugar balance in animal and human studies. In addition to not increasing blood sugar, some new evidence shows that it can even improve the insulin signaling pathway.
Mogroside also has the effect of stabilizing blood sugar. Although there are fewer studies on mogroside, preliminary studies show that it is expected to improve the insulin signaling pathway by protecting pancreatic insulin-secreting cells from oxidation.
2. Nutritional value
Another important reason why the author likes natural sweeteners is that they not only subtract harmful sugars from the diet, but also provide a range of nutrients. Not only do you get the benefits of reducing sugar, but you also add nutrition from it without the side effects. Stevioside is a diverse source of nutrients, containing polyphenols, carotenoids, chlorophyll and amino acids. Mogroside contains flavonoids, amino acids, polysaccharides and triterpenes.