First off, stevia isn’t an artificial sweetener in the way you think. It’s a sweetener, extracted from the Stevia rebaudiana plant, originally from Paraguay and Brazil – and it’s much sweeter than sugar. Here are the three body benefits you score when you add it to your fave warm beverage…

1. It’s Kilojoule-Free

This means that you could add stevia to your hot cocoa, tea or coffee, with no extra kilojoules, making it a great way to reduce your sugar intake (aren’t we all trying to do that?) and manage your weight (bonus!). Plus, since it’s so much sweeter than sugar, you need less of it to sweeten your tea.

2. It Won’t Spike Your Blood Sugar

Sugars like agave, honey and cane sugar spike your blood glucose levels. But stevia and sucralose aren’t metabolised in the same way, so they won’t create an insulin response, making it safer for diabetics.

3. It Could Lower Your Cholesterol

One 2009 study gave healthy women between the ages of 40 and 60 400ml of stevia extract daily for a month. The study found that the women had lowered LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, while the HLD (“good”) cholesterol levels had increased.

Try Equal With Stevia In Your Next Drink

Equal Stevia, a natural blended sweetener, promises excellent taste with none of the kilojoules. It’s kosher, gluten-free, partly natural and contains Reb A, which is extracted from the leaves of the stevia plant and is more than 200 times sweeter than ordinary sugar. Try this delicious chocolate-almond coffee with Equal With Stevia the next time you get a cocoa craving.

Chocolate-Almond Coffee

Mix the following ingredients together until well blended: 1 cup strongly brewed hot coffee, 2 sachets Equal With Stevia (or to taste), 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/4 tsp almond extract. That’s it. Simple. And delish.