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Stevia: A Natural Sweentener

Added to the botanical archives in 1899, Stevia is native to Paraguay, South America. An ancient herb, Stevia ("honey leaf") has been used for centuries for a variety of purposes... as a sweener, for energy and blood sugar regulation, to help with digestion, and for skin, teeth and gums.

The whole leaf extract of the Stevia Plant is considered exceptionally healthful, both internally and externally. As a supplement to the diet, natural Stevia has shown to help balance blood sugar, lower high blood pressure, reduce one's craving for sweets and fats, and "turn off" hunger sensations.

The active ingredients of stevia are considered by leading food researchers as the sweeteners of the future. Stevia can be used in coffee, tea, or any beverage. It also appears to reduce the bacteria that causes tooth decay and gum disease. A good quality leaf is estimated to be 30 times sweeter than cane sugar, or sucrose.

Steviosides and rebaudiosides are the principal constituents as found in the leaves of the stevia plant. Extracted, they are currently being used as alternative sweeneners in several countries...Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Israel, Uraguay, Brazil, and Paraguay all utilize the Stevia plant. In Japan, utilization and commercialization of stevia was very rapid, primarily because of the ban of artificial sweeteners during the 1960's. In 1970 the Japanese National Institute of Health began investigation of the Stevia plant, and by 1980 it was being used in hundreds of food products throughout the country.