Stevia rebaudiana - the natual sweetener

Stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana)

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is a plant with unusually sweet leaves, hence its other names such as sweetleaf, sweet leaf or sugarleaf. Millions of people around the world have been using it for many years as a sugar substitute. Stevia is an ideal alternative for every health-conscious consumer; for those who want to watch their weight and those who cannot or do not want to use sugar.

In brief, stevia has the following characteristics:

• It is a fully natural sweetener
• It has zero calories
• It is some 250-450 times as sweet as sweeter than sugar (sucrose)
• It is water and alcohol soluble
• It is heat resistant (up to 392 °F/200 °C) and can be used in cooking and baking
• It is pH stable (ph 3-9) in both acidic and alkaline solutions
• It can be stored for long periods
• It does not cause tooth decay
• It is safe for use by diabetics as it does not raise the blood glucose level
• It is safe for use by people suffering from phenylketonuria (PKU)
• Stevia is non-toxic; it has been tested on animals and used by humans without harmful side effects for many years
• Sweeteners made from stevia do not ferment
• The stevia plant can be easily cultivated in a garden or even in pots.