Stevia

Stevia (/ˈstiːvɪə/, /ˈstiːvjə/ or /ˈstɛvɪə/)^[1][2][3][4] is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), native tosubtropical and tropical regions from western North America to South America. The species Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sweetener and sugar substitute, stevia's taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations.

With its steviol glycoside extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar,^[5] stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to people oncarbohydrate-controlled diets.

The availability of stevia varies from country to country. In a few countries, it has been available as a sweetener for decades or centuries; for example, stevia has been widely used for decades as a sweetener in Japan. In some countries, health concerns and political controversies have limited its availability; for example, the United States banned stevia in the early 1990s unless labeled as a dietary supplement,^[6][7] but in 2008 it approvedrebaudioside A extract as a food additive. Over the years, the number of countries in which stevia is available as a sweetener has been increasing. In 2011, stevia was approved for use in the EU.

Folk medicine and research

For centuries, the Guaraní peoples of Paraguay used stevia, which they called ka'a he'ê ("sweet herb"), as a sweetener in yerba mate and cardiotonic medicinal teas.^[21] Current research has evaluated its effects on obesity^[22] and hypertension.^[23][24] Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, and may even enhance glucose tolerance;^[25] it may be useful as a natural sweetener for diabetics and others on carbohydrate-controlled diets.