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What is Stevia?

Stevia or "stevioside" is extracted from the Stevia Rebaudiana a sweet herbal plant used as a natural sugar substituttion. It's also called honey leaf. Unlike artificial sweeteners, it does not contain harmful chemicals and could actually help maintain normal blood sugar levels. Stevia may help in losing or managing weight as it contains no calories and it is not metabolized by the body. It reduces cravings for sweets and fatty foods. Stevia may be ideal for diabetics, as it does not cause the same rapid increase in blood glucose levels that sugar and ordinary carbohydrates do. Its mild anti-bacterial activity may make it effective against gum disease, sore throats and inhibits plaque and cavities.

It was originally used by the South American from the Guarani Paraguayan Indians few centuries ago, who used the herb to flavour bitter tribal beverages. In 1954 several research studies were conducted in Japan. Researchers found the extract is interesting, resulting in dozens of well-designed studies of its safety, chemistry and stability for use in different food products. In the 1970s, the Japanese government approved the plant, and food manufacturers began using stevia extracts to sweeten everything from soft drinks, deserts, candy, pickles, dried foods, pastries, pies, baking, jam, ice cream, dried sea foods, soy sauce, fruit juices, frozen deserts, chewing gum, chocolate and low-calorie food.  In addition to Japan it is now approved for use in ten other countries including Brazil, China, South Korea and Paraguay. In Canada, ground or powdered forms of the Stevia herb may be added to food products and may be distributed for food and beverage use. PepsiCo Inc. will actually launch a new line of drinks with stevia.