Because stevia is natural and derived from the leaf of a plant, it doesn't contain any harmful chemicals often found in artificial sweeteners. Stevia is safe for diabetics, has been shown to help stop tooth decay, and has even been suggested by the World Health Organization to be used as a treatment for hypertension. By replacing sugar with stevia, consumers could doubtless decrease caloric intake, helping to reduce obesity and other associated health risks.

Stevia rebaudiana is a South American shrub that grows in semi-arid areas of Brazil and Paraguay. The leaves of the plant have been used for generations as a sweetener, originally by the Guarani people and more recently thru South America and East Asia. A campaign of intimidation against stevia companies by the FDA has so far prevented the sweetener from being licensed to be used in foods in the US or Europe, but it is presently sold as a supplement and has gained mainstream acknowledgment as a safe, natural, calorie-free sweetener.

Assorted writers have feted the flavor of the extracts, which has far less of the bitter after-taste prevalent in most noncaloric sweeteners. In addition to Japan, other governments have approved stevia and stevioside, including those of Brazil, China and South Korea, amongst others. Sadly, the US was going to be a different story. Stevia has been safely employed in this country for over 10 years, but some years back, the trouble started.

except for having no calories, stevia could also have some health benefits. The herb has been commonly used to treat diabetes in South America, and animal research has shown promising results. Human studies have reported decreases in blood sugar levels when stevia was taken in healthy volunteers, but there is currently a lack of decisive proof of effectiveness when employed in patients with diabetes. Further research is required in this area to approve these findings.

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