The species Stevia rebaudiana, native to Paraguay and commonly known as sweetleaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. An extract of the stevia plant, Rebaudioside A (“Reb A”) is a natural 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, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Medical research has also shown possible benefits of stevia in treating obesity and high blood pressure. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets.
In 2008, the United States approved rebaudioside A extract as a food additive.
