What is Stevia?
Stevia has its origin in Paraguay where the local Guarani people are using it since last 200 years .As a plant it is sweet / liquorice with a slight bitter aftertaste .The product we know as stevia is called ka’a he’e, meaning “the sweet herb,” in the Paraguayan language Guaraní. It’s native to only a small area in South America. There, Guaraní people have long used its licorice-flavored leaves as a medicinal herb to regulate blood sugar.
It was first studied by swiss Italian naturalist Moises bertoni and he noted ka’a he’e does not have any negative effect even in higher doses and provides more sweetness than the conventional sugar .
Stevia as a plant extract was first used by the Japanese in the 1970’s as a sweetener where it is still popular as before .