Stevia commonly known as
sweetleaf or sugarleaf (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni), is found mainly in subtropical and tropical regions of South America and Central America. Stevia is a genus that has 150 species of shrubs and herbs and belongs to the sunflower family. Though it is used as a sugar substitute, the taste of
stevia has a slower onset and lasts longer than that of sugar. Some of its extracts however, have a bitter taste at high concentrations. The leaves contain food values like carbohydrates, proteins, zinc, calcium and vitamins A and C.
For hundreds of years
Stevia leaves have been used by natives of Brazil and Paraguay as a sweetner. It is known as a sweet herb used in medicinal tea for curing heartburns and other ailments. The plant along with its sweetness was first described by Swiss botanist Moisés Santiago Bertoni but it was only in 1931 that the glycosides were isolated by two French chemists. The compounds which gave stevia its sweet taste were identified as stevioside and rebaudioside. These compunds are about 300 times sweeter than sucrose. Japan was one of the first countries to cultivate
stevia as an alternative sweetner to saccharin and cyclamate. Morita Kagaku Kogyo Co was the first company of Japan to produce commercial stevia sweetner in 1971. Since then Japan has been using stevia in food and soft drinks.
Stevia is today vigorously used as a sweetner not only in Japan but is also available in the US and Canada as a dietary supplement but not as a food additive.
Stevia is also believed to have some medicinal values as well. Medical research has shown the effective use of
stevia in conditions of high blood pressure and obesity. It also acts as a natural sweetner to carbohydrate-controlled diets and diabetics since it is said to increase glucose tolerance.
Stevia is now popular in other east Asian countries like Korea, China, Malayasia, Taiwan and Thailand. In South America,
stevia is not only restricted to Brazil and Paraguay but can also be found in Saint Kitts and Nevis. China is now the world’s largest exporter of stevioside.
Stevia is grown in the wild semi-arid regions ranging from grassland to mountain terrain.
