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Stevia A Healthy Alternative To Sugar

Stevia is a natural sweetener and sugar substitute made from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana, native to Paraguay and Brazil. It's about 100 to 300 times sweeter than table sugar, but it has no carbohydrates, calories, or artificial ingredients. Not everyone likes the way it tastes. Stevia sweeteners are safe to consume. They are one of eight types of low- and no-calorie sweeteners permitted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the U.S. food supply. The plant Stevia rebaudiana has been used for more than 1,500 years by the Guarani peoples of South America, who called it ka'a he'e (''sweet herb''). The leaves have been used traditionally for hundreds of years in both Paraguay and Brazil to sweeten local teas and medicines and as a ''sweet treat''. The stevia plant is a source of sweetness that does not contain calories. The primary components responsible for stevia's sweetness--steviol glycosides--are in their leaves. This photo was taken at Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Sargachi at Beldanga, West Bengal; India on 22/6/2023. (Photo by Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto)

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