What is Stevia?
If you’ve ever tasted stevia, you know it’s extremely sweet. In fact, this remarkable noncaloric herb, native to Paraguay, has been used as a sweetener and flavor enhancer for centuries. But this innocuous-looking plant has also been a focal point of intrigue in the United States in recent years because of actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The subject of searches and seizures, trade complaints and embargoes on importation, stevia has been handled at times by the FDA as if it were an illegal drug.
Stevia is a great sweetener for hot and cold drinks, and even better, it’s convenient. Pack Stevia in your purse or lunch bag for a zero-calorie sweet treat wherever you go.
Since the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), stevia can be sold legally in the United States, but only as a “dietary supplement.” Even so, it can be found in many forms in most health-food stores, and is also incorporated into drinks, teas and other items (all labeled as “dietary supplements”). It cannot, however, be called a “sweetener” or even referred to as “sweet.” To do so would render the product “adulterated,” according to the FDA, and make it again subject to seizure.
The purpose of this site is to provide as much information about stevia as possible, from the scientific studies regarding its safety to the petitions submitted by the Lipton Tea Company and the American Herbal Products Association.
History of Use
Kaa-he-e, Its Nature and Its Properties, by Dr. Moises N. Bertoni, Paraguayan Scientific Analysis, December 1905
The Guarani Indians had known for centuries about the unique advantages of kaa he-he (a native term which translates as “sweet herb”) — long before the invaders from the Old World were lured by the treasures of the New. These native people knew the leaves of the wild stevia shrub (a perennial indigenous to the Amambay Mountain region) to have a sweetening power unlike anything else; they commonly used the leaves to enhance the taste of bitter mate (a tea-like beverage) and medicinal potions, or simply chewed them for their sweet taste. The widespread native use of stevia was chronicled by the Spaniards in historical documents preserved in the Paraguayan National Archives in Asuncion. Historians noted that indigenous peoples had been sweetening herbal teas with stevia leaves “since ancient times.” In due course, it was introduced to settlers. By the 1800s, daily stevia consumption had become well entrenched throughout the region — not just in Paraguay, but also in neighboring Brazil and Argentina.
Like the discovery of America itself, however, credit for stevia’s “discovery” goes to an Italian. In this case, the explorer was a botanist whose initial unfamiliarity with the region (along with his difficulty in locating the herb) caused him to believe that he had stumbled onto a “little-known” plant.
A New World “Discovery”
Dr. Moises Santiago Bertoni, director of the College of Agriculture in Asuncion, first learned of what he described as “this very strange plant” from Indian guides while exploring Paraguay’s eastern forests in 1887. This area was not the herb’s native ‘growing ground.’ Consequently, Bertoni, by his own account, was initially “unable to find it.” It was 12 years before he was presented with tangible evidence — a packet of stevia fragments and broken leaves received from a friend who had gotten them from the mate plantations in the northeast. He subsequently announced his discovery of the “new species” in a botanical journal published in Asuncion.
Bertoni named the “new” variety of the Stevia genus in honor of a Paraguayan chemist named Rebaudi who subsequently became the first to extract the plant’s sweet constituent. “In placing in the mouth the smallest particle of any portion of the leaf or twig,” Bertoni wrote, “one is surprised at the strange and extreme sweetness contained therein. A fragment of the leaf only a few square millimeters in size suffices to keep the mouth sweet for an hour; a few small leaves are sufficient to sweeten a strong cup of coffee or tea.”
It wasn’t until 1903, however, that Bertoni discovered the live plant, a gift from the parish priest of Villa San Pedro. The following year, as he recounted, “the appearance of the first flowers enabled me to make a complete study” — the publication of which appeared in December, 1905, after an interruption caused by a civil war. What he found was enough to convince him that “the sweetening power of kaa he-e is so superior to sugar that there is no need to wait for the results of analyses and cultures to affirm its economic advantage…the simplest test proves it.”
By 1913, Bertoni’s earlier impression of what had now been dubbed Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni had undergone a change. What he had previously referred to as a “rare” and “little-known” plant had now become “famous” and “well-known.” The botanist’s initial misperception is explained by the Herb Research Foundation as being akin to that of a foreigner trying to find wild ginseng in the U.S., and coming to the erroneous conclusion that it is a rare plant when, in fact, it is widely prevalent — provided you know where to look. Further complicating the picture was the difficulty of traveling within Paraguay during the late 1800s, entailing “an upriver journey of many days by steamship.”
Raising Stevia – and the Stakes
Bertoni’s “discover” was a turning point for stevia in one very real sense (other than being identified, analyzed and given a name). Whereas prior to 1900 it had grown only in the wild, with consumption limited to those having access to its natural habitat, it now became ripe for cultivation. In 1908, a ton of dried leaves was harvested, the very first stevia crop. Before long, stevia plantations began springing up, a development that corresponded with a marked reduction in the plant’s natural growth area due to the clearing of forests by timber interests and, to an extent, the removal of thousands of stevia plants for transplantation (the growing of stevia from seed simply doesn’t work). Consequently, its use began to increase dramatically, both in and beyond Latin America.
As word of this unique sweet herb began to spread, so, too, did interest in its potential as a marketable commodity. That, in turn, raised concerns within the business community. Stevia was first brought to the attention of the U.S. government in 1918 by a botanist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture who said he had learned about stevia while drinking mate and tasted it years later, finding it to have a “remarkable sweetness.”
Three years later, stevia was presented to the USDA by American Trade Commissioner George S. Brady as a “new sugar plant with great commercial possibilities.” Brady took note of its nontoxicity and its ability to be used in its natural state, with only drying and grinding required. He also conveyed the claims that it was “an ideal and safe sugar for diabetics.” In a memo to the Latin American Division of the USDA, Brady further stated that he was “desirous of seeing it placed before any American companies liable to be interested, as it is very probable that it will be of great commercial importance.”
Stevia’s commercial potential, however, was already known to others who were less than happy about it. In 1913, a report from the official public laboratory of Hamburg, Germany, noted that “specimens received are of the well-known plant which alarmed sugar producers some years ago.”
Rediscovered in Japan
While nothing came of this early show of interest in the United States, an event occurred in France in 1931 that would later prove significant. There, two chemists isolated the most prevalent of several compounds that give the stevia leaf its sweet taste, a pure white crystalline extract they named stevioside. One U.S. government researcher, Dr. Hewitt G. Fletcher, described this extract as “the sweetest natural product yet found,” though adding, “It is natural to ask, ‘of what use is stevioside?’ The answer at this point is ‘none.’”
Within the next couple of decades, however, the enterprising Japanese had discovered just how useful stevioside really was. The Japanese either banned or strictly regulated artificial sweeteners during the 1960s, consistent with a popular movement away from allowing chemicals in the food supply. They soon discovered the ideal replacement for both sugar and its synthetic substitutes: refined stevia extracts.
Originally introduced to Japan in 1970 by a consortium of food-product manufacturers, stevioside and other stevia products quickly caught on. By 1988, they reportedly represented approximately 41% of the market share of potently sweet substances consumed in Japan. In addition to widespread use as a tabletop sweetener, like the packets of saccharin (“Sweet-n-Low”) and aspartame (“Equal”) commonly found in the United States, stevia was also used by the Japanese to sweeten a variety of food products, including ice cream, bread, candies, pickles, seafood, vegetables, and soft drinks.
In addition to demonstrating stevia’s nearly instant popularity in locales far removed from its native habitat, Japan’s experience proved several other significant facts about this phenomenal plant: its adaptability and its safety. Adaptability was proven through the discovery that the plant could be grown throughout most of this temperate island nation, albeit under special hothouse conditions. Studies were even initiated to evaluate the substitution of stevia for rice under cultivation in some areas. Stevia’s safety was proven through extensive scientific testing.
The spread of the stevia phenomenon was not limited to Japan. Today it is also grown and used in approximately 10 other countries outside South America, including China, Germany, Malaysia, Israel and South Korea. Stevia might by now be entrenched in the United States as well, had it not been for a concerted effort to block its very entry.
From “The Stevia Story: A tale of incredible sweetness & intrigue.”
Copyright, 2000 by Donna Gates
Varieties of Stevia
Stevia comes in many forms. Make your choice based on the amount of sweetness you want (white extract powders are the sweetest) and how well a particular recipe or beverage will be complemented by the licorice-like flavor of less-refined forms. Tip; You can’t replace sugar or honey on a cup-for-cup basis with stevia — the herb is much sweeter.
Fresh Stevia Leaves
This form of stevia is the herb in its most natural, unrefined state. A leaf picked from a stevia plant and chewed will impart an extremely sweet taste sensation reminiscent of licorice that lasts for quite a while.
For stevia to have a more practical application as a tea or sweetener, the leaves must be dried or put through an extraction process, which makes the sweet taste even more potent.
For more of the flavor and sweet constituents of the stevia leaf to be released, drying and crushing is necessary. A dried leaf is considerably sweeter than a fresh one, and is the form of stevia used in brewing herbal tea.
Dried stevia leaf may come in bulk or packaged like tea bags. You can also get it finely powdered. It has a greenish color and can be used in a wide variety of foods and beverages, including coffee, applesauce and hot cereals. You also can use it to make an herbal tea blend. Its distinctive flavor is reminiscent of licorice, which will blend very well with different aromatic spices, such as cinnamon and ginger.
The form in which stevia is primarily used as a sweetener in Japan is that of a white powdered extract. In this form it is approximately 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar (by weight).
This white powder is an extract of the sweet glycosides (natural sweetening agents) in the stevia leaf.
Not all stevia extract powders are the same. The taste, sweetness and cost of the various white stevia powders will likely depend on their degree of refinement and the quality of the stevia plant used. You may find that some powders have more of an aftertaste.
Since extracted stevia powder is so intensely sweet, we recommend that it be used by the pinch (or drop if diluted in water). Once mixed, this solution should be stored in the refrigerator.
These come in several forms. There’s a syrupy black liquid (that results from boiling the leaves in water), which can enhance the flavor of many foods. Another type is made by steeping stevia leaves in distilled water or a mix of water and grain alcohol. You can also find a liquid made from the white powder concentrate mixed with water, and preserved with grapefruit seed extract. Body Ecology offers only the highest quality stevia extract (95% rebaudioside crystals). This extract was developed by taking only the sweet-tasting rebaudioside crystals, leaving behind the licorice-like flavor from the leaves and creating the ideal alternative to synthetic sweeteners.
How to Grow Stevia
You need not be a South American planter to be a successful stevia grower. While the herb’s native locale may make it appear somewhat exotic, it has proved to be quite adaptable and capable of being cultivated in climate zones as diverse as Florida and southern Canada.
True, home-grown stevia may lack the potency of refined white stevia extract; whole stevioside content generally ranges from 81 to 91 percent, as compared to a leaf level of approximately 12 percent. But it can provide you with a quantity of freshly harvested stevia ‘tea leaves’ to augment your supply of commercial stevia sweeteners.
Organic gardeners in particular should find stevia an ideal addition to their yield. Though nontoxic, stevia plants have been found to have insect-repelling tendencies. Their very sweetness, in fact, may be a kind of natural defense mechanism against aphids and other bugs that find it not to their taste. Perhaps that’s why crop-devouring grasshoppers have been reported to bypass stevia under cultivation.
Then, too, raising stevia yourself, whether in your back yard or on your balcony, is another positive way you can personally (and quite legally) protest the wrongheaded government policies that have for so long deprived the American people of its benefits — a kind of contemporary Victory Garden.
Starting to Grow Stevia
It would be difficult, at best, to start a stevia patch from scratch — that is, by planting seeds. Even if you could get them to germinate, results might well prove disappointing, since stevioside levels can vary greatly in plants grown from seed.
The recommended method is rather to buy garden-ready ‘starter’ plants, which given stevia’s ‘growing’ popularity, may well be obtainable from a nursery or herbalist in your area — provided you’re willing to scout around a bit. If you’re not, or are unsuccessful in locating any, there are at least three growers of high-quality stevia who will ship you as many baby plants as you’d like.
Keep in mind that not all stevia plants are created equal in terms of stevioside content, and, hence, sweetness. It’s therefore a good idea to try to determine if the plants you’re buying have been grown from cuttings whose source was high in stevioside.
Because tender young stevia plants are especially sensitive to low temperatures, it’s important that you wait until the danger of frost is past and soil temperatures are well into the 50s and 60s before transplanting them into your garden.
Once you begin, it’s best to plant your stevia in rows 20 to 24 inches apart, leaving about 18 inches between plants. Your plants should grow to a height of about 30 inches and a width of 18 to 24 inches.
The Care and Feeding of Stevia
Stevia plants do best in a rich, loamy soil — the same kind in which common garden-variety plants thrive. Since the feeder roots tend to be quite near the surface, it is a good idea to add compost for extra nutrients if the soil in your area is sandy.
Besides being sensitive to cold during their developmental stage, the roots can also be adversely affected by excessive levels of moisture. So take care not to overwater them and to make sure the soil in which they are planted drains easily and isn’t soggy or subject to flooding or puddling.
Frequent light watering is recommended during the summer months. Adding a layer of compost or your favorite mulch around each stevia plant will help keep the shallow feeder roots from drying out.
Stevia plants respond well to fertilizers with a lower nitrogen content than the fertilizer’s phosphoric acid or potash content. Most organic fertilizers would work well, since they release nitrogen slowly.
Gathering Autumn Stevia Leaves
Harvesting should be done as late as possible, since cool autumn temperatures and shorter days tend to intensify the sweetness of the plants as they evolve into a reproductive state. While exposure to frost is still to be avoided, covering the plants during an early frost can give you the benefit of another few weeks’ growth and more sweetness.
When the time does come to harvest your stevia, the easiest technique is to cut the branches off with pruning shears before stripping the leaves. As an extra bonus, you might also want to clip off the very tips of the stems and add them to your harvest, as they are apt to contain as much stevioside as do the leaves.
If you live in a relatively frost-free climate, your plants may well be able to survive the winter outside, provided you do not cut the branches too short (leaving about 4 inches of stem at the base during pruning). In that case, your most successful harvest will probably come in the second year. Three-year-old plants will not be as productive and, ideally, should be replaced with new cuttings.
In harsher climates, however, it might be a good idea to take cuttings that will form the basis for the next year’s crop. Cuttings need to be rooted before planting, using either commercial rooting hormones or a natural base made from willow tree tips, pulverized onto a slurry in your blender. After dipping the cuttings in such a preparation, they should be planted in a rooting medium for two to three weeks, giving the new root system a chance to form. They should then be potted — preferably in 4.5-inch pots — and placed in the sunniest and least drafty part of your home until the following spring.
Unlocking the Sweetness in Your Harvest
Once all your leaves have been harvested you will need to dry them. This can be accomplished on a screen or net. (For a larger application, an alfalfa or grain drier can be used, but about the only way an average gardener might gain access to such a device is to borrow it from a friendly neighborhood farmer). The drying process is not one that requires excessive heat; more important is good air circulation. On a moderately warm fall day, your stevia crop can be quick dried in the full sun in about 12 hours. (Drying times longer than that will lower the stevioside content of the final product.) A home dehydrator can also be used, although sun drying is the preferred method.
Crushing the dried leaves is the final step in releasing stevia’s sweetening power. This can be done either by hand or, for greater effect, in a coffee grinder or in a special blender for herbs. You can also make your own liquid stevia extract by adding a cup of warm water to 1/4 cup of fresh, finely-crushed stevia leaves. This mixture should set for 24 hours and then be refrigerated.
Growing Stevia Without Land
Just because you live within the confines of an apartment or condominium doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the benefits of stevia farming. This versatile plant can be grown either in pots on your balcony or any sunny spot, or else in a hydroponic unit. Stevia plants also do quite well in “container gardens.” A 10″ to 12″ diameter container filled with a lightweight growing mix is an ideal size for each plant. A little mulch on the top will help retain the moisture in the shallow root zone. A properly fertilized hydroponic unit or container garden can provide you with as much stevia as an outdoor garden, if not more.
Sources for Mail-Order Stevia Plants
The Herbal Advantage is a Missouri herb supplier offering 2 1/4″ pot size stevia plants ready for planting in your garden. For information and prices, call 417-753-4000, or write to them at 131 Bobwhite Rd., Rogersville, MO 65742
Richter’s Herbs, a Canadian business, offers plants in 2 1/2″ pots via courier to customers in the U.S. and Canada. For information and prices, call (800) 668-4372, or write them at 357 Durham 47, Goodwood, Ontario L0C-1A0
Well Sweep Herb Farm is another source offering plants in 3″ pots either via mail order or to customers who stop by. It is located at 205 Mt. Bethel Road, Port Murray, NJ 07865 or can be reached at (908) 852-5390
Reprinted from The Stevia Story, copyright 1997 by Donna Gates. Photos courtesy Agriculture Canada.
Cooking with stevia does require a learning curve, but since the advantages of reducing sugar in your diet (as well as eliminating your consumption of aspartame and other artificial sweeteners) are so important, it’s well worth the effort.
The most important thing to remember is not to use too much, which can result in excessive sweetness and an aftertaste. Always start with the exact amount called for in a recipe, or even a little less, then taste before you add any more. Stevia is delicious in almost any recipe using fruit or dairy products, but does present a bit of a challenge when used for baking, since it lacks sugar’s abilities to add texture, help soften batter, caramelize, enhance the browning process, and feed the fermentation of yeast. On the other hand, one of the excellent facets of stevia is that high temperatures do not affect its sweetening properties.
You may find that mixing stevia with other sweeteners, like honey or maple syrup, is a good way to start using stevia. It will enable you to reduce the amounts of these other sweeteners (as well as calories) while getting used to cooking with this wonderful herb. The recipes we’ll be posting here call for the white stevia powder or the liquid concentrate made from that powder. Other varieties of stevia can be used in cooking as well, but require different amounts. Also, keep in mind that dried or powdered leaves will not dissolve in liquids, and thus are not suitable for beverages.
Stevia Conversion Chart
|Sugar amount||Equivalent Stevia powdered extract||Equivalent Stevia liquid concentrate|
|1 cup||1 teaspoon||1 teaspoon|
|1 tablespoon||1/4 teaspoon||6 to 9 drops|
|1 teaspoon||A pinch to 1/16 teaspoon||2 to 4 drops|
From The Stevia Cookbook, copyright 1999 Ray Sahelian and Donna Gates
Let’s say you’ve decided to substitute stevia for the sugar in some of your favorite recipes. How do you determine the amount to use? Unfortunately, we can’t give you an exact answer for several reasons. Very sour foods like cranberries and lemons need more sweetener than a pie baked with apples or pears, which are naturally sweet. Then there’s personal preference. Some people like their foods sweeter than others. There’s also a cultural difference. As a rule, Americans like their foods sweet.
To complicate matters even further, there are a number of different companies that make stevia. The quality, flavor, and sweetness varies from product to product. Your best option is to try a few different brands and choose the one you like best. Some companies combine pure stevia powder with maltodextrin or another filler. While such products are still sweet, they don’t compare in strength to the pure powder.
Although different stevia products offer different levels of sweetness, we have provided approximate stevia equivalencies. When substituting stevia for sugar, use the following chart to determine proper amounts. Remember, these equivalents are approximate.
When you need only the smallest amount of sweetener to flavor a cup of tea or coffee, for example, you may find the stevia powder a little difficult to adjust. Even the tiny amount you may gather onto the point of a dinner knife might make that cup of tea or coffee too sweet. For this reason, we recommend turning the powder into a “working solution.”
Dissolve one teaspoon of white powder in three tablespoons of filtered water. Pour the solution into a dropper-style bottle and refrigerate. You can also buy ready-made stevia liquid concentrate from your local health food store.
The stevia powder referred to in this chart is the pure form, or the liquid made from the pure powder.
Yield: 10 8-ounce servings
- 2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 8 cups water
- 2 teaspoons stevia liquid concentrate
- ice cubes
- lemon for garnish
- Combine all of the ingredients in a pitcher and stir until well blended
- Pour into ice-filled 10-ounce glasses, garnish with lemon slices, and serve.
From The Stevia Cookbook, copyright 1999
by Ray Sahelian and Donna Gates
Yield: 8-ounce serving
- 3 ounces ginger syrup (see below)
- 5 ounces sparkling mineral water
- ice cubes
- Pour the syrup into a 10-ounce glass and add the ice cubes.
- Slowly add the sparkling water. Stir and serve.
With minimum effort, you can make this flavorful stevia-sweetened syrup to have on hand whenever you’re in the mood for a refreshing glass of sparkling ginger ale.
Yield: approx. 4 cups
- 4 cups water
- 4-or 5-inch piece fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon white stevia powder
- 2 tablespoons vanilla flavoring
- 1 tablespoon lemon extract
- Peel and finely chop the ginger
- Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the ginger and stevia, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Strain the liquid into a heatproof container, and stir in the vanilla and lemon
- Covered and refrigerated, this syrup will keep for several days.
From The Stevia Cookbook, copyright 1999 Ray Sahelian and Donna Gates
Pina Colada Smoothie
YIELD: TWO 8-OUNCE SERVINGS
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple juice
1/3 cup plain yogurt, or kefir
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
1 teaspoon coconut flavoring
1/8 teaspoon white stevia powder, or to taste
- Place all of the ingredients in a blender and whip on high speed for 30 seconds
- Serve immediately.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: About 4 dozen
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon white stevia powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside.*
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder, and set aside.
- Place the egg, stevia, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl, and beat well with a wooden spoon or an electric hand-held mixer. Slowly add the butter, continuing to beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well with a wooden spoon after each addition. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Drop heaping teaspoons of batter on the cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown.
* Instead of greasing a cookie sheet, you can cover it with parchment paper, which makes for quick and easy cleanup.
From The Stevia Cookbook, copyright 1999 Ray Sahelian and Donna Gates.
Hot Breakfast Porridge
Whatever the weather is where you live, we know you’ll enjoy this delicious hot breakfast porridge. The stevia and vanilla flavoring make it taste more like a dessert, but it’s a very healthful way to start your day (especially if you add the flax seed oil).
Note: These recipes call for the white stevia powder or the liquid concentrate made from that powder.
Yield: Makes 2 large bowls or 4 smaller servings
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup quinoa flakes
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 12 drops stevia liquid concentrate
- 1 Tbs. butter or coconut oil
- 2 tsp. vanilla flavoring
- 1 tsp. flax seed oil (optional but very healthy)
- Bring water to boil in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add next five ingredients. Cover and reduce heat to very low. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before adding vanilla flavoring and flax seed oil.
From The Stevia Cookbook, copyright 1999 Ray Sahelian and Donna Gates
Stevia Sources and Links
The Stevia Story – A tale of incredible sweetness & intrigue by Linda and Bill Bonvie and Donna Gates.Just as its title says, this book tells the complete story of this sweet herb from its history of use with the Guarani Indians to its ‘rediscovery’ by much of the civilized world and the campaign against it carried on by the FDA. Also included are nine recipes and a description of the various forms of stevia now available. $6.95. To order, call 800-511-2660.
The Stevia Cookbook: Cooking with natures calorie-free sweetener by Ray Sahelian, M.D. and Donna Gates.Okay, now that you know what stevia is, how do you take advantage of it? This is your answer; over 100 stevia recipes covering a complete variety of dishes from breakfast and dinner fare to appetizers and desserts. $13.95. To order, call 800-511-2660.
Body Ecology’s Premium Stevia Liquid Concentrate. Body Ecology offers only the highest quality stevia extract (95% rebaudioside crystals). This extract was developed by taking only the sweet-tasting rebaudioside crystals, leaving behind the licorice-like flavor from the leaves and creating the ideal alternative to synthetic sweeteners.
- Cooking With Stevia: “Nature’s answer to sugar-free and chemical-free cooking.” Check out the “stevia kitchen” for some great recipes, stevia books, and the stevia petition.
- The Aspartame Toxicity Information Center
- The Cultivation of Stevia, “Nature’s Sweetener” All about growing stevia in southern Ontario from OMAFRA, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
- Stevia.info A non-profit project dedicated to providing accurate and credible information about stevia, the all-natural, zero-calorie sweetener.