Stevia is now grown commercially and used throughout much of the world, from its native South America to the Far East, including such countries as Brazil , China , Israel and South Korea . Stevia extracts have also been widely used to sweeten various food items marketed in these countries by such well-known corporations as Coca-Cola and Beatrice Foods. In the U.S. the story has been somewhat different. During the 1980s, just as Stevia was on the verge of being utilized in various products, the Food and Drug Administration sought to discourage its consumption by means of an “import alert”. This was not in response to any health-related complaints, but apparently due to a “trade complaint” filed by a large unidentified company. Since the passage of the 1994 Dietary Supplement and Education Act, however, Stevia has been available here as a dietary supplement – only without any direct reference permitted on the label to its use as a sweetener. But that’s something that many consumers have since been able to discover for themselves, with a little help from the Internet and a number of informative publications offering a wealth of information on the herb’s role as a safe and beneficial sweetening agent.What many of Stevia’s users may not have known, however, are the various health benefits long attributed to it, which are finally beginning to get the attention they deserve. Recent studies, for instance, suggest that Stevia may help fight infections, has a regulating effect on the pancreas and may help to stabilize blood sugar levels, which would make it ideally suited for diabetics and those suffering from hypoglycemia, as well as candidiasis. Traditionally, it has also been used as a tonic for the heart, as a means of lowering hypertension and uric acid levels, and to alleviate acidity and excess gas. Many users, in fact, have come to regard it as something that helps them to maintain a “perfect health balance”. According to a recent report on Stevia, authored by two Japanese researchers, the herb possesses, among other health-enhancing attributes, “extremely strong anti-oxidizing power” and “is reported to have the power to dissolve and detoxify dioxin, nicotine, and histamine,” a cause of allergies.

In addition, Stevia is a major source of superoxide dismutase (SOD), one of three enzymes known to generate significant anti-oxidant activity, making it an important anti-cancer factor. In fact, research on cancerous cells have shown them to be either deficient or totally lacking in SOD, which is also present in wheat grass. Anti-oxidants such as SOD have the ability to mop up free radicals and thus to reduce or avoid cell mutation, which is part of the first stage of cancer formation.What this all means is that by supplementing your diet with either Stevia or wheat grass; you’ll almost certainly be helping to prevent or alleviate the conditions that can lead to the formation of cancerous growths. In essence, Stevia may be the natural solution to the many health problems — especially the current prevalence of obesity and diabetes — that have been associated with excessive sugar consumption and artificial sweeteners. It’s a solution that was there all along, with none of the added health concerns that have been created by the development of artificial sweeteners.

While Stevia is intensely sweet (necessitating the use of only small amounts), it is often known to leave a slight aftertaste. This is due to the presence of high amounts of stevioside, one of the glycosides contained in the Stevia leaf. However we will now be able to offer either of these 2 different specific products: our “Super-Sweet Stevia” to meet a growing customer demand of our Stevia products include white Stevia extract powder (1 lb. = about 300 lb. sugar) and green Stevia leaf (1 lb. = about 100 lb. sugar). The green Stevia leaf is available in powder forms. The white powder, which dissolves completely in hot or cold liquid, makes an ideal tabletop sweetener. The leaf forms are best for cooking or baking, and retain all the medicinal benefits of the Stevia plant. The leaf variety is also highly recommended as a sweetener when brewing teas.