Sugar leaf plant / Stevia by Dr.Ashraf Sahibzada
- 9 years ago
Common names include: stevia, sweet leaf, sweet herb of Paraguay, honey leaf, & sugar leaf
Increasing popularity of artificial sweeteners over the past 20 years
Demand for “natural” & “healthier” alternatives
Perfect social, political, & economic climate
Widespread use as a non-nutritive sweetener due to sweet leaves
Much debate over its use & health implications
Used extensively by native cultures of South America for centuries
First introduced to Europe by Spanish conquistadores in 16th century
Reintroduced in early 20th century to scientific community by Italian-Swiss botanist Dr. Moisés S. Bertoni
1905 – Bertoni classified & described stevia
Increasing popularity of artificial sweeteners over the past 20 years
Demand for “natural” & “healthier” alternatives
Perfect social, political, & economic climate
Widespread use as a non-nutritive sweetener due to sweet leaves
Much debate over its use & health implications
Used extensively by native cultures of South America for centuries
First introduced to Europe by Spanish conquistadores in 16th century
Reintroduced in early 20th century to scientific community by Italian-Swiss botanist Dr. Moisés S. Bertoni
1905 – Bertoni classified & described stevia