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
