In the 1970's the Japanese developed a method of refining the sweet glycosides out of the stevia leaf, creating a new product called Stevioside, which is 300 times sweeter then sugar. While Stevioside does not affect blood glucose levels and is an excellent sweetener for both diabetics and hypoglycemics, it does not retain the other extraordinary healing benefits of stevia leaves and extract. Stevia is the sweetener of the future. Processed forms of pure Stevia can be 70-400 times sweeter than sugar. Whether these products are called Stevia, Stevioside, rebaudioside, Stevia Extract, or Stevia Concentrate, if they are in their in their pure, unadulterated form they do not adversely affect blood glucose levels and may be used freely by both diabetics and hypoglycemics.
Stevia is the most desirable sweetener.
In all of its current forms Stevia has a taste unique to itself. Along with its sweetness, there is also a bitter component. The poorer quality the leaf the more bitterness is evident in the taste. In good consumer products, however, this bitter flavor disappears as does the slight licorice taste of whole leaf products when appropriately diluted for consumption. Unlike artificial sweeteners , the sweet glycosides do not break down in heat which makes Stevia an excellent sweetener for cooking and baking.