Stevia rebaudiana is plant belonging to the chrysanthemum family. It is native to South America. The leaves have been used for centuries by indigenous peoples, who added it to bitter medicines and teas. It has been shown in studies to inhibit the growth and reproduction of some bacteria that are responsible for tooth decay.
Some users report a decrease in desire for sweets and fatty foods.
Additionally, some users have reported that drinking Stevia tea or Stevia enhanced teas helped to reduce their desire for tobacco and alcoholic beverages. Today Stevia is commercially cultivated in South America and other countries around the world including China, Korea, and Malaysia. The leaves contain glycosides, which taste sweet, but do not provide calories. Steviosides and rebaudiosides are the major constituents of glucosides with differing sugar molecules attached, as found in the leaves of the Stevia plant. The major commercially used glycoside is called Stevioside, estimated to be 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar.