stevia

plural stevias

1. Any of the sweet herbs of genus Stevia, native to tropical and subtropical regions of South America and western North America.First known use 19th c.

   My absolute preference for a sweetener is the herb stevia—not the white crystalline extract, but the chopped green leaves. Stevia has no calories and does not cause any insulin response.

   2010, Sam Graci, The Food Connection: The Right Food at the Right Time, page 139

   2 more examples

   A naturally sweet herb called stevia is gaining in popularity as a sugar substitute, especially in beverages. Food additives must provide evidence of their safety and effectiveness before receiving FDA approval, and stevia lacks this approval for use as a sweetener because so little is known about its effects on human health, save that it can be absorbed by the human digestive tract.

   2006, Frances Sizer, Ellie Whitney, Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies, 10th edition, page 49

   Another natural sweetener comes from the stevia plant. In December 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave a “generally recognized as safe” status to Truvia and PureVia, both of which are wholly derived from the stevia plant and have no calories.

   2010, Rita Girouard Mertig, What Nurses Know...Diabetes, page 18

   Synonyms: sweetleaf, candy leaf, sugar leaf, sweet honey leaf, sweet herb of Paraguay

2. A sweetener, many times sweeter than an equal amount of sugar, extracted from Stevia rebaudiana, that can be substituted for sugar for some purposes.

   I added stevia and milk and washed an apple for breakfast.

   2018, Katherine Reynolds Lewis, The Good News About Bad Behavior: Why Kids Are Less Disciplined Than Ever — And What to Do About It, page 187

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   Stevia is a natural, non-fattening sweetener that is 30 to 100 times sweeter than sugar and without any of the aftertaste that is common in many sugar substitutes.

   2003, M. Sara Rosenthal, The Natural Woman's Guide to Living with the Complications of Diabetes, page 42

   Around 1970, Japan approved stevia as a sweetener and flavor enhancer, and, in the last 35 years of Japanese employment, not a single case of toxic or deleterious effect has been brought to light.

   2008, Jack Staub, 75 Exceptional Herbs for Your Garden, page 563

   Stevia is made from the leaves of a small shrub found largely in South America and China, and has been used by indigenous peoples for hundreds of years. It is considered one of the healthiest sweeteners available, and often used as a tonic for healing wounds.

   2011, Mary D Martino, Natural Health: Alternatives and Prevention of Disease, page 365

   Some examples of the sweeteners include aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and stevia. The W.H.O.’s announcement contradicts previous studies that have said these sweeteners don’t offer any health benefits but also do not cause harm.

   2023 May 15, April Rubin, “World Health Organization Warns Against Using Artificial Sweeteners”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 28 Aug 2023