Stevia Leaf Powder – Organic

The Guarani Indians had known for centuries about the unique advantages of he-he (a native term which translates as “sweet herb”) — long before the invaders from the Old World were lured by the treasures of the New. These native people knew the leaves of the wild stevia shrub had a sweetening power unlike anything else; they commonly used the leaves to enhance the taste of bitter medicinal potions. The Spaniards chronicled the widespread native use of stevia in historical documents preserved in the Paraguayan National Archives in Asuncion. Historians noted that indigenous peoples had been sweetening potions with stevia leaves since ancient times. By the 1800s, daily stevia consumption had become well entrenched throughout the region — not just in Paraguay but also in neighboring Brazil and Argentina.

Dr. Moises Santiago Bertoni, director of the College of Agriculture in Asuncion, first learned what he described as “this strange plant” from Indian guides while exploring Paraguay’s eastern forests in 1887. It was 12 years before he was presented with tangible evidence — a packet of stevia fragments and broken leaves received from a friend who had gotten them from the mate plantations in the northeast. He subsequently announced his discovery of the “new species” in a botanical journal published in Asuncion.

Bertoni’s discovery was a turning point for stevia in one genuine sense. Whereas before 1900, it had grown only in the wild, with consumption limited to those with access to its natural habitat, it became ripe for cultivation. In 1908, a ton of dried leaves was harvested, the first stevia crop. Before long, stevia plantations began springing up, a development that corresponded with a marked reduction in the plant’s natural growth area due to the clearing of forests by timber interests and, to an extent, the removal of thousands of stevia plants for transplantation. Consequently, its use began to increase dramatically in and beyond Latin America.

Three years later, American Trade Commissioner George S. Brady presented stevia to the USDA as a “new sugar plant with great commercial possibilities.” Brady noted its nontoxicity and ability to be used in its natural state, with only drying and grinding required. He also claimed it was “an ideal and safe sugar for diabetics.”

Within the next few decades, however, the enterprising Japanese had discovered just how useful stevioside was. The Japanese banned or strictly regulated artificial sweeteners during the 1960s, consistent with a popular movement away from allowing chemicals in the food supply. They soon discovered the ideal substitute for sugar and its synthetic substitutes: refined stevia extracts.

In addition to demonstrating stevia’s nearly instant popularity in locales far removed from its native habitat, Japan’s experience proved several other significant facts about this phenomenal plant: its Adaptability and its safety. Adaptability was established through the discovery that the plant could be grown throughout most of this temperate island nation, albeit under special hothouse conditions. Studies were even initiated to evaluate the substitution of stevia for rice under cultivation in some areas. Stevia’s safety was proven through extensive scientific testing.

Some possible traditional uses of Raw Organic Stevia Leaf Powder may include:

1. May support healthy blood sugar levels
2. May support healthy blood pressure levels
3. May support those with diabetes
4. May support healthy skin
5. May possibly have antibacterial properties