STEVIA

Stevia, also called Meethi Tulsi or Sweet leaf, is flowering plant in the aster family (Asteraceae). Stevia is a sweet sugar substitute extracted from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana. The sweet taste of Stevia is due to non-caloric molecules called Steviol glycosides.  Stevia has 100 to 300 times the sweetness of sugar. Stevia is heat-stable, pH-stable, and not fermentable. Stevia is used in sugar- and calorie-reduced food and beverage products as an alternative for sugar.