If you want a treat that’s sweet as sugar (without the actual sugar part) stevia is a natural low-calorie alternative. It comes from a South American plant called Stevia rebaudiana and tastes 250-300 times sweeter than sugar (1, 2).
Stevia has been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. Early research has linked stevia to health benefits like lower blood sugar, decreased risk of cavities, and even the potential to help fight cancer (3, 4, 5).
However, there are two main types of stevia, and they are far from nutritionally equal. First, there is natural, raw stevia leaf extract. Then there is the stevia that is heavily processed and mixed with filler. The latter comes with downsides for your health.
In this blog, we’re breaking down the truth about each type of stevia–and why we use pure, raw stevia in our products here at NativePath.