Stevia
PH
PureHealthness Editorial Team · Health writers & reviewers
📝 Last reviewed: August 2026
✔ Transparent sourcing · Some articles are AI-drafted, then reviewed & fact-checked by our team
📝 Last reviewed: August 2026
Stevia's leaves taste intensely sweet — the plant itself is a natural sweetener. Its extract sweetens drinks and desserts without calories or sugar spikes.
🔬 Plant facts
| Scientific name | Stevia rebaudiana |
|---|---|
| Type | Sweet herb |
| Family | Asteraceae |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Water | Moderate |
| Height | 30–80 cm |
| Flower | Small white flowers |
| Uses | Natural zero-calorie sweetener |
| Growth | Perennial, harvest leaves regularly |
| Best season | Warm season |
💊 Stevia in the medicine industry
Stevia's glycosides are up to 300× sweeter than sugar with zero calories — used worldwide in diabetic and diet foods; stevia leaf is also studied for blood sugar and blood pressure support.
🌱 Growing & care tips
Stevia needs full sun, warm weather and well-drained soil; pinch the stems to keep it bushy and dry the leaves for sweetness.
🍽️ How to use it
The fresh leaves sweeten tea and drinks directly; dried leaves are ground into powder; the refined extract (steviol glycosides) sweetens commercial diet products.
💡 Did you know? Stevia is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar — one leaf can sweeten a whole cup of tea, and it has been used in Paraguay for over 1,500 years.
⚠️ Stevia safety note: Stevia is safe in food amounts; the extract may lower blood pressure and blood sugar — people on related medicines should monitor, though standard doses are widely considered safe.
⚠️ Important: Herbal and plant remedies can interact with medicines. Always ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any plant product for health purposes — especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking prescription drugs.
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