Stevia has recently become one of the most popular natural sugar substitutes. Sugar is known to raise blood sugar levels, but stevia can actually lower them. In fact, it was even used to treat diabetes in ancient times.
Stevia is also known as honey leaf, sweet leaf, or sweet herb. According to a paper published in Nutrition Today, it belongs to the sunflower (Asteraceae) family and is native to southern Brazil and northern Paraguay. The indigenous Guaraní people have been using stevia to sweeten their food and beverages for centuries. According to a 2019 meta-analysis published in Nutrients, they have also used it for medicinal purposes, such as treating diabetes.