Paraguay is a home of the wonderful plant known as "Sweet herb", or scientifically as Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni.

This perennial plant has gained its popularity thanks to its natural sweeteners - diterpenic glycosides.

Naturally stevia grows in the area of semi humid subtropical climate of Paraguay. This plant was described for the first time by the Italian scientist Bertoni in 1897. The aborigines of Latin America have been using stevia as medical remedy and natural sweetener for more than 1500 years.

Stevia leaves are 10-15 times sweeter than sugar. The plant accumulates and contains the complex substance - stevioside. This substance includes glucose, saccharose, steviol and other compounds. Nowadays stevioside is the sweetest natural product. Pure stevioside is 300 times sweeter than sugar, but unlike sugar it is very low in calories, does not increase the glucose level in blood and has some antiseptic effect.

Stevia contains:
- mineral compounds Ca , Mg , K , P , Zn , Fe;
- organic substances, including Co, Mn;
- vitamins Р, А, Е, С and beta-carotene;
- nicotinic acid (flavonoids);
- unique essential oils;
- amino acids;
- pectines.