What is Stevia Rebaudiana and is it Safe? Dr. Bill Bailey, Ph.D., MH, ND, CNHP, CTN (Dr. Bailey can be reached at Traditional Naturopath)

Stevia Rebaudiana is a small plant native to Paraguay and Brazil. It was "discovered" in 1887 by a South American scientist named Antonio Bertoni who learned of the herb from the Guarani Paraguayan Indians. Stevia was known locally as Caa'-ehe or Kaa'-he-e which means "sweet herb" or "honeyleaf."  These local tribes had been using the leaf for a thousand years before modern man "discovered" it.

Two French chemists named Bridel and Lavielle began to unravel the secret of Stevia in 1931 with exploratory extraction work on Stevia Rebaudiana leaves.  Their research yielded a pure, white crystalline compound they named "stevioside."  They found this substance to be 100-300 times sweeter than table sugar and without toxic effects in laboratory animals.

In 1971, a Chinese researcher, Dr. Tei-fu-chen, visited Paraguay where he became so interested in Stevia that he applied for residency status in both Paraguay and Brazil.  The non-chemical method of extraction (alcohol) recorded in herbal manuscripts of Chinese emperors became the standard method of extraction for Stevia.  It removed the undesirable green color and bitter aftertaste that is found in stevia leaves.  Our Low Carb Nexus Stevia Extract is made using this extraction method.  That is why LCN Stevia Extract is different from some Stevia Extracts that you may find through other sources!

Dozens of studies have shown Stevia to be a safe supplement for the human diet, and it is currently used extensively throughout the world in a variety of ways.  For instance, Stevia is used in Japan to sweeten foods, and is even used in diet soft drinks!  It is also used in Universal Nutrition's® Doctor's Diet Bars!

Sweet 'N NONE!" is pure, sweet Stevia Extract... no chemicals, no additives, no "man made" pollutants or additions... and, perhaps most important, no carbohydrates or calories!  We hope you enjoy our Sweet 'N NONE!" Stevia products!  NOTE: The Low Carb Nexus® sells our own brand of Stevia Extract powder as a dietary supplement according to FDA regulations.

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