Concept in Definition ABC

Stevia or stevia, as both terms are used equally, is a herbaceous plant of the family of the asteraceae. It became known at the end of the 19th century through the Swiss naturalist Moisés Bertoni. During his stay in Paraguay, he contacted the Guarani natives, who made him know the secrets of this plant.

At the beginning of the 20th century it was registered internationally as Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni. As for its name, it comes from three researchers: the seventeenth-century Spanish humanist, physician and botanist Pedro Jaime Esteve, from chemical Paraguayan Ovidio Rebaudí and the aforementioned Moisés Bertoni.

This plant is evergreen, has an annual growth of 0.5 meters and its flowers they are small and white or purple in color. It is currently grown in territories around the world, as it adapts well to diverse climates.

Observing the dynamics of uses and properties

Stevia is used as a natural sweetener to sweeten some soft drinks and other products. Its success as a product lies in the fact that it provides fewer calories than sugar and this means that it does not affect the

levels blood sugar. On the other hand, properties are attributed to fight obesity and diabetes. Some nutritionists claim that it has antioxidant, healing and diuretic properties.

In the Guaraní culture

This plant has traditionally been consumed by the Gurarani of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, who in their language they call it "ka´a he´é" or, what is the same, "sweet grass". The Guarani have been taking stevia extract for centuries and they do it to sweeten mate or any type of food. At the same time, they consume it to mitigate the effects of fatigue and to promote digestion.

The fight for intellectual property

In the 20th century Japan introduced its culture and in a few years it spread to China and other countries. Over time the properties of this plant were used by large brands of soft drinks as an alternative to sugar. This circumstance has been harshly criticized, since the true discoverers of stevia, the Guarani, are not benefiting from its commercialization.

Currently there is a legal struggle between two sides: the entities that support the Guarani, considering that only they have the legitimate intellectual property of stevia and the big multinationals of beverages refreshing.

Photos: Fotolia - Handmade / Ded

Stevia Themes