It seems like a few people aren't familiar with Stevia

[chickenscratching]

If you would like to learn about the sweetener Stevia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia


"Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) is a shrub belonging to the Asteraceae (sunflower) family of plants. It is widely used as a sweetener in Japan, and is available in the US and Canada as a health food supplement. Originating in South America, it is found in the wild in semi-arid habitats ranging from grassland to mountain terrain. For centuries, the Guarani indios of Paraguay and Brazil used stevia, which they called ka'a he'ê (sweet herb) , as a sweetener in yerba mate and medicinal teas for treating such conditions as obesity, high blood pressure, and heartburn. It has recently seen greater attention with the rise in demand for low-carb, low-sugar food alternatives.

In 1931, French chemists isolated the glycosides that give stevia its sweet taste. These extracts were named steviosides and rebaudiosides. These compounds are 250–300 times sweeter than sucrose (ordinary table sugar). Stevia's sweet taste has a slower onset and longer duration than sugar's, and especially at high concentration, it has bitter and and liquorice-like off-tastes. Stevia does not significantly alter blood glucose, and so can be safely consumed by diabetics."

[flamingyouth]

1. I use it all the time

I put it in my tea. :9

[Atlas Mugged]

2. I've been growing it for years

I always put some in the garden. Love to nibble on it, and I like to use it as garnishes in fruit salads.

[chickenscratching]

3. very cool-is it fairly easy to tend to (as plants go)?

[Atlas Mugged]

4. Oh, it's a weed!

It's in the Labiatae family, that is, it's related to mint. It's an annual but it reseeds abundantly.

[Champion Jack]

5. The subject of searches and seizures,

If you've ever tasted stevia, you know it's extremely sweet. In fact, this remarkable noncaloric herb, native to Paraguay, has been used as a sweetener and flavor enhancer for centuries. But this innocuous-looking plant has also been a focal point of intrigue in the United States in recent years because of actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The subject of searches and seizures, trade complaints and embargoes on importation, stevia has been handled at times by the FDA as if it were an illegal drug.

Since the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), stevia can be sold legally in the United States, but only as a "dietary supplement." Even so, it can be found in many forms in most health-food stores, and is also incorporated into drinks, teas and other items (all labeled as "dietary supplements"). It cannot, however, be called a "sweetener" or even referred to as "sweet." To do so would render the product "adulterated," according to the FDA, and make it again subject to seizure.

The purpose of our Web site is to provide as much information about stevia as possible, from the scientific studies regarding its safety to the petitions submitted by the Lipton Tea Company and the American Herbal Products Association. Stevia.net will be an ongoing project for us at Body Ecology, so check back often, as we will be augmenting and updating this information frequently.
http://www.stevia.net/

[Champion Jack]

6. How to start your own stevia patch

http://www.stevia.net/growingstevia.htm