Simply put, stevia is a remarkable plant (Stevia rebaudiana); many times sweeter than sugar with virtually no calories Stevia rebaudiana is a small plant native to Paraguay and Brazil. It was discovered in 1887 by a South American scientist named Moises Bertoni who learned of the herb from the Guarani Paraguayan Indians who used it to flavor bitter tribal beverages. Two French chemists named Bridel and Lavieille began to unravel the secret of stevia in 1931 with explatory extraction work on Stevia rebaudiana leaves. Their research yielded a pure, white, crystalline compound they named stevioside, which is responsible for stevia's flavorful properties.
Stevia is used for its increasingly researched potential for inhibiting fat absorption and lowering blood pressure. Due to its almost zero calorie nature, Stevia is extremely useful to bodybuilders or obese persons that are attempting to loose body fat.