Leaves of the stevia plant, a perennial herb that grows to 50 to 60 cm in height, have been used as a sweetener for approximately 1500 years by the Guarani natives of Paraguay. It was also collected to treat diabetes, hypertension and to keep skin looking young. Stevia first came to the attention of Europeans in 1888 when it was discovered in the Paraguay highlands. In the 16th century the conquistadors had reported stevia to the Spanish, but it remained a mystery until 1889 after the first studies were done by botanist Moises Santigo Bertoni. He "discovered" stevia after seeing it used by Guarani natives, and his studies showed that stevia is 200-400 times sweeter than sugar (sucrose) without the negative health effects.

In the early 1900's stevia was being widely used throughout Paraguay, and had earned the attention of other countries. By 1941 it was being grown in Britain as a sweetener to combat the shortages brought on by the Second World War. In the mid 1950's Japan started growing stevia, and by the 1970's after extensive studies Japan began marketing it as an alternative to aspartame. Today, health conscious Japan is one of the world's largest users of stevia. It is used in gum, diet soda and in a large multitude of other products.