Stevia & Reb A: The Facts

Stevia

Stevia rebaudiana bertoni, commonly called stevia, has been grown and consumed by the Guarani people of Paraguay and Brazil for hundreds of years. It is native to South America and has been used for centuries as a natural sweetener. More recently, stevia has been embraced as a sweetener in countries such as Japan for more than 30 years and is currently used in many countries including South Korea, Israel, Mexico and Argentina.

Stevia is a member of the Chrysanthemum plant family widely grown for its sweet leaves. The sweetness found in stevia can be attributed to steviol gylcosides – primarily stevioside and rebaudioside A - the sweet components of the leaf. These natural sweeteners are more than 200 times sweeter than sugar.

Today, PureVia™ offers a zero calorie sugar alternative and a natural alternative to artificial sweeteners. Made from the pure, sweet, extract of the stevia plant, Reb A and without all the calories of sugar, PureVia™ is ideal for people who want to maintain a healthy style of life. PureVia™ is also suitable for individuals with diabetes and can help those trying to manage their weight.

Learn more about stevia's unique properties.

Reb A

Rebaudioside A, or Reb A, is a natural glycoside sweetener, extracted from the stevia plant. A glycoside is typically a group of organic compounds, occurring abundantly in plants that produce a sweet, extract when filtered through water. More than 200 times sweeter than sugar yet containing no calories, Reb A is the sweetest and least bitter glycoside extracted from the stevia leaf. It is the second most abundant glycoside in the stevia plant and is most suitable as a sweetener due to its water solubility and excellent taste profile.

Reb A is extracted into its purest form through a series of natural processes, and then blended with natural flavors and other natural ingredients to create PureVia™ sweetener.

On December 17 2008, the Food and Drug Administation issued a no objection letter to Whole Earth Sweetener Company after it was the first to submit a dossier of scientific literature and data supporting the generally recognized as safe status of high purity Reb A.

Learn more about the attributes of Reb A and the process used to extract it.