Common names include: stevia, sweet leaf, sweet herb of Paraguay, honey leaf, & sugar leaf br Increasing popularity of artificial sweeteners over the past 20 years br Demand for “natural” & “healthier” alternatives br Perfect social, political, & economic climate br Widespread use as a non-nutritive sweetener due to sweet leaves br Much debate over its use & health implications br Used extensively by native cultures of South America for centuries br First introduced to Europe by Spanish conquistadores in 16th century br Reintroduced in early 20th century to scientific community by Italian-Swiss botanist Dr. Moisés S.