Native to the regions of South America, especially Paraguay and Brazil, stevia has been used for centuries as a natural sweetener and for medicinal purposes.

The Indigenous chewed the leaves or used them to sweeten beverages and foods. They also used stevia leaves to treat various health conditions, including digestive issues and wounds.

Today, stevia is cultivated and used as a natural sweetener worldwide, and it continues to gain popularity as a sugar substitute in various food and beverage products.