Now Stevia Packets 1,000 packets contain a healthy sweetener derived from the stevia plant. The stevia plant is a perennial that was originally found in Central and South America. Spanish conquistadors discovered its existence while exploring during the 1700s. They noted that natives to the area used the leaves to smooth out the bitterness of mate, a popular beverage, and that stevia leaves were also used as herbal remedies for a variety of issues.

In the late 19th century, the South American scientist Antonio Bertoni noted that individuals from the Guarani tribe of Paraguay used stevia to flavor bitter beverages. He wrongly assigned stevia to the daisy family, but it was reassigned to the chrysanthemum family in the early 20th century. A quarter century later, two French chemists conducted research to isolate the primary constituents responsible for stevia’s beneficial properties and called them “steviosides.” Now Stevia extract is based on the chemists’ scientific research.

Stevia is now grown worldwide. It is a main export product and is widely used by the Chinese, by Brazilians, by both Northern and Southern Koreans, by the Taiwanese, by Israelis, and by individuals from Paraguay and Malaysia. In recent years, its popularity has grown in California, southern Ontario, and even southern England. There are a variety of stevia species, but the strongest appears to be stevia rebaudiana, which is used in most nutritional supplements currently on the market, including Now Stevia Packets 1,000 packets.

Now Foods has been supplying top quality, economically priced natural foods, vitamins, and personal care products since the late 1960s. A family owned and operated business, Now Foods offers health-conscious consumers three generations of honesty, purity, quality, and commitment as they continue to supply certified organic or natural foods, grains, flours, and seeds through health food stores and online. One of their mottos is from the Christian Bible and notes that God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food." Genesis 1:29