Stevia is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family native to subtropical and tropical South America and Central America. The leaf is used primarily as a sweetener in South America. Locals there use it as a substitute for sugar for those who can’t use sugar. Various glycosides, including stevoside – which is about 100 to 200 times sweeter than sugar – provide the sweetness. It is widely used as a non-sugar sweetener in other areas of the world, particularly in Japan.