Stevia (ka'a he'e) as a sweetener
Stevia (ka'a he'ẽ) como edulcorante
- Date
- 1899 · confidence medium
- Place
- Alto Parana, Paraguay
- Credited to
- Guarani people; Moises Bertoni
- Field
- Life & health
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What was discovered
The Guarani sweetened mate with ka'a he'e leaves centuries before the botanist Bertoni described it in 1899. Its glycosides (steviosides) are around 300 times sweeter than sugar with no calories.
Antonio Bertoni mentioned it in 1887; Moises Bertoni described it in 1899. The glycosides were isolated by Bridel and Lavieille in 1931. The date is that of the scientific description, not of Guarani use.
What it led to
- stevia extract as a commercial sweetener (Japan from the 1970s)
- approval of steviol glycosides in the EU (2011)
- natural zero-calorie sweeteners