Stevia, also commonly known as sweet leaf or sugar leaf, is a natural sweetener indigenous to the Amazon. For centuries the Guarana people of Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia have used fresh stevia leaves to sweeten recipes, teas and medicinal preparations. Stevia is ideal for anyone on a carbohydrate-cautious diet for although it is one of the sweetest substances in nature, it has one of the lowest glycemic scores with no effect on blood sugar. Organic Traditions Stevia powder contains naturally occurring steviosides. Steviosides are compounds in the leaf that are known as steviol glycosides and are 300 times sweeter than sugar. Although there are extracts that can be made of the leaves and purified for steviosides and rebaudiosides at various percentages, Organic Traditions Stevia powder is the whole food green leaf powder offering these naturally occurring steviol glycosides as well as other beneficial compounds as nature intended.