Nature’s Flavors Stevia Italian Soda Syrups are a great, natural way to add sweetness to your favorite dishes, beverages and baked goods! Stevia is derived from a shrub called Stevia rebaudiana that originates in Paraguay and has been used as a sweetener there for centuries by the Guarani Indians. It was first researched by a Spanish botanist named Petrus Jacobus Stevus, for whom it was named. Later, in 1931, French chemists isolated and identified the glycosides which give the plant its sweet taste: stevioside and rebaudioside. These glycosides were found to be anywhere from 40-300 times sweeter than sucrose, able to withstand very high temperatures, and non-fermentable. Stevia is widely used in Japan as a sweetener and is also popular in other countries such as: Brazil, Mexico and Russia. Nature’s Flavors Stevia Italian Soda Syrups are a great alternative to ordinary sugar because they contain less than five calories per one ounce serving, but still achieve the sweetness you are looking for. The glycosides present in Stevia which give it its natural sweetness cannot be metabolized by the human body, which leads to the low calorie content of Nature’s Flavors Stevia Italian Soda Syrups. So if you are looking to cut calories without sacrificing taste or sweetness, our stevia syrups are a great choice. Another benefit of using Nature’s Flavors Stevia Italian Soda Syrups is that stevia does not raise blood sugar levels in humans and may in fact lower them, so they are beneficial for people with diabetes or who are on carbohydrate-controlled diets. Also, studies have shown that replacing sugar with stevia in meals may lower blood glucose levels and aid in the control of type 2 diabetes. Try Nature’s Flavors Stevia Italian Soda Syrups today and see what they can do for you!