The native people of Brazil and Paraguay in South America have been using the Stevia sweetener for over hundreds of years. This plant belongs to the sunflower family, and consists of around two hundreds and forty different shrubs and herbs. It is a few hundred times more sweet than regular table sugar, and on top of that, contains absolutely zero calories. Stevia side effects are non existent, but the sugar and artificial sweeteners industry keep on sending false information to the general public, who are their direct customers.
You can easily grow Stevia in your garden, along with many other plants, fruits and vegetables, for a healthier living. Not only will it release some stress out of your mind, it will also provide you with healthy and nutrient dense food. Stevia and other natural organic grows even contain vitamin B12. This is probably very weird for you to read, but the truth is that any foods containing vitamin B12 received its content of this vitamin originally from a bacteria in the soil, whether it is by eating plants that have been ‘contaminated’ by this bacteria out of the soil, or by eating animals who themselves ate these very same plants.
I highly recommend you to grow Stevia in your garden along with other fruits and vegetables. It is a great experience indeed, and I have turned on full veganism since then, and I have to admit that it feels much better when you grow your foods yourself, and not rely on anyone else to provide you with the most basic need of any living creature – food. You can get Stevia seeds from any planting store, or even in eBay, where the seeds sell for pretty low prices. You will have to seed them within 3 months of their original cultivation, as like many other tropical plants, they have a different, often short lifespan.