The stevia plant, a member of the chrysanthemum family, is native to the mountains of South America, where the Guarani people have been using its leaves to sweeten herbal teas for centuries. Today, stevia is grown in many countries outside of South America including China, India and South Korea, and is used to sweeten food and beverages throughout the world. The leaves of the stevia plant contain unique materials known as steviol glycosides, which are more than 200 times sweeter than sugar without all the calories.