Stevia contains natural compounds, especially Steviaside and rebaudioside A ,that are estimated to be 150–400 times sweeter than saccharose. Used for centuries in parts of South America, stevia has been discovered in recent years by much of the calorie-conscious modern world. It is now widely and legally consumed by millions of people, from South Korea, Israel, and the People’s Republic of China, but no country has done more to demonstrate stevia’s dietary and economic potential than Japan, where the herb and its extract have been used since 1970s.