Steviol Glycosides (Stevia)

How it's made

Extracted from stevia plant leaves.

Steviol glycosides are intense natural sweeteners extracted from the leaves of the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana), 200–300 times sweeter than sugar and calorie-free. They are used in drinks, dairy products, sweeteners and many "naturally sweetened" products, sometimes with a slight liquorice-like note.

They are obtained by steeping dried stevia leaves in water to dissolve out the sweet glycosides, then filtering and purifying the extract. The sweet compounds are separated from bitter and coloured components using steps such as adsorption onto resins and recrystallisation, and specific glycosides (like rebaudioside A) with the cleanest taste are often concentrated.

The purified steviol glycosides are dried into a white powder standardised for sweetness. Because the body does not break them down for energy — they are largely passed through or metabolised without yielding calories — they are calorie-free; being plant-derived and purified rather than synthesised, they are marketed as a natural high-intensity sweetener.