Stevia is a fairly new sweetener and sugar substitute extracted from the leaves of the plant species S_tevia rebaudiana_. It has gained great popularity in recent years to aid in weight management. It possesses a potent sweet taste that is calorie-free and used as a sugar-substitute. The supplement has several other uses and is currently approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). Stevia, unlike many other sugar-substitutes claims to be safe and effective as it is a plant that happens to have a very sweet taste, rather than a synthetic sugar substitute.