An increase in the occurrence of diabetes and the popularity of weight-loss diets has intensified the search for low-calorie alternatives to sugar. The health hazards associated with artificial sweeteners have prompted scientists to turn to natural sources in search of non-sugar sweeteners. The ideal sweetener would have to be sweet, low-calorie, and more importantly, safe for consumption. The plant Stevia rebaudiana, a herb from the sunflower family, is a rich and promising source of the glycosides 'stevioside' and 'rebaudioside' which are up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. This plant grows...