Stevia extract is a sweetener and sugar substitute derived from the leaves of the sweetleaf plant (Stevia rebaudiana). We use this ingredient to add flavour to some of our oral care products.

Stevia rebaudiana is a perennial plant native to parts of South America, particularly Brazil and Paraguay. Plants grow under a meter tall, with curving, tooth-edged leaves and white unfragrant flowers. The leaves contain several glycosides (dulcoside, rebaudioside, steviolbioside and stevioside) which give them a remarkably sweet taste. Paraguayan Guaraní people have traditionally used the dried leaves to sweeten tea, in medicines or chewed directly as a sweet treat. As a commercial crop, stevia is cultivated and sold around the world as one of the most popular sugar alternatives.

Stevia is reported to have some antifungal and antibacterial activities. A 2010 review by the European Food Safety Authority approved stevia for human consumption, within the recommended daily intake prescribed in the assessment. It's known to be non-cariogenic (doesn't contribute to dental decay), making it a useful sweetener in toothpastes.

Other names: Sweetleaf Extract, Stevia

Chemical class: Botanical Products and Botanical Derivatives

REFERENCES

GOYAL, S. & Samsher, & Goyal, Ramesh. (2009). Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) a bio-sweetener: A review. International journal of food sciences and nutrition. 61. 1-10. 10.3109/09637480903193049.

Ma, M. S., & Blanksma, N. G. (2015). Stevia in de strijd tegen cariës [Stevia in the fight against dental caries]. Nederlands tijdschrift voor tandheelkunde, 122(1), 51–55. https://doi.org/10.5177/ntvt.2015.01.14161

EFSA ANS Panel (EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to food). (2010). Scientific Opinion on the safety of steviol glycosides for the proposed uses as a food additive. EFSA Journal 2010;8(4):1537. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1537

Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2022-02-23. tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Stevia+rebaudiana

National Center for Biotechnology Information (2022). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 13370031, Stevia rebaudiana, ext. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Stevia-rebaudiana_-ext