Stevia is an herbal sweetener that is ten to fifteen times sweeter than sugar without any of the health risks associated with sugar. It contains steviosides, which are more than 200 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia has long been used in South America as a tonic, for physical and mental fatigue, to aid weight loss, regulate blood pressure, and improve digestion. According to a report from the Hiroshima School of Dentistry, stevia actually suppresses the bacteria that causes dental decay--as opposed to feeding it, which regular sugar does.