16th Century: Spanish conquistadors in Paraguay learn about stevia from the Guarani Indians who use the plant’s leaves to sweeten tea and medicines.
1887: Naturally sweet plant stevia officially described by Antonio Bertoni.
Early 1900s: Dr. Orido Rebaudi makes the first complete study of stevia leaves and stevia plantations spread to neighboring countries.
1931: French chemists Bridel and Lavielle conduct exploratory extraction on stevia leaves and discover crystalline compound they name “stevioside.” Substance found to be 250 to 300 times sweeter than table sugar.
1941: During WWII, England investigates stevia when sugarcane supplies from the Caribbean are cut off.
1970s: Japan approves stevia as a sweetener and flavor enhancer for food.
1982: Jim May is first introduced to stevia in Paraguay, and invests his life savings to bring stevia to the United States.
1983: May changes career paths and orders more stevia leaves and begins selling stevia-sweetened herbal teas out of his garage.
1994: Congress passes the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).
1995: FDA approves stevia and stevioside for use as dietary supplements.
1996: SweetLeaf® brand stevia introduced across the United States; all-natural product has zero-carbs, zero-calories, zero-glycemic index. It is the first and only stevia brand to contain beneficial soluble inulin fiber instead of the high glycemic fillers maltodextrin or dextrose used in other brands.
2003: May publishes The Miracle of Stevia. The book informs readers of the healing benefits of stevia and its sweetness as compared to sugar and its safety compared to aspartame.
2005: SweetLeaf® continues to maintain its #1 position as the leading stevia brand in the country.
March 2008: SweetLeaf Stevia® Sweetener obtains self-affirmed GRAS status (generally recognized as safe) as determined by two independent groups of former FDA professional scientists.
May 2008: SweetLeaf Stevia® Sweetener officially launches in the U.S..
August 2009: Wisdom Natural Brands™ receives "No Questions" letter from the FDA supporting safety of SweetLeaf Stevia® Sweetener
