Indonesian Perspective: Identification of Stevia Plant (Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni M.) as Medicine Prospects

Abstract

Stevia plant has the potential for development as a source of natural sweeteners, a plant from South America and indigenous of Paraguay, has shown several advantages including the level of sweetness that reaches 100-200 the sweetness of sugar cane and low calorie also constituting a source of many substances with a nutritional effect on the human beings. Folk medicine of Indonesian indigenous tribes recommends it particularly as a substance strengthening the heart, the circulatory system and regulating blood pressure. It exhibits antibacterial, antifungal and anticaries properties. This stevia study aimed to educate people about the efficacy and safety of the stevia plant as a sweetener to replace sugar and medicines by diabetic patients as a part of Indonesia perspective the aims also to enrich information about the stevia plant which has the potential for development as a source of natural sweeteners, and as a medicine for diabetes with a bright prospects in the future.