Stevia is the new sugar ⦠at least to some people. Stevia is a natural sweetener that is extracted from the stevia plant. Amazingly, stevia is considered up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia has been hailed as a remarkable hero amongst the choices for a sugar substitute by consumers, researchers and health experts. Because it is a natural substance, it is favored among those that prefer natural over artificial sweeteners. Even some environmentalists applaud the developing utilization of stevia due to the fact that it requires up to 80% less land to grow compared to beet sugar or cane sugar, as well as less water used in processing.