Scientists from the EU SWEET project recently conducted research to see how making alternate sweeteners from stevia plants affects the environment compared to making sugar. They found that making sweetener from stevia is better for the environment because it uses less land and water than making the same amount of sweetness from sugar.

Some sweeteners, like those made from stevia, can taste like sugar but don’t have the same health risks. They are much sweeter than sugar, so you only need a small amount to get the same sweetness. For example, you only need 4 grams of stevia sweetener to get the same sweetness as 1,000 grams of sugar.