Stevia (of Stevia rebuadiana Bertoni has) - a small emerald plant known more than 1500 years, which was struck by scientists around the world for its powerful universal properties «medicinal product» has become a source of life for the people of Japan after the nuclear tragedy in 1945, and which gave a survival hope to mankind in the XXI century.This is a perennial herb of the family Asteraceae, dvulistnik sweet. Her homeland - the tropical regions of South America (Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina). This sweet grass with the language of the ancient Maya means «honey».
In 30-ies of XX century academician NI Vavilov brought back from the expedition Paraguayan stevia seeds. In his letter to the Soviet government scientist pointed to the unique medicinal and flavoring properties of this plant, capable of restoring the disturbed metabolic processes in the body, increase energy levels, delay the aging process, protect the body from the harmful effects of the environment, to harmonize all the systems of the body, while keeping intensely sweet taste. Thus Vavilov pointed to the possibility of use in the food industry stevia
as a sweetener. However, due to the repression of the time, the program "stevia" is postponed for many years.
Stevia study was conducted in many countries: England, Bulgaria, Israel, USA, Canada, China, Japan. In 50-ies in Paraguay and Brazil have recognized medicinal plant and began to be used to treat diabetes and diseases associated with metabolic disorders.
Like Ukraine in the conditions of the Chernobyl disaster in Japan after the nuclear disaster there was a threat of degeneration of the nation. After careful study, stevia from all medicinal plants growing in the world, has been recognized as the best Biocorrector and introduced a separate paragraph in the program saving the Japanese nation.Since products of Stevia in Japan - every day on each table. After 10 years of use of stevia in Japan, it was declared a national value, and export it to the pure form of the country was banned. At present, the Japanese nation consumes 90% (about 13 thousand tons per year) throughout the world grown stevia and has the highest life expectancy in the world (about 90 years).
In the Soviet Union to the stevia back in the 80s. According to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers was accepted and funded program for stevia adaptation to the conditions of temperate climate, and has been tasked to develop food for astronauts, special services, submariners, nomenklatura. It has been allocated 4 billion rubles (about 4 billion 200 million dollars) for development of agricultural technology, the development of technology of production of derivatives of stevia and its implementation in the food industry. Implementation of the program was conducted under the «classified». adaptation experiments were carried out in all the Union republics, but the development of this theme was really only in Ukraine.
