Stevia is Native to Paraguay and other tropical areas of the Americas, the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana) produces leaves packed with super-sweet compounds that remain stable even after the leaves have been dried. Stevia leaves have been used to sweeten teas and beverages throughout South America for centuries.
It is not chemically made in a laboratory-like NutraSweet or Splenda. It is safe for everyone especially diabetics. Xylitol another non-chemical sweetner often referred to as sugar alcohol can sometimes produce nausea type feeling after use if you are a diabetic.
Stevia, on the other hand, is a safe alternative and one that I have used in my tea and coffee for years.
Monk Fruit is a wonderful sweetener and again a non-chemically made. This is what I use in all my baking and you can not tell it from refined sugar as the appearance is the same, only no calories and no harmful effects.