Earlier this summer, The World Health Organization’s cancer agency deemed the sweetener aspartame — found in diet soda and countless other foods — a “possible” cause of cancer. Another group found it ...

As a powder or a liquid, stevia can be a healthy, yummy sugar substitute, in home-baked goods or those on the store shelves. Imagine an herb that’s much sweeter than sugar, but almost calorie-free.

Stevia may provide more benefits than as a zero-calorie sugar substitute. When fermented with bacteria isolated from banana leaves, stevia extract kills off pancreatic cancer cells but doesn’t harm ...