in Japan they have been using stevia (not an artificial sweetener) to sweeten sodas for ages now...its only just been allowed in Australia as an additive...still not as a sweetener...I figure there is a money angle...or else why wouldn't they ? Ah its a plant anyone could grow lol...no profit in that!
If everyone could grow it, I'd have a stevia ranch by now!
(... guitars gently strum near the campfire, restless greenery settles in for the night ...)
Ahem. There's also lo han (or luo han), made from a Chinese fruit. Stevia's good, but I like this in my beverages. It's a tad pricey, but can be found online.
But sometimes, even these sweeteners come with added sugars (!) such as maltodextrin, levulose ... sucrose, even. More packages to read.