STEVIA SIDE

EFFECTS: GOOD
OR BAD?

DrAxe.com
 STEVIA SIDE EFFECTS: GOOD OR BAD?

The stevia plant has been used for more than 1,500 years by the
Guaraní people of Brazil and Paraguay, who refer to stevia as ka’a he’ê,
which means “sweet herb.”

Stevia extract is typically about 200 times sweeter than sugar. When it
comes to using stevia, you only need a tiny bit at a time to sweeten
your morning tea or next batch of healthy baked goods. So stevia side
effects are typically not common, especially if you choose the right
stevia product.

Is Stevia Safe? Are There Stevia Side Effects?

Most people do well with stevia, but listen to your body because stevia
is an herb and everyone’s body may react differently to it. The benefits
and possible stevia side effects really depend upon what stevia you
choose to consume.

Highly refined varieties of stevia are considered by the FDA to be

generally recognized as safe. Since highly processed stevia starts as a
natural substance but gets so significantly refined, the FDA finds it hard
to label stevia products like Truvia. It labels highly processed types of
stevia as novel sweeteners. Novel sweeteners are combinations of
various types of sweeteners.

The FDA has not approved whole-leaf stevia or crude stevia extracts
as GRAS, although they’re much more natural than the stevia products
it’s given its stamp of approval. With whole-leaf and crude extracts,
benefits are greater and negative stevia side effects are less likely.

When it comes to the stevia options available today, it’s vital to know
that not all stevia is created equal. You should be aware of the three

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main categories of stevia, including green leaf stevia, stevia extracts
and altered stevia (like Truvia).

Green Leaf Stevia

Least processed of all types of stevia
Unique because most natural sweeteners contain calories and sugar
(like honey), but green leaf stevia has no calories or sugar
Used in Japan and South America for centuries as a natural sweetener
and health remedy
Tastes sweet, slightly bitter and isn’t quite as potent as most stevia
products
30–40 times sweeter than sugar
Has been shown to benefit blood sugar levels, cancer, cholesterol, high
blood pressure and weight loss
Best option, but still should be used in moderation

Stevia Extracts
Most brands extract the sweeter and less bitter part of the stevia leaf
(rebaudioside), which doesn’t have the health benefits found in
stevioside
No calories or sugar
Tastes sweeter than green leaf stevia
About 200 times sweeter than sugar

Altered/Barely Stevia-Like Truvia

Extensive processing and added ingredients make the end product
barely stevia at all
Contains GMO ingredients
No calories or sugar
Truvia or rebaudioside stevia products are about 200–400 times sweeter
than sugar
Avoid, worst option
Side effects like gastrointestinal problems
STEVIA SIDE EFFECTS: GOOD OR BAD? 3
5 Health Benefits of Stevia

Regarding the good stuff, we have found that there are several studies
evaluating stevia’s ability to be used as a natural remedy. There are
medicinal properties in the plant itself that lend to its incredible healing
and disease-fighting effects.

Anticancer Abilities
In 2012, Nutrition and Cancer highlighted a groundbreaking study that,
for the first time ever, connected stevia consumption to breast cancer
reduction. It was observed that stevioside enhances cancer apoptosis
(cell death) and decreases certain stress pathways in the body that
contribute to cancer growth.

The journal Food Chemistry published a study out of Croatia showing

that when stevia is added to natural colon cancer killing mixtures, such
as blackberry leaf, antioxidant levels soar. Together, these studies show
stevia’s potential as a natural cancer treatment.

Sweet News for Diabetics

Using stevia instead of white sugar can be extremely helpful to
diabetics who need to avoid conventional sugar as much as possible
on a diabetic diet plan. But they also shouldn’t have artificial chemical
sweeteners. Enter stevia. Research demonstrates how stevia can
possibly assist with glucose regulation.

Helps Weight Loss

Stevia is a plant-based, zero-calorie sweetener. If you choose to
replace health-hazardous table sugar with a high-quality stevia
extract and use it in moderation, it helps you decrease not only your
overall daily sugar intake, but also your caloric intake. By keeping your

STEVIA SIDE EFFECTS: GOOD OR BAD? 4

sugar and calorie intake in a healthy range, you can help fend off
obesity as well as many health problems linked with obesity, like
diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Improves Cholesterol Levels

Results of a 2009 study showed that stevia extract had “positive and
encouraging effects” on overall cholesterol profiles. It’s important to
note that researchers also found that there were no adverse stevia
side effects on the health status of the subjects involved in this stevia
study. Researchers concluded that stevia extract effectively decreases
elevated serum cholesterol levels, including triglycerides and LDL (“bad
cholesterol”), while increasing good HDL cholesterol. You could say
stevia results in the best of both worlds when it comes to cholesterol
numbers.

Lowers High Blood Pressure

Certain glycosides in stevia extract have been found to dilate blood
vessels and increase sodium excretion, two things that are very helpful
to keeping blood pressure at a healthy level. Evaluation of two long-
term studies (one and two years in length, respectively) gives hope
that stevia may be effective in lowering blood pressure in hypertensive
patients. However, data from shorter studies (one to three months) did
not support these findings.

Best Place to Find and How to Use Stevia

You can find a good stevia option at your local health store or online.
Make sure to buy stevia without additives and one that has been less
processed. I recommend green stevia as the best option.

If you want to try green stevia powder, I recommend Organic

Traditions. Another good brand of stevia that tastes great and you can
find it pretty much any health food store is SweetLeaf® stevia.

STEVIA SIDE EFFECTS: GOOD OR BAD? 5

Helpful general conversions using a stevia product are as follows:

1 teaspoon sugar = 1/2 packet or 1/8 teaspoon powdered stevia = 5

drops liquid
1 tablespoon sugar = 1.5 packets or 1/3 teaspoon powdered stevia = 15
drops liquid stevia
1 cup of sugar = 24 packets or 2 tablespoons powdered stevia = 2
teaspoons liquid stevia

Unfortunately, if you’re looking for caramelization in a dessert, stevia

does not brown like regular sugar.

Stevia Side Effects and Precautions

This point cannot be stressed enough: Not all stevia products are
created equal. There is a HUGE difference between consuming real
stevia and chemically processed stevia products like Truvia. Truvia only
contain less than 1 percent stevia. If you avoid Truvia and choose the
right stevia product, then dangerous stevia side effects are basically
nonexistent. If you have a ragweed allergy then it’s highly possible that
you could have an allergic reaction to stevia and products that contain
stevia.

Some people find that stevia can have a metallic aftertaste. No

general stevia contraindications or adverse reactions have been
identified. If you’re pregnant or breast-feeding, stevia safety
information is unfortunately lacking. You can check with your doctor,
but it’s probably best you avoid stevia, especially since whole stevia
leaves have traditionally been used as contraceptives.

In general, seek medical advice before using stevia if you have any
ongoing medical conditions or take other medications.

STEVIA SIDE EFFECTS: GOOD OR BAD? 6

This content is strictly the opinion of Dr. Josh Axe, and is for
informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to
provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or
treatment from a personal physician. Readers of this content are
advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals
regarding specific health questions. Neither the author nor publisher of
this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of
any person or persons reading or following the information in this
educational content. All readers of this content, especially those taking
prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their
physicians before beginning any nutrition or supplement or lifestyle
program.

Note: References for this content can be found at draxe.com.

STEVIA SIDE EFFECTS: GOOD OR BAD? 7