Stevia: Side Effects, Benefits, And More - Healthline

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HealthlineSubscribeNutritionEverything You Need to Know About Stevia

Medically reviewed by Katherine Marengo LDN, R.D., Nutrition — Written by Annette McDermott — Updated on March 2, 2020

Benefits
Side effects
Pregnancy
Stevia and cancer
Use
Takeaway

What exactly is stevia?

Stevia, also called Stevia rebaudiana, is a plant that is a member of the chrysanthemum family, a subgroup of the Asteraceae family (ragweed family). There’s a big difference between the stevia you buy at the grocery store and the stevia you may grow at home.

Stevia products found on grocery store shelves, such as Truvia and Stevia in the Raw, don’t contain whole stevia leaf. They’re made from a highly refined stevia leaf extract called rebaudioside A (Reb-A).

In fact, many stevia products have very little stevia in them at all. Reb-A is about 200 times sweeter than table sugar.

Sweeteners made with Reb-A are considered “novel sweeteners” because they’re blended with different sweeteners, such as erythritol (a sugar alcohol) and dextrose (glucose).

For example, Truvia is a blend of Reb-A and erythritol, and Stevia in The Raw is a blend of Reb-A and dextrose (packets) or maltodextrin (Bakers Bag).

Some stevia brands also contain natural flavors. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t object to the term “natural flavors” if the related ingredients have no added colors, artificial flavors, or synthetics.

Still, ingredients that fall under the “natural flavor” umbrella may be highly processed. Many argue that this means there’s nothing natural about them.

You can grow stevia plants at home and use the leaves to sweeten foods and beverages. Reb-A sweeteners are available in liquid, powder, and granulated forms. For purposes of this article, “stevia” refers to Reb-A products.

Are there benefits to using stevia?

Stevia is a nonnutritive sweetener. This means it has almost no calories. If you’re trying to lose weight, this aspect may be appealing.

However, to date, research is inconclusive. The impact of nonnutritive sweetener on an individual’s health may depend on the amount that is consumed, as well as the time of day it’s consumed.

If you have diabetes, stevia may help keep your blood sugar levels in check.

One 2010 study of 19 healthy, lean participants and 12 obese participants found that stevia significantly lowered insulin and glucose levels. It also left study participants satisfied and full after eating, despite the lower calorie intake.

However, one noted limitation in this study is that it took place in a laboratory setting, rather than in a real-life situation in a person’s natural environment.

And according to a 2009 study, stevia leaf powder may help manage cholesterol. Study participants consumed 20 milliliters of stevia extract daily for one month.

The study found stevia lowered total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and triglycerides with no negative side effects. It also increased HDL (“good”) cholesterol. It’s unclear if occasional stevia use in lower amounts would have the same impact.

Does stevia cause any side effects?

The FDA says stevia glycosides, such as Reb-A, are “generally recognized as safe.” They haven’t approved whole-leaf stevia or crude stevia extract for use in processed foods and beverages due to a lack of safety information.

There’s concern that raw stevia herb may harm your kidneys, reproductive system, and cardiovascular system. It may also drop blood pressure too low or interact with medications that lower blood sugar.

Although stevia is considered safe for people with diabetes, brands that contain dextrose or maltodextrin should be treated with caution.

Dextrose is glucose, and maltodextrin is a starch. These ingredients add small amounts of carbs and calories. Sugar alcohols may also slightly tip the carb count.

If you use stevia now and then, it may not be enough to impact your blood sugar. But if you use it throughout the day, the carbs add up.

A 2019 study reported a possible link between nonnutritive sweeteners, including stevia, and disruption in beneficial intestinal flora. The same study also suggested nonnutritive sweeteners may induce glucose intolerance and metabolic disorders.

As with most nonnutritive sweeteners, a major downside is the taste. Stevia has a mild, licorice-like taste that’s slightly bitter. Some people enjoy it, but it’s a turn-off for others.

In some people, stevia products made with sugar alcohols may cause digestive problems, such as bloating and diarrhea.

Is stevia safe to use during pregnancy?

Stevia made with Reb-A is safe to use in moderation during pregnancy. If you’re sensitive to sugar alcohols, choose a brand that doesn’t contain erythritol.

Whole-leaf stevia and crude stevia extract, including stevia you’ve grown at home, are not safe to use if you’re pregnant.

It may seem strange that a highly refined product is considered safer than a natural one. This is a common mystery with herbal products.

In this case, Reb-A has been evaluated for safety during pregnancy and otherwise. Stevia in its natural form hasn’t. Currently, there isn’t enough evidence that whole-leaf stevia or crude stevia extract won’t harm your pregnancy.

Is there a link between stevia and cancer?

There’s some evidence to suggest that stevia may help fight or prevent some types of cancer.

According to a 2012 study, a glycoside called stevioside found in stevia plants helps boost cancer cell death in a human breast cancer line. Stevioside may also help decrease some mitochondrial pathways that help cancer grow.

A 2013 study supported these findings. It found that many stevia glycoside derivatives were toxic to specific leukemia, lung, stomach, and breast cancer cell lines.

How to use stevia as a sugar substitute

Stevia may be used in place of table sugar in your favorite foods and beverages. A pinch of stevia powder is equal to about one teaspoon of table sugar.

Tasty ways to use stevia include:

in coffee or tea
in homemade lemonade
sprinkled on hot or cold cereal
in a smoothie
sprinkled on unsweetened yogurt

Some stevia brands, such as Stevia in the Raw, can replace table sugar teaspoon for teaspoon (as in sweetened beverages and sauces), unless you’re using it in baked goods.

You can bake with stevia, although it may give cakes and cookies a licorice aftertaste. Stevia in the Raw recommends replacing half the total amount of sugar in your recipe with their product.

Other brands aren’t made specifically for baking, so you’ll need to use less. You should add extra liquid or a bulking ingredient such as applesauce or mashed bananas to your recipe to make up for the lost sugar. It may take some trial and error to get the texture and level of sweetness you like.

The bottom line

Stevia products made with Reb-A are considered safe, even for people who are pregnant or who have diabetes. These products rarely cause side effects. However, more research needs to be done to provide conclusive evidence on weight management, diabetes and other health issues.

Remember that stevia is much sweeter than table sugar, so you won’t need to use as much.

Whole-leaf stevia isn’t approved for commercial use, but you can still grow it for home use. Despite a lack of research, many people claim whole-leaf stevia is a safe alternative to its highly refined counterpart or table sugar.

While adding a raw stevia leaf to a cup of tea now and then is unlikely to cause harm, you shouldn’t use it if you’re pregnant.

Until research determines whether whole-leaf stevia is safe for everyone, get your doctor’s approval before using it regularly, especially if you have a serious medical condition such as diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

AntonSD, et al. (2010). Effects of stevia, aspartame, and sucrose on food intake,satiety, and postprandial glucose and insulin levels. DOI:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2900484/
Asteraceae.(n.d.).https://www.britannica.com/plant/Asteraceae
AzadMB, et al. (2017). Nonnutritive sweeteners and cardiometabolic health: Asystematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials andprospective cohort studies. DOI:http://www.cmaj.ca/content/189/28/E929.full
Hasstevia been approved by FDA to be used as a sweetener? (2018).https://www.fda.gov/aboutfda/transparency/basics/ucm194320.htm
“Natural”on food labeling. (2018).https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm456090.htm
Nettleton, J.E., et al. (2019). Low-dose stevia (Rebaudioside A) consumption perturbs gut microbiota and the mesolimbic dopamine reward system.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6627124/
Notcompletely carbohydrate and calorie-free… (2014).http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/understanding-carbohydrates/artificial-sweeteners/not-completely-carbohydrate.html
PaulS, et al. (2012). Stevioside induced ROS-mediated apoptosis throughmitochondrial pathway in human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 [Abstract]. DOI:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23061910
PepinoMY. (2015). Metabolic effects of non-nutritive sweeteners. DOI:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4661066/
SharmaN, et al. (2009). Effect of stevia extract intervention on lipid profile.http://www.krepublishers.com/02-Journals/S-EM/EM-03-0-000-09-Web/EM-03-2-000-2009-Abst-PDF/EM-03-2-137-09-047-Sharma-N/EM-03-2-137-09-047-Sharma-N-Tt.pdf
SwithersSE. (2013). Artificial sweeteners produce the counterintuitive effect ofinducing metabolic derangements. DOI:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3772345/
UkiyaM, et al. (2013). Cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing activities of steviol andisosteviol derivatives against human cancer cell lines [Abstract]. DOI:http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cbdv.201200406/abstract
ZeratskyK. (2018). What is stevia? I’ve heard it’s good for weight control.http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/stevia/faq-20057856

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Medically reviewed by Katherine Marengo LDN, R.D., Nutrition — Written by Annette McDermott — Updated on March 2, 2020

Stevia: Side Effects, Benefits, And More - Healthline

Are there benefits to using stevia?

Does stevia cause any side effects?

Is stevia safe to use during pregnancy?

Is there a link between stevia and cancer?

How to use stevia as a sugar substitute

The bottom line

How we reviewed this article:

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