Stevia Dangers?
Quotes and comments
“According to the Herb Research Foundation, numerous scientists, and tens of millions of consumers throughout the world, especially in Japan, the herb is safe and intensely sweet, which could make it a popular noncaloric sweetener.”
Rob McCaleb, president, Herb Research Foundation, Boulder, Colo., USA
“…as a scientist with over 15 years researching the safety of stevia and of many other plants used as food or food ingredients, I can assure that our conclusions in these various studies indicate that stevia is safe for human consumption as per intended usage, that is, as a sweetener.”
Mauro Alvarez, Ph.D., Brazil
“The petition cites over 120 articles about stevia written before 1958, and over 900 articles published to date. In this well-chronicled history of stevia, no author has ever reported any adverse human health consequences associated with consumption of stevia leaf.”
Supplement to GRAS affirmation petition no. 4G0406, submitted by the Thomas J. Lipton Company February 3, 1995
“Stevia leaf is a natural product that has been used for at least 400 years as a food product, principally as a sweetener or other flavoring agent. None of this common usage in foods has indicated any evidence of a safety problem. There are no reports of any government agency in any of the above countries indicating any public health concern whatsoever in connection with the use of stevia in foods.”
Gras affirmation petition submitted on behalf of the American Herbal Products Association, April 23, 1992
“…various extract forms of stevia have been extensively studied and tested. These tests include acute, sub-acute, carcinogenic evaluation and mutagenicity studies. These scientific data, while not directly relevant or required for exemption under the common use in food proviso, nevertheless demonstrate cumulatively that there is no safety problem associated with the use of an extract of stevia. It appear to be extraordinarily safe.”
Introduction to GRAS affirmation petition submitted by the American Herbal Products Association, April 23, 1992
“My government is trying to cause the farms of my country to cease growing marijuana and replace these crops with stevia. This idea is strongly supported by the Drug Enforcement Agency because stevia is an excellent cash crop, grows well in Paraguay…finally and most important, stevia is a completely safe health-promoting herb. This has been well-demonstrated by its extensive use in Paraguay and Japan, where its refined product known as stevioside, enjoys 41% of the sweetener market.”
Juan Esteban Aguirre, Paraguayan Ambassador to the United States, in a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, September 23, 1993
“There are more than 2,000 folders in my office, each with a collection of facts and fables about various medicinal plants. In one of these folders there’s an old wrinkled envelope dated 5/19/45. In it are old leaves of Paraguay’s…”sweet herb,” Stevia rebaudiana. More than 40 years old, one leaf of the Stevia will still sweeten a cup of coffee or tea enough to satisfy my sweet tooth….I predict rough sailing with our FDA for this non-nutritive sweetener. I hope it will make it.”
James A. Duke, former chief of Medicinal Plant Research of the USDA; The Business of Herbs, November/December, 1986
“[The FDA action on stevia is] a restraint of trade to benefit the artificial sweetener industry.”
Jon Kyl (R), AZ in a 1993 letter to former FDA Commissioner David Kessler about the 1991 stevia “import alert.”
“Stevia has a political problem.”
Rob McCaleb, president Herb Research Foundation
“I had one guy from the FDA tell me ‘if we wanted to make carrots [be] against the law, we could do it.'”
Kerry Nielson, former director of operations at Sunrider International, discussing the 1985 FDA seizure of his company’s stevia.
“Even if they have reviewed these studies, the only possible way to report that the results showed detrimental effects is by taking information out of context. If this is the case, one concludes that these FDA scientists are incompetent and irresponsible, or if not, they must belong to some sort of conspiracy group to carry on a sinister agenda against this plant with the objective to keep it away from American consumers by attributing to it safety issues that do not exist.”
Mauro Alvarez, Ph.D., responding in a 1998 letter to the fact that the FDA cited stevia studies he conducted as evidence that stevia is unsafe.
We’ve selected a few examples from the hundreds of studies attesting to the safety of the stevia leaf and its extracts.
Contraceptive concerns? The FDA frequently cites a 32-year-old study about stevia and fertility. Read about the study at issue and what its author has to say.
Stevioside and two generations of hamsters
In 1991 a study was done by researchers at the Chulalongkorn University Primate Research Center in Bangkok, Thailand (Yodyingyuad, 1991). The researchers’ objective was to study the consequences of daily ingestion of stevioside — the main active sweetening agent in the stevia plant — in hamsters and its effects on two subsequent generations.
This study involved four groups of 20 hamsters (10 males and 10 females) who were one month old. The first group was fed a daily stevioside dosage of 500 mg/kg; the second group received a higher dose at 1,000 mg/kg; and the third group dosage was the highest at 2,500 mg/kg. The fourth group, which served as the control, received no stevioside. (Chinese researchers have estimated that the daily human consumption of stevioside is about 2 mg/kg; Xili, 1992).
The study showed no significant difference in the average growth of the first generation of hamsters in the groups receiving stevioside — no matter what dosage they were given. Even the third generation of hamsters, at 120 days of age, showed no significant differences in body weight — no matter which group they were in.
As to the mating performance, all three generations performed the same, no matter which dose of stevioside they received. Their performance was equal to the controls.
In summary, no growth or fertility abnormalities were found in hamsters of either sex. Mating was efficient and successful.
The researchers agreed, “The results of this study are astonishing. Stevioside at a dose as high as 2,500 mg/kg did not do any harm to these animals. We conclude that stevioside at a dose as high as 2.5 grams per kilogram of body weight affects neither the growth nor reproduction in hamsters.”
Assessment of the Carcinogenicity of Stevioside in Rats
published in Food and Chemical Toxicology 1997
This study was performed by Dr. K. Toyoda and colleagues, from the Division of Pathology, National Institute of Health Sciences in Tokyo, Japan. For a period of 104 weeks (two years), three groups of lab rats — 50 males and 50 females — were tested. One group received stevioside in a concentration that constituted 2.5 percent of its daily diet; the second group received a concentration that constituted 5 percent of its diet. The third group, which served as the control, received no stevoiside.
The rats who received the stevioside weighed less than those in the control group. Considering stevioside has no calories, this makes sense. When the organs and tissues of the rats were examined under a microscope, there was almost no difference between those who were given stevia and those who were not. One interesting difference, however, was that the females who took stevioside had a decreased incidence of breast tumors, while the males displayed a lesser incidence of kidney damage. The researchers state, “It is concluded that stevioside is not carcinogenic in rats under the experimental conditions described.”
Excerpted from: “The Stevia Cookbook,” copyright 1999 by Ray Sahelian, MD and Donna Gates
Additional studies and citations
A. Yamada, S. Ohgaki, T. Noda, and M. Shimizu. 1985. Chronic toxicity study of dietary stevia extracts in F344 rats. Journal of the Food Science and Hygiene Society of Japan 26, 169-183. (in English).
“As a result of this protracted and extensive investigation, it was concluded that no significant dose-related changes were found in the growth, general appearance, hematological and blood biochemical findings, organ weights, and macroscopic or microscopic observations, as a result of feeding male and female F344 rats with S. rebaudiana extracts at levels up to 1% of their feed for about two years. This…study…(involved) nearly 500 test animals that were treated for up to two years..the highest dose level administered to the animals represented some 100 times the estimated daily intake of this sweet material in the human diet. The results obtained are supportive of the safety of S. rebaudiana extracts, stevioside and rebaudioside A when consumed as sucrose substitutes by human populations.”1
1Food Ingredient Safety Review: Stevia rebaudiana leaves by A. Douglas Kinghorn, Ph.D.
Acute Toxicity
“Crude and purified extracts of Stevia rebaudiana have been subjected to acute toxicity tests in rats and mice, the results of which endorse the use of these materials for human consumption.
In a study performed in the United States, no evidence of acute toxicity was observed when separate 2 g/kg doses of the S. rebaudiana sweet glycoside constituents, stevioside, rebaudiosides A-C, dulcoside A, and steviolbioside were administered to mice…The results of these acute toxicity studies in rodents do not predict any potential risk for human populations by the ingestion of S. rebaudiana extracts and constituents.”2
2Ibid. at 1.
“Acute toxicity was not demonstrated when separate 2 g/kg doses were administered to mice by oral intubation, indicating that a concentrated extract of stevia is less than 1/10 as toxic (acute) as caffeine.”3
3Gras Affirmation Petition, Stevia leaves, presented on behalf of the American Herbal Products Association, April 23, 1992
Subacute Toxicity
4“It has been concluded by Akashi and Yokoyama (H. Asaki and Y. Yokoyama. 1975. Dried-leaf extracts of stevia. Toxicological tests. Shokuhin Kogyo 18(20), 34-43. In Japanese, partial English translation provided), that laboratory chow containing up to 7.0% w/w stevioside produced no untoward toxic effects, when fed to male and female rats for nearly two months.”
4Ibid. at 1.
5“A subacute toxicity study was carried out on rats using an aqueous extract of S. rebaudiana containing about 50% w/w stevioside. Two levels of extract were mixed with laboratory chow for feeding studies, allowing each animal to receive either 0.25 g or 0.5 g stevioside in 15 g of feed per day. Animals were fed the experimental diets for 56 days…There were no abnormalities relative to controls reported that were dose-related, except for a significant decrease in serum lactic dehydrogenase levels.
Neither of these two subacute toxicity studies would predict any potential harm on ingestion of S. rebaudiana extracts by humans.”
5Ibid. at 1.
Contraceptive concerns?
In 1968 Professor Joseph Kuc, then a member of Purdue University’s department of biochemistry, performed a study on rats to see if stevia had any contraceptive effect. Undertaken with a faculty member at the University of the Republic in Montevideo, the study was prompted by a rumor that Indian women in South America used the herb for contraceptive purposes. It should be noted that researchers have been unable to duplicate the conclusions of this study.
While the results of the Kuc study might appear at first glance to bear out such rumors, closer examination raises doubts about the methods that were used, and how they apply to the typical way in which stevia is consumed. In fact, Kuc himself, although still standing by his findings of marked, relatively long-term reductions in the numbers of offspring born to female rats administered his stevia solution, acknowledges that those results aren’t necessarily applicable to human consumption.
The Kuc study involved a very high concentration — ten milliliters of a dosage administered in about 20 minutes — of a concoction derived by drying to a powder and boiling not just the leaves, but material from the stevia plant that would not ordinarily be consumed. This liquid replaced the animals’ drinking water, and was given at such a rate as to equate with a person drinking 2.5 quarts of liquid in less than half an hour.
The study also only utilized one dosage level. Typically, a biological effect (such as what Kuc reported) would be demonstrated by using a variety of doses to establish what is known as a dose-response relationship.
Kuc acknowledges that the study “absolutely needs to be redone” (just as all research, in his view, needs to be “checked and rechecked” to determine whether it “stands the test of time”). He further concedes that this finding, in itself does not constitute an important reason for keeping stevia off the U.S. market.
Kuc also notes something else: that effects in rats aren’t necessarily experienced by people — as illustrated by the apparent lack of any correlation between the results of his rat research and birth rates among regular stevia consumers. As pointed out in the Lipton petition to the FDA, “…if this reproductive effect in rats is real and can be extrapolated to humans, then one might suspect that there would be very few children in some regions of Paraguay.”
Scraping the bottom of the research barrel
A second study dealing with stevia’s supposed contraceptive effect was performed on female mice and published in a Brazilian pharmacological journal in 1988. It was later informally translated by an FDA employee familiar with Portuguese. The only problem is that, outside of the FDA, no one in the scientific community gives it credence.
The research at issue, according to one authority who analyzed it (Professor Mauro Alvarez of Brazil’s State University of Maringa Foundation) “caused surprise with regard to the lack of information about the quantities that were administered and the preparation of the infusions, because mice, due to their low body weight, cannot receive high volumes intragastrically without suffering major stress.” What’s more, the study involved a small number of test animals and was “highly susceptible to external influences,” he observed.
The same study was characterized by Mark Blumenthal, editor of Herbalgram — a newsletter published jointly by the American Botanical Council and Herb Research Foundation — as “the kind of research which FDA would never accept if a petitioner was using it (as a basis for) his or her arguments.” In his opinion, “The FDA would laugh them out of the room.”
What’s perhaps most interesting about the FDA’s citation of these two studies, however, is that what it regards as a possibly harmful effect is just as apt to be viewed as a beneficial one. As the authors of the Lipton petition put it, “One would think that this effect would make stevia extract the perfect contraceptive agent — easy to consume… and effective long-term — and would be intensely pursued by pharmaceutical companies, the World Health Organization, etc. Obviously this has not happened (or if it has, then there was no effect), which casts further doubt on the validity of the data.”
Excerpted from “The Stevia Story: A tale of incredible sweetness & intrigue, copyright 2000, by Donna Gates
{ 161 comments… read them below or add one }
Why aren’t the purple crayons grape flavored?
I came here looking for cake recipes
You pepol are a bunch of dirty perverts
Ill pray for you.
I put stevia in my timberlands for odor removal, but now my dog, Mr. Grumbles, won’t quite bothering them. Cqn anyone provide direction on what I’m doing wrong here? Nothing has been the same since the wife left. Glenda, if you’re reading this, please come back. You were right about the chemtrails.
Forever yours,
Chug Bungus
Hi, Hal Jimple here,
Have you ever felt cold and empty when you look into your loved ones’ eyes? I frequently find that the things that once brought me pleasure and fulfillment now feel senseless and numb. Can stevia help fill the staggering void in my wretched soul?
I used to eat six to twelve bowls of Count Chocula breakfast cereal a day to try and ease my existential dread, but that cocoa-colored miscreant just isn’t doing it for me anymore and I just don’t think I’m cool enough to try hard drugs.
Kind regards,
The Prince of Tears
Hi. I’ve been administering a daily enema of 500 g stevia mixed with a few tablespoons of coconut oil plus some grated ginger to keep things interesting. Honestly my life has never been better, aside from the occasional bleeding through my eyeholes.
For context, I spent the first few years of my life in and out of jail. You see, I was born in a cottage in rural Arkansas to a family of yogurt farmers. From an early age I’ve been beset by a range of maladies ranging from itchy teeth, oozing rashes, clubfoot, and bad haircuts. In my early twenties my good friend and naturopathic doctor, Randy Savage (no relation to Macho Man) recommended I try stevia. I was even able to kick my addiction to methamphetamines by switching to smoking all-natural stevia.
Truly a miracle. Thank you Randy Savage.
OOOH YEAH! YOU’RE WELCOME, BROTHER!
Hi Joel,
THanks for your inspiring story. I too suffer from bad haircuts.
STAY STERONG BROTHER
Ingredients
1 pound cooked ham diced
¾ cup mayonnaise
1 cup celery diced
black pepper to taste
Optional Add Ins
3 tablespoons sweet relish
2 teaspoons mustard or dijon
½ cup dill pickles chopped
1 green onion finely sliced
2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
Instructions
Place diced ham in a food processor and pulse a few times to chop. You want it fairly fine but not a paste.
Place in a bowl and add remaining ingredients until creamy and smooth.
Serve with crackers or use to make ham salad sandwiches.
Notes
If you don’t have a food processor, the ham can be very finely chopped with a knife.
I do not add extra salt to this recipe as I find ham salty enough. Taste and season to your liking.
This ham salad can be served on bread, rolls, crackers, or even salad.
Wow Joel! Truly an incredible transformation! (and Kuddos to you for kicking the meth habit!)
Curious though, with that fast of absorption, do you experience numb feet? I only notice it when I dry scoop stevia (my Dr. recommended it to me, said it would keep my Sifilis at bay).
I think you’re all missing the point here. Stevia is the ancient Aramaic word for Satan. This is literally a plot by the government to indoctrinate us into the NWO
Open your eyes, sheeple! Stevia can’t melt steel beams!
Stevia causes terrible side-effects in me. “Burning mouth syndrome,” canker sores on my gums and tongue, and extreme pain of nerves running through my sinuses and mouth. I spend a year in agony, spent thousands of dollars on surgeries, went to 9 different doctors, and lost my four front teeth because of stevia – but I had no idea that was the cause until it was too late. Recently I began using a reflux medication I didn’t realize it had stevia in it, and started on that journey down torture lane again before I remembered the feeling and stopped the medication in time.
There are a great many people with undiagnoseable mouth pain like mine. I believe some of those people could be allergic to stevia like I am. The stevia industry will do everything it can to suggest stevia isn’t just harmless, it’s “good” for you! I wish the FDA would pay some attention to the “anecdotal” stories of a few of us.
I had forgotten why I stopped trying Stevia years ago. It caused me allergy like headaches. I started to use it again after my pregnancy and have been for 2 months trying to treat and keep my diabetes under control. I’ve had a bad headache for two months. One that feels like allergies coming on, but then makes me feel like my blood pressure is fluctuating up and down. It makes me feel real bad. Stopped the Stevia immediatetly. The headache went away. I also started to have numbness in my left fingers, and then now in my right fingers, but my carpel tunnel has long gone after the delivery of my baby. It turns out some men on the internet attributed their finger tingling to Stevia use as well. Darn! Should have known!
Last, but not least, I’m upset because Stevia turned out to put stress on your adrenals. I’ve been trying to nurse my adrenals for the past 3 years, so not so happy about that.
Going back to sugar and/or honey.
Hi
I have used stevia for about 5 years.
I began to have a speeded up heart rate at night. It happened in bursts.A little at a time, but scary.
It took me a while to reconsider stevia about a year. Stevia was for me a good thing till these things started.
Then I realized that when I stopped using stevia. However only in my coffee in the morning.
My heart stopped having those scary episodes.
I have just seen that it is possible to happen from stevia.
I also got hives. Possibly connected.
So if anyone is experiencing these feelings, that could be explained as (feelings of anxiety)*, for me that was it.
I read that the FDA recommended no more that 4mg/kg of body weight of Steviol Glycoside be consumed daily. I have some Trader Joes Stevia Rebaudiana Extract, which states 4 drops of it contains .13 mL. A conversion chart says that 1mL of water = 1000 mg. By my dodgy math, I come up with 1 drop =~ 32.5 mg. my question is: how much Steviol Glycoside is there in a mg of the extract?
I`ve searched a lot and finally found stevia in Iran.Just a question.Is stevia used for mouth illnesses?
No.
A few years ago, I got very excited about stevia but, couldn’t find it in Canada. I finally called our federal government (in Canada) and asked why we can’t have it. I was speaking to the agent in charge of imported food products. He said he’d never heard of stevia and wondered why. I told him that because it is natural, has zero calories and harmless, it is likely blocked by big artificial sweetener corporations as just too much competition. Well, within two years of that conversation with this government official,we had stevia in Canada! Hooray!
Side effects from stevia is DETOX symptoms! It is god for you. Just titrate dosage down and add drops as you feel better and drink water!
I stay away from all artificial sweeteners, but have recently started drinking an antioxidant drink that contains Stevia. I love the drink it tastes delicious and gives me extra energy while boosting my immune system. I have noticed since starting this I am having issues with numbness and tingling in my feet. I stopped drinking it for awhile and the numbness went away, I have recently started this again since its flu season and I don’t get the flu shot so I wanted to keep my immune system in check and feel this def helps, however the numbness and tingling has returned 🙁 .. I am going to have to stop it again! I see in this tread that other people have had this issue as well with Stevia.
Was this drink also caffeinated? It could be the caffeine…?
Maybe it’s not the stevia, maybe it’s one of the other ingredients in the drink.
I suffer from awful tingling/numbness in my hands and feet and drink a lot of stevia every day. I just learned it is a side effect. Wow. It has been an awful run with my neurologist trying to figure out what has been happening to me
I developed tingling in my feet three years ago and have not been able to find the root cause. I use and have used Stevia and was surprised to see this could be the issue. Does anyone have any data they can share on this topic? I will have to stop at once to see if this relieves the tingling.
Some, not all, symptoms that you may be getting as you switch to stevia could be withdrawal from sugar or other artificial sweeteners. Before I start my patient on Stevia I test them with kinesiology and we them off of the artificial sweetener they have been on. Try weaning off your normal sweeteners and possibly detoxing especially if you have been using aspartame.
I have been increasing the use of stevia from beverages, cereals and other foods. I recently developed an inner ear “virus” according to the doctors that left me with ear pain and horrible vertigo which has lasted nearly two weeks. Upon doing some research, I found that people who are allergic to rag weed (one of my big reactions) may also have problems with stevia. Has anyone else had this experience and besides curtailing the use, what did you do to help the problem?
Stevia led to uncontrollable asthma. Because I added it to everything that normally required sugar, I was ingesting it constantly. I didn’t know it was causing my asthma and assumed, for ten years, that my body had changed somehow which made me asthmatic. I did research and found, like yourself, that if you are allergic to ragweed, you probably will be allergic to Stevia. My inability to breathe got so bad, I didn’t talk to conserve my breath. To make a long story short, after three days of quitting stevia cold turkey, I could breathe again. I have been off Stevia for almost a year now, and trying to get off artificial sweeteners altogether. My breathing is normal except during the seasonal hiatus. I take 750 mg of turmeric laced with black pepper three times daily. I take after I consumed a bit of fat or milk to increase its efficacy. Within 20 minutes of taking turmeric, my respiratory system relaxes. Hope this helps someone out there.
Yes, I had dizziness bad enough to go to the dr.
A couple of times.
I put blackseed oil in the offending ear and slowed down the stevia and it’s all gone now.
I really liked stevia but it’s not for me.
Yes, I had dizziness bad enough to go to the dr.
A couple of times.
I put black seed oil in the offending ear and slowed down the stevia and it’s all gone now.
I really liked stevia but it’s not for me.
Too many problems for me.
Stevia does NOT cause a rise in blood sugar for Type 2 diabetics. Been used in Japan for years & years.
It comes in powder, mix it in as you pour a beverage into a glass.
Also comes in liquid form–read the diractions on the bottle as to how much– otherwise it leaves an after taste.
A bit of it goes a long way.
Too many raw almonds can be harmful too as the contain cyanide and you can show the effects of cyanide poisoning! The FDA published results of people who eat apricot seeds as well. Laitril a cancer fighting drug has a form of cyanide that is the basis of its effect- cancer cells absorb the poison at a much higher rate then die, but it is banned now in the US because of people having symptoms of poisoning. I have an allergy to bermuda grass and now plan to stick to things with maltodextrin (from rice) and aspertame. Sugar is still the worst and a 20 year British study said sugar caused brain lesions in humans! So I avoid sugar as the real health threat.
Sheila– cramps in your arm or arms is one of the symptoms of a woman with heart disease.
Go to a cardiologist and have a treadmill stress test with ultrasound.
You could be on your wasy to a heart attack.
Women as young as 30 have them, no longer an old person’s attack.
What about long time exposure? Like chocolate for dogs. The toxic component of chocolate is theobromine. Humans easily metabolize theobromine, but dogs process it much more slowly, allowing it to build up to toxic levels in their system. That is one reason I believe using animals to test for human consumption is absurd. We are not the same. Neither are humans. Some have allergies, some don’t. We have all been conditioned to believe that testing on animals is an adequate test. It is not and the law will forever stand, “Consumer Beware”.
Thanx for all or better yet…some of the info. Just purchased Stevia in the raw…drank one packet in a very large coffee . Was glad there was no bitter aftertaste & it was not sweet sweet.
Also use honey in vinegrettes & smoothies. Delicious!
I am now cancer free thanks be unto God.
The last two years wete a trial. He is faithful.
Happy 2016 everyone.
J.
Hey Jana, Stevia in the Raw contains dextrose (sugar form) and is refined to make it white. There are some other brands out there to try, or just go to your local “hippie store” and get the green leaf powdered form.
I can’t believe, but provide more in details, might help worldwide cancer people.
I have been using Walmart brand stevia everday, all day for the last two years.
I was covinced I might have rheumatoid arthritis.
After wondering why I was experiencing muscle cramping and feet pain. I decided to look up Stevia, as my last resort as to why I hurt.
Sure enough, there are other Stevia users out there with the exact pains I have been having. I stopped stevia a week ago, and have been experiencing severe nausea and vomiting, dizziness and fatigue.
Could this be withdrawal from stevia?
Jessica – You are pregnant!
Jessica: Did you ever get an answer to this or reach any conclusions?
Thanks
Jessica, please note that the above article is 15 years old. There MUST be some new information on stevia since 2000 that would confirm or confute that article’s conclusions, especially with all the increased interest in stevia and sugar substitutes over the last 15 years.
Yes Jessica I have the same problem
I am sick from stevia.
Do you also use it everyday? Even though it’s natural, things should be cycled, just like with any medicine, herb or supplement. Taking it everyday isn’t the best thing to do. Like with most herbs/extracts, you should also try to buy organic and non-GMO types of Stevia. I’m sure the Walmart brand that the other person is taking probably isn’t clean, good Stevia. There are other alkaline and good sweeteners to use, if applicable, like organic honey, organic maple syrup, sugar (raw is the best though)
I think people who consume large quantities of anything, regardless of how safe they are, are going to have some sort of reaction. Our bodies weren’t meant for that sort of thing. Eat healthy, limit your sweets and salts, no matter where you get them from. My grandpa salted his food, then had to add more salt because he got used to it, then had to add more, etc. over the years. Does that mean that salt is unsafe and be taken off the market? Again, limited quantities is the key!
I developed a allergy to stevia I know it and yes I have cramp like pains in my hands and arms to the point I cant move my arms freely as before without those pains I know its stevia because I went without it for a while and was getting better then had it again and it started to hurt my arms again! Also it has made it hard for me to swallow but when I quit it then was swallowing fine!!
Also forgot to add it was organic stevia!!!
I was just reading your comment. Was the cramps in your arms like up by your shoulder? Also, did you have headaches?
Cough…Somataform disorder … Cough
Sounds like you are allergic to Stevia with the throat swelling. Good you quit.
I switched from maple sugar to stevia when I found a stevia packet which didn’t have an aftertaste. Within a couple of days I began having Charlie Horses in my upper legs, and then it progressed to my arms, my shoulders, and sometimes I was having muscle cramps in my pecks (I am a woman, and didn’t know I could have muscle cramps under my boobs!). And wow they are painful! After about three weeks I got tired of it, and thought about what had changed, so I looked up Stevia and Muscle Cramps. I’ve stopped stevia altogether and am on about day four of no stevia. Progressively the cramps have gotten much lighter, yesterday I had none (day three), today I had one down the side of my body. Last year I went in for an ekg on my heart, and they said I have no signs of any heart disease, in fact the doctor said she has never seen such a photogenic heart – she even called another doctor over to look. Anyway, that said, I’m chalking up the muscle cramps to my hunch, that stevia is not for me. Glad it works for others. I’m glad I found out. I also am one of the lucky Levaquin toxicity sufferers which took about 2 years to fully recover once I figured out what it did to me. So it might just be a genetic weakness to certain things in certain families. When I had my Levaquin toxicity issues I started having lower back pain, and then fibromyalgia symptoms. It was painful to walk around and I started missing work (which is really hard on a workaholic). Anyway, maybe some of us are just unlucky in this way. If you start having the muscle pain, quit the stevia and get better. It’s not worth it for you. Wish I could use it.
I switched from maple sugar to stevia when I found a stevia packet which didn’t have an aftertaste. Within a couple of days I began having Charlie Horses in my upper legs, and then it progressed to my lower legs, arms, my shoulders, and sometimes I was having muscle cramps in my pecks (I am a woman, and didn’t know I could have muscle cramps in and under my boobs!). And wow they are painful! After two-three weeks I got tired of it, and thought about what had changed, so I looked up Stevia and Muscle Cramps. I’ve stopped stevia altogether and am on about day four of no stevia. Progressively the cramps have gotten much lighter, yesterday I had none (day three), today I had one down the side of my body. Last year I went in for an ekg on my heart, and they said I have no signs of any heart disease, in fact the doctor said she has never seen such a photogenic heart – she even called another doctor over to look. Anyway, that said, I’m chalking up the muscle cramps to my hunch, that stevia is not for me. Glad it works for others. I’m glad I found out. If you start having the muscle pain, quit the stevia and get better. It’s not worth it for you. Wish I could use it.
You may never see this because your post is a few years old, but I want to say thanks for confirming what I only began to suspect. I have been using stevia on and off for over 10 years, just a few drops in yogurt or a few more in oatmeal or an occasional pumpkin pie sweetened with stevia and recently I’d found a soft drink and chocolate made with stevia so was occasionally using them as well. I have been suffering with extreme body cramps on and off for all these years. Neither I nor the doctors were able to come up with the cause. Just now I looked up side effects of stevia because I had been away from home for one week and had not had a single cramp, then once back home I began to get them again…the only thing I could point my finger at was the stevia I use at home. My symptoms are identical to yours, body cramps in the trunk, back, legs and even pectorals. They are extremely painful and can keep me from doing things as simple as driving. I get them when I use the muscle, bend, tie a shoe, in yoga class, swimming. I stopped many activities because of them. And guess what! IT IS THE STEVIA. I eliminated it and I have no cramps!!! YEARS AND YEARS OF SUFFERING BECAUSE OF STEVIA, because I thought stevia was “good” for me. I notice while reading people’s opinions about stevia that while there are lots of people who love it, there are people who get cramps, asthma type allergic reactions, tinnitus, numbness in hands and feet (I had a little of this too occasionally) and other reactions. So please people if you try Stevia watch for symptoms and stop using it if you suffer from any of them. (Though I wonder what permanent damage stevia has caused in my body and what invisible damage regular use may cause even when people do not get symptoms.)
I started using organic stevia when I got type 2 diab. and reversed the diab. I kept on using it for at least 8 years & now am suffering from muscle soreness & weakness along with digestive issues(pain in my upper abdomen). Will quitting stevia help with the pain in my arms?
its possible your ‘reactions’ are actually symptoms of Bartonella…..as Stevia is used to treat it by depriving the parasite of sugar.
there is FB blog if you’d like more info….Beating Bartonella
I went from aspartame to Splenda in my soda, then tried Coke Life with stevia when it came out. The stevia really screwed up my stomach. I quit all artificial sweeteners and will just treat myself with a real sugar Pepsi now and then.
Theresa,
I had the same symptoms with stevia as well as headaches and body aches. I have decided to lay off all unnatural foods and drinks and I feel so much better.
Stevia is natural…I grow it on my patio.
Because it is natural it does not mean that it cannot cause problems, there are plants out there that will kill you because they are poisonous.
I think Laura’s point was aimed at Sandra’s comment suggesting that stevia is an “unnatural” food.
Amen brother!
Snake venom is natural too.
And it’s used to make antivenom, which saves lives.
Isn’t nature amazing?
I used to use Splenda for a couple years and heard about Stevia, this tricks you as it says that is is all natural made from a plant. Well I thought I was doing really well. I have been using Stevia for a few years now and have stomach aches ALL the time. I did not know I had anything to be concerned about so I did not read the box. The brand I always use is the equate from Walmar, this is the only place I can find this particular brand. Well I read the box today and the ingredients say as follows: Maltodextin, stevia (stevia Rebaudiana) leaf extract standardized to 90% of glycosides (48 mg oer 1g) sound foreign now to me. says CAUTION: nOT RECOMMENDED FOR PREGNANT WOMEN, children or those who have a low blood pressure. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. Now, I feel really stupid, if there are warnings, “HELLO” if this is so called made from natural stevia plant. Why warnings. So after today, I will go back to using regular sugar that has been around forever, in small amounts, will be a shock to the system surely, but hopefully stomach aches wiill go away…I will comment in a couple weeks to see if I feel better without STEVIA (so called natural) and by the way, the box also says, do not exceed more then 5 packets a day….Why if natural. confused. will also call this company to get information………….back in touch with everyone in the next couple weeks. Tammy
You should try a pure form of stevia powder or extract that does not contain additives. The Body Ecology brand gets good reviews…I haven’t tried it but I am experimenting with growing my own so I KNOW without a doubt mine will be pure stevia with no additives. Big food industry has to jump in and change everything to mass produce a product at an affordable price….usually doesn’t turn out well for the consumer.
The best way to make sure you get the best results has always and will always be to grow your own stevia plant. It doesn’t require a lot of water to grow such as other plants. Manufactures will always say thier product is safe, even though it’s not.
Tammy – Stop buying health products at cheap places (Walmart brands). You can’t expect quality at a cheap price. I personally love the place (Walmart) but I get my Stevia at Whole Foods. However, I buy my socks at, you guessed it, Walmart. Switching from Splenda to Stevia has been like night and day for my health. Exercise doesn’t hurt either. I’m not going to mention any brands but if it says “no more than 5 a day” or if I don’t understand the ingredients, I’m not buying it. Choose wisely, read labels.
Grow your own. Dry the leaves. 100% natural stevia.
I think it has more to do with the maltodextrin than the stevia, while stevia doesnt have much of an impact on your bloodsugar, maltodextrin causes bloodsugar spikes more intensely than sugar.
Stevia used as a sweetener is by the way as natural as sugar, it is made from an extract. That is only a sales pitch.
I grow and use Stevia as an alternative sweetener. The stevia you refer to in pre-processed foods (at my last reading of what I considered acceptable information) is still owned by a Coca-Cola subsidiary and has undergone a 41 (?) step process to extract only those properties that make things sweeter. This process eliminates anything beneficial (somewhere in the range of 600 times sweeter than sugar).. This, in some way, increases the bottom line of the product but should not in any way be confused with the natural dried leaves. Neither myself not any member of our family has noticed any ill affects from this form of sweetener and the initial weight loss due to the elimination of sugar hasn’t hurt our feelings a bit.
because you need ‘some’ sugar, to maintain normal insulin levels
Does anyone know in which countries is it possible to buy dry leaves of Stevia?
I found that in Europe it’s permitted to comercialize Stevia extract. Can I believe that if the extract is permitted then the leaves are also authorized?
Grow your own. I would be extremely worried about what else might be on those leaves (pesticides and herbicides) coming from another country. They are easy to grow, my gf hasn’t killed hers yet and she kills cactus. I planted a plant this year in my garden just to see about using it in landscapes because that is my profession and I think its going to become my new go to plant for a medium height bed plant. It has thrived in the planter I made for my herbs which is only 1 ft wide x 6 ft long x 2 ft deep.
Hey Jacon
I’m living in Denmark and I have a green house in my garden. Do you think I can grow the Stevia there? And how? Can I buy the seeds or must I buy some plants?
Kind regards
Birgitte, Denmark
Both dry leaves and seeds are available in Iran and I`m sure that they have license.
I am one of the researches on medicinal plants in uganda and a backyard farmer of stevia, I develope natural health products from different medicinal plants (on which scientific evidence for efficasy and safety exist) and I use and (or) recommend steviaa as the best sweetener for these herbal Teas, how ever I was reading one of the publications of Makerere university-kampala and came to a clause that stevia has been prohibitted in some countries due to its ability to cause penile dysfunction.. How reliable could this information be.
I live in New Jersey and our local garden shop carries the stevia plant! The leaves are sweet as candy!
healthy & natural! Forget the ‘studies’ they are flawed & politically swayed, at best…
Japan has approved & used stevia in their products /has been on their grocery shelves for decades.
It is safe.
The FDA should be focusing, scrutinizing hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, additives, dyes
And preservatives that are ‘approved’ in U.S. Food products… These are the culprits to health conditions, disease & such!
FDA = Fraud Drug Administration
Why would politicians have an interest in swaying people from Stevia? I agree forget the studies, listen to the people having the issues.
Just because something is approved and in use for decades (how many years has stevia been in the market?) does not mean it is is safe. Look at cyclamates and sacharin for starts.
Money! That’s why politicians have interests in anything.
I have a friend who had a terrible reaction to having used Stevia over a period of time, and as our family uses it also decided to do a little research myself and this page is one I found, and after my other research, am 100% against the recommendation that processed Stevia is okay to use and is “all natural”, after reading the article that can be found at the following page reference. Of all the pages I could find, this one foodbabe.com/2013/04/25/stevia-good-or-bad/ had the best overall information and if you read it, you will see why I recommend you NOT use any processed aka Reb A forms of stevia. I only wish I’d heard from my friend and done the research before I made my last Stevia purchase. I will NO longer buy processed Stevia aka Reb A.
Maybe you used too much stevia?
I use stevia to make hot chocolate. Per cup, I use a slightly rounded tablespoon of cocoa, two mini scoops of stevia from the Trader Joes 100% stevia bottle, and a teaspoon of organic blackstrap molasses. A little almond milk, stir to mix, then fill with almond milk and microwave. The molasses has some sugar in it, but it eliminates the slightly bitter aftertaste of the stevia. This recipe produces a semi sweet cup that I like, but most might prefer another mini scoop of stevia added. The mini scoops are probably 1/16 teaspoon or something less, they are very tiny scoops.
MICROWAVE??? allthat good stuff and you just kiillled it all by nuking it!? do some more homework on the micronuke machine pleeze
used stevia for approx. 5 yrs. with occasional use of sucralose. paying close attention ingredients in labels. I intend to stop entirely the use of sucralose & fructose products. i have had a negative effect from trial usage of TRUVIANA in which i developed a cankcore type sore in side my mouth. researched on internet & found a list of persons with complaints of health problems in use of truviana. ceased using & threw out remaining truviana & cankcore disappeared. will continue use of STEVIA (of which my retired pharmacist brother Anthony recomended initially). for healthy people i would recomend Blue Aguavy sweetner which is said to not cause energy spikes in usage. ps: Tequilla is a derivative of Blue Aguavy. i wish everyone an abondance of good health, happyness.
I have only bought Stevia by Sweet Leaf company for 12 yrs. It’s not bleached with sulfur added, like some companies do but dont’ have to include on the label. Just call Sweet Leaf customer service and talk with them, like I did. They are very helpful & based out of AZ.
Benjamin,
I too developed sores in my mouth and until I read your post did not attribute them to Truvia. I stopped using Truvia due to stomach pains, body aches etc and the mouth sores went away. Appreciate your post.
:O
Has anybody out there experienced throat irritation and coughing using Stevia? I have had dry throat and coughing issues for over three years using this product one in the morning for coffee and once at night with tea. I have seen numerous doctors and had all kinds of tests and they could not find anything wrong with my lungs or throat. I stopped using Stevia three days ago and all symptoms are pretty much gone. I was concerned I had some exotic disease that nobody could diagnose. My father had ragweed allergies. I did not think I had any. Could this be the cause of my intense throat irritation? I thought I had throat or thyroid cancer. All negative.
This sounds like an allergic reaction. Allergies can come and go with different stages of your life and with exposure to different things. If I was you, I would get tested for a stevia allergy and avoid it in the future.
Since the plant that Stevia comes from is related to ragweed, it might be that you are having an allergic response. I have known several people who have described similar symptoms with whole herb teas and with the extracts from those same herbs … a number of which were related closely to plants that produce allergic responses in many people (pollens, grasses, weeds). Something to consider. If you were to try the substance again and find the same reaction, that would pretty much guarantee that it was the cause and should be avoided.
I have been noticing a slight cough during and just after drinking Zevia soda (made with Stevia). But otherwise I don’t have a cough.
You took this product and had a consistent reaction for 3 YEARS??! WTF? Why continue with it? Idiot!
YES! I have had canker sores as well as throat irritation and intermittent bouts of coughing. I’m sure it’s related to the stevia in the organic goat whey I use almost daily in yogurt, kefir and/or coffee w/heavy cream. (Because I noticed recently that it’s only when I return to dairy that the throat problems would return, and that is likely because of the stevia I put in them.)
I think mine may be exacerbated by the xylitol in my chewing gum, too. Gotta stop BOTH stevia and xylitol and see if I don’t improve quickly.
I already knew I was very sensitive to stevia, but at first I thought it was only giving me an allergic reaction (bad headache in the morning — something I almost never otherwise get) and sometimes nausea. Interestingly, when I was vegan it was worse. When I went Paleo, I’d have the same reactions, but far less often, and less serious.
Now that I know stevia is associated with muscle, joint and throat problems, I am really going to get this stuff out of my life. It just is not worth compromising my health. I won’t use sugar or agave’ either, so I’m just going to have to learn to do without.
I’m hoping my arthritis symptoms (leg pain) will also decrease significantly once I’m off stevia and xylitol (which I’ve already found out is associated with joint pains). I think for me these things really must be treated as the POISONS that they are.
THANKS FOR THIS GREAT PAGE!!
Please ALLOW people like ME to SEARCH for RECIPES here on your WEBSITE Please? it makes a Diabetics life a whole lot easier, let me know what you think of this idea. Please post Video’s with Recipes on YOUR WEBSITE. Thanks in advance
ALSO Please go to the DIET RITE COMPANY the makers of diet pop, and pleeeeease ask them IF they would like to add your Estivia to their diet pop, when you get your answer pleeease let me know, as it was the only diet Pop that I lost weight on. Thanks in advance.
Mrs.Debora Herlein
Friday August 22nd, 2014
Psoriasis is the most severe skin disease. Treatment in allopathy and other alternate medicines are time taking, costly and not so sure of cure. But by taking one tea spoonful of stevia green powder in a glass of water thrice a day on empty stomache cures psoriasis in about a month or two at the maximum. The beauty is that the patient notices relief right in the very first week and so confidence leads further. The relief is observed in every case without any bearing with length of suffering or age.
If food and drink manufacturers would advertise and use stevia . I believe their sales would increase to the point that stevia would be used by more people . Creating jobs to produce and or import stevia . Which in turn would would turn the U.S. population into less obese and healthier people . Which would save billions of dollars in health care. Does anyone have the courage to take on such a challenge? How about it Mr President ?
Please… leave the feds out of it. Besides, you would be forcing the hand of those who do react badly to stevia. Why don’t you just buy stevia and add it yourself? My first and only use of stevia came from a soda and that’s when I learned I have bad reaction to it.
That comment makes no sense..why would you buy soda and then add stevia to it? The point would be to not have sugar in it. If they did make sodas with it more frequently, they still wouldn’t get rid of sodas with sugars and it would still be advertised as having stevia…no one is forcing you to get it, its not forcing anyone, it would be similar to other diet drinks.
Is it safe for those with allergies (ragweed)?
No it is not safe for those with ragweed allergies. I’ve been getting sores in my mouth, a raspy voice, and a few times have had difficulty swallowing. I’ve has a camera shoved down my throat and the doc thought acid reflux and told me to avoid coffee. When I quit putting stevia in my coffee for a week – everything returned to normal.
Yes, I had dizziness bad enough to go to the dr.
A couple of times.
I put black seed oil in the offending ear and slowed down the stevia and now I have stopped.
I really liked stevia but it’s not for me.
Too many problems for me.
Dizziness heart racing and hives. I am done.
Thanks to stevia, sweet tea. pls. can i buy from UK. pharmacy shops .
Not sure if this will help anyone…..but during my journey of getting rid of my cancer 100% all natural (which I did)…..I have used Stevia everyday for over 6 years. I drink 4 to 8 cups of herb/green teas a day sweetened with Stevia and also use it in baking and the famous Budwig diet. I would consider I use it in high doses daily and I am in the best health I have ever been in. I use it in it’s purest form but being in a rural area sometimes I have bought it with additives. I also grow it and use it’s leaves when I can. In my opinion it is 100% safe and yummy!!
Angel, I used organic stevia for 4 or more years with no side effects but developed an allergy and had to quit using it now it causes cramps in my arms so it can be unsafe for other people!!
Angel, what brands. I’ve tried lots of brands and they all have a bitter taste when I put into my coffee or tea. I’m using SweetLeaf now in my oatmeal, but not my hot liquids. I’ve been off Spenda about 4 yrs now.
Is Stevia safe for my dogs?
?????….. Only morons, idiots & vegans try to feed their dogs salad……!!!!! Dogs eat meat …. Any herbal topups they might need , they will find for themselves in the garden …without your help…,…….. If you don’t like the sight of meat, get a pet rabbit & teach it to bark ….!!!!!!!!
DogPhood.
My roommates, that are meat eaters, fead their dog meat free for years. She was healthy, happy & lived to be very old. Their vet has the recipe for costumers of the food bars that went with rice, green beans, carrots, other veggies she liked & low sodium vegetable broth. Only one not allowed was raw onions as they can hurt dogs.
Maybe you should rethink the morons, idiots & vegans comment until you have your vet diploma!
OMG! People are getting stupider and stupider every day! Feeding stevia to your dogs??! WTF??
You’re a moron. Grow up, and until then just shut up.
Yes, I had dizziness bad enough to go to the dr.
A couple of times.
I put black seed oil in the offending ear and slowed down the stevia and now I have stopped.
I really liked stevia but it’s not for me.
Too many problems for me.
Dizziness heart racing and hives. I am done.
Does anyone know if Trader Joe’s Stevia Extract (white powder form) has fillers or anything else in it? I wasn’t sure about the processing of it?
It says vegan, gluten free, organic and Stevia Rebaudiana on the ingredient label. Nothing more. Wasn’t sure on Trader Joe’s source of where the product comes from. I like the taste of it, but was curious.
Trader Joe’s has 2 products, one in a small package about the size of a spice jar and has no bulking agents. The large bottle has a bulking agent but I don’t rem. which one.
I used a brand called organic stevia for the first time and I got a scare when I went to the bathroom and the poop was green, did this happen to anyone.
heres my question, iam starting this cleanser detox fot the colon, with cayenne peppers, lemonade and stevia( just one drop per day) how much does afect my body or mind if behind the stevia theres somethin bad( i dont think there is nothing, but just in case) iam having anxiety and panick atacks something and i dont wanna take something that may increase thoses syntoms, thanks
dear giselle,
keep in mind that master cleanser requires grade c maple syrup for a reason and that is calories/energy. if stevia has no calories i see you faint and not being able to cope with your daily stuff. just for your ref
I have a question. Was wondering can Stevia be canned with other veggies? EX: my family loves carrots sweetened with sugar when I cook. If I put a Stevia leaf in a jar of carrots to be canned, would it sweeten the carrrots?
When once an apple a day kept the doctor away, now “fructose-free” seems to be the new fad. Once more, extremes. Sugars are not bad consumed in natural source context, mainly fresh fruits with all their water and fiber. Neither cane/beet sugar or the infamous High Fructose Corn Syrup qualify. Blaming fructose for ill health that is actually caused by overconsumption of refined sugar is like blaming steel for car crashes. And stevia? It’s great consumed in moderation, to increase the sweetness of foods that are only mildly sweet. Anything could be overdone, even stevia.
i have been on splenda for 6 yrs i have been really sick with chest pain, dizziness lips going numb,shortness of breath,lungs always feeling like there is fluid in them , bad pains in my stomach.and my heart racing and slowing down.i have been to the hopitals and doctors and everything is normal.i did notice ysterday when i got up i had coffee with splenda all a sudden my lungs and dizziness came on.i was told to go on stevia by a health store and that all my symtoms will go away. and that splenda is killing me.i am the 1st to say i am addicted to splenda and its hard switching over any advice.
Since you want to give up stevia, my first suggestion would be to choose drinks that are not necessarily sweetened, such as green tea, pitchers of water flavored with slices of lemon or chunks of fruit, hot water with star anise, in short, drinks that don’t make you crave Stevia, or other sweeteners. Taste different kinds of bottled water.
Also, to cut down on your craving and make it easier to not look for the sweetness of stevia, try naturally sweet foods, in small amounts. Sweet potatoes, for example, are great to experiment with.
If you read the post carefully, you will see that Anita has a problem with Splenda, NOT with Stevia!
You don’t have to read the post carefully…..you just have to pay attention.
Amen!
Splenda and Stevia are different monsters. I have used both and have reacted to both. Splenda caused extreme muscle stiffness like I had aged twenty years in a short period of time. Stopped Splenda and could move again. Stevia caused respiratory issues like you…lungs feeling like they were full of fluid, breathlessness, and constant non-productive cough. Stop Stevia and those symptoms will most likely go away.
My advice is research sucralose and aspartame. There is a book titled Sweet Poison by Dr. Janet Hull. Some of your conditions are listed in that book.
stevia can be difficult to get used to but best advice i have had on diets is not to subtract but to keep adding what you need (e.g. stevia to teas, coffees, unsweetened juices, eating more vegetables, etc.) & eventually you acquire a taste for the stevia. in the meantime you will keep grabbing for the splenda, sucralose or aspartime but you will recognize this is only ‘withdrawal’ & you will adjust through eventual decrease, especially if you are determined to find the effects of alternatives – which are guaranteed!
I’m not crazy about Stevia in my hot coffee, but I adore it in cold foods (including iced coffee). Just to avoid the problems of fooling mother nature in using 0 calorie sweeteners, I use a little agave nectar to sweeten slightly and Stevia to finish
For one thing the rest they give hamsters don’t make since! As all studies go. They gave a hamster 500_2000 MG’s of stevia. Their little systems can’t handle that much! Ous system could cause we are bigger. The should not even be using amimals for any study. Need to use humans! Its inclusive! Does not count! We don’t have the body of a mouse!
have you looked up splendia’s original use?…rat posion
Anita –
Just read your note from a year ago. Have been having identical symptoms, been to doctors and hospitals, everything normal just like you. Wondering how you’re doing and if you used Stevia?
Splenda is highly toxic, especially to some people who are sensitive. Try mixing half splenda and half stevia for a while to wean yourself off the splenda. Over the course of a week or so, you will see a difference. I switched in my morning coffee and made all the difference. No more splenda for us!
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/10/Obama-Monsanto-Alliance-Too-Close-for-Comfort.aspx Former Monsanto employees part of FDA. Aspartame made by Monsanto go to https://www.facebook.com/sallymyhorse More information posted on my face book timeline and face book home page
Hi, I would like to ask if anyone knows what our body actually does with Stevia? Is it treated like Fructose and not used as energy by the body, or is it converted to glucose for the body to use, or is it like the manufactured sweeteners, of which some of them can pass through our system relatively untouched? I am trying to be fructose free for my family and am wondering if our body automatically converts this like fructose or reacts differently to it? I am struggling to find information on Stevia, as it is only new on “the market” although it has been used in places like Japan for a long time. I am very interested in any information that you have regarding the cause and effect of having stevia. I don’t want Stevia to end up being like aspartme or saccharin or any of the other nasty things that the FDA has approved 🙂
Thanks a heap
Ms Jones
Stevia isn’t a sugar, nor fake sugar (e.g. Splenda), and isn’t at all like fructose (a sugar). It’s non-caloric, so it can’t possibly be converted by the body into sugar nor fat.
Unlike aspartame and saccharin, stevioside is a naturally occurring compound found in a plant. This differs from aspartame, which while built from naturally occurring compounds, but isn’t actually found anywhere in nature.
White or clear “stevia” is refined to concentrate stevioside, whereas green or dark stevia is generally unrefined and, arguably more natural. I prefer the latter because the more you refine any food, the less healthy it tends to be. However green/dark stevia imparts more flavor, which some people find offensive. Often, however, that’s because they’re simply using way too much stevia. A tiny amount of stevia goes a long way. In general, i use 1/6 teaspoon of white stevia to replace 1 cup of sugar (or 1/2 teaspoon of green stevia). White/clear stevia imparts less flavor, and is even sweeter, so must be used very sparingly.
The reason the warning sign was on the package of stevia is because the FDA would not approve its use unless it had the warning on it. The FDA is not there for our health and safety they are there for the big Money why else would they approve something that has been proven to cause cancer and also to eat brain cells. All this company has to do to get approved when they do come under scrutany is to change the name of the product so people will by it because they dont know what it is. What a joke the FDA truly is.
I know this is a website to promote stevia so I’m not surprised that the point of their “safety” page is to refute any scientific proof of negative side effects. I’m just curious why, say 10 year ago, when I first purchased stevia as the only “sweetener” allowed on a diet I was trying, that the box AND each packet had an explicit warning (a la cigarette packs) that it could cause fertility issues. Now, stevia the trendy sweetener and suddenly those warning aren’t on any stevia products. Why were the warnings required and so explicit in the first place?
Money makes the world go round… just bc it’s “natural” doesn’t mean it’s great for our bodies. There are PLENTY of plants, berries, & seeds that are extremely harmful/toxic to our bodies.
As stated in the wikipedia alticle on stevia, it well documented all over the internet that: “United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeled stevia as an “unsafe food additive” and restricted its import.”
This is an issue in USA and countries the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can bully, I mean influence, I mean convince, I mean inform .. yes that it … inform.
They may be anonymous, but you do not need to be sherlock holmes to deduce that the pressure on the FDA stems from those that had billions in revenue to lose if stevia was to become popular in USA.
Apparently stevia may cause issues in humans if taken in ridiculously large amounts because that has been observed in rodents, but water is also toxic when you consume too much. Politics & religion quite often bend the truth especially when money is involved.
My 2 cents worth.
One other issue is the long term affect of this or other ‘new’ ingredients. Even if used for years by Japanese or whomever, we won’t know if there are negative affects in future children or beyond. In fact, there could be problems in ourselves AND in children but not recognize what and how those problems manifest. It’s a complicated issue, so you take the stevia or the HFC or whatever else at your own risk and the risk of your future kids. Saying a product is ‘all natural’ is somewhat meaningless, too. As someone else pointed out here, many natural things can be deadly.
Studies can only go so far anyway. It may be “evident” that a product doesn’t cause cancer, for example, but tests cannot and do not test for everything. It could cause or contribute to many many ill-effects without presenting in research. So, really, you just take your chances, right?
Almost every product approved by the FDA, and then later pulled because of dangers, was at one time approved and selling like crazy and popularly hailed as a wonderful thing. Consumers get to be the guinea pigs. I’m not against stevia for others, I can only say it has apparently caused me immediate throat reactions, and I am one who can eat pretty much anything anywhere and normally not react badly. Not allergic to anything I’ve known (except now maybe stevia).
Remember, too, that it was once very popularly believed (by science and medicine) that marijuana, cocaine, tobacco, and a host of other now rejected products, were good for your health and were even touted routinely by MDs. It seems to me there is always a risk, and these days there seem more new products thrown at us than ever, yet more recalled from unforseen serious health issues, as well.
Turth is we don’t know for sure. We take our chances.
Ivan… I have to say… it’s not just “politics and religion”. Science also commonly bends the truth when money is involved. I have been embedded in the world of medical research for a few years now and believe me, it’s way way common.
From doing some research on stevia, I know there are “brands” that contain erythritol, xylitol, dextrose, agave inulin etc. and so it’s important to look for a brand that is in its purest form .
My concern is what I’ve read from a nutritonist’s website. She states that because stevia is “sweet” on the palate, the body assumes it is receiving sugar and primes itself to do so. Glucose is cleared from the bloodstream and blood sugars drop, but no real sugar/glucose is provided to the body to compensate. When this happens, adrenaline and cortisol surge to mobilize sugar from other sources (liver and muscle glycogen, or protein, or body tissue) to bring blood glucose back up.
This is quite a stressful issue for the body and its ability to remain healthy overall. So there is much to learn about this natural substance. Maybe as with all things nutritive (or not?), moderation is a key.
Hi my name is Tracy and I have ALS/Lou Gehrigs Diease. I was considering using this product. A couple of my friends are switching over to it. But I’m not to sure it’s good for me. I’m going to consult with my doctors first before trying this.
RW – Thx. That is the most reasonable I’ve heard, and I have to totally agree on moderation and watchfulness. Well said.
YES , AND RAGWEED AND THERE FAMILY OF PLANTS ARE ONE OF THEM, MOST PEOPLE DONT EVEN KNOW THEY ARE ALLERGIC TO THESE PLANTS, AND THATS WHERE THE STEVIA PLANT COMES FROM. USE NATURAL HONEY,
I use stevia in my daughters juice I mix half juice half water and 1 full dropper of stevia she loves it and I also use it with my cream in coffee I love this sweetener I use it when ever I can even in Dr. Oz fat burn muffin he also says it okay
why make your kid sweet juice. your nuts and hurting your kid.
Has there ever been a study on stevia use and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms?
Dear Vaniprasad,
Do not worry about growing the plant
It is available as a sweetener in a product called ” Stevia In the raw” by a US based company in 1 gm sachets. It is avavilable in middle east. Try Indian shops or request some to bring it when they come from US
with best wishes
I buy stevia at the local health food store. The brand is Now..It is stevia extract, nothing else in it.
Cool, nothing else!, because Stevia in the Raw has maltodextrin and dextrose added to it. I don’t want or need the corn additives thank you.
Stevia in the Raw has maltodextrin and dextrose added to it. Both derived from corn just in case you didn’t know. Very little added but just in case you can not have corn derivitives. Or if you are allergic to corn products or bi-products. 97%-99% stevia I have saw these in the researches.
Once again we see evidence that the FDA does not have the consumer in it’s best interest. They are obviously greatly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry. This is why we as consumers must utilize information available to us to educate us to make decisions for ourselves as to what is best for us and hope that the FDA does little to prevent that. As long as we continue to allow our political system to operate with just two parties and allow lobbying to influence them we will not change the policies and actions of government agencies such as the FDA.
I have diabetes 2 and since I begun using Stevia my glucose level improved.We all know that sugar is something that is not good for our bodies.All other substitutes of sugar-Slenda,Equal and alike are not good either.Stevia is a natural product with no callories proven safe herb,it’s twice sweeter then sugar and proven safe for hundreds of years not only in south American countries,but anywhere in the world.Here in USA / FDA called it a “suplement”not a sweetener and there is market still floded with regular sugar.Is it because theese manufacturers have a monopoly on this ,or what?—Because Stevia is not a mass produced like sugar,the price of this is still little higher,but regardles people start using it more,because it is much heathier.
I have a Stevia plant and the only way to extract the sweetness seems to be to chew the leaf. Merely putting it into my hot tea does nothing to sweeten it. Even mincing the leaves does nothing to sweeten the tea. Any suggestions?
I am just now learning about the plant but I am told to boil the leaves to make a syurp that is used to sweeten foods.
you dry the leaves and treat it like tea. it works. i have been using it for a week now
cool!
Stevia should replace white sugar in foods i would suggest. Keep the white sugars for the production of bio-renewable energy.
I was wondering if it is good for diabetics and people with a seizure history. I found that the aspartame makes people with seizure history go into seizures back to back so that is no good.The splenda I heard they mix with something that is no good for anyone to ingest so it makes me leary of any new products. Can you ease my mind?
Is this product advisable for ATTENTION DEFICIENT AND HYPERACTIVE CHILDREN?
Is this product safe for a diabetic?
Hi i’m a type 1 diabetic and stevia has reduced my blood sugars significantly thus reducing the amount of insulin i take.
There is no diabetice in an alkaline body. Both http://www.phmiracleliving.com http://www.treeoflife.nu ,have documented cases of healing Type 1 and 2 diabetics. They both use stevia in their books “The PH Miracle for Diabetes” and “Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine” . Great food too.
Hi,
I have a daughter with type1 diabetes,and was wandering are you still taking Stevia and how much? Do you take the actual plant?
Is is working for you?Do you still take insulin.
Thanks Rich