Is Stevia Safe or Is It a Danger to Your Health?

This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. Learn more in our disclosure.

Have you heard scary things about stevia dangers–that it might be tied to infertility, genetic mutations, and more? It’s frightening stuff, for sure.

Join me as I dig into all the research in this post to find out if stevia is safe or if it’s a sweetener you should avoid.

stevia products with text overlay for post about stevia safety

I’ve been using stevia for a long time – ever since I tried to get off of sugar.

We use powdered stevia extract, and I’ve even figured out a way to make Homemade Liquid Stevia Drops.

Stevia is a super sweet sweetener that doesn’t feed candida, so it’s used by many who want to have something sweet without the bad “side effects” of sugar.

Stevia:

– doesn’t feed candida
may help with blood sugar regulation
– doesn’t cause caries (tooth decay)
– may reduce blood pressure when it is too high
– has no calories

What’s not to love?

Well, after literally YEARS of using stevia, imagine my fear when I someone forwarded a post to me by a blogger who gave up stevia, claiming it was super dangerous.

It’s pretty petrifying when you hear that something your family’s been using for years might have serious health consequences.

I wanted to ignore it and stick my fingers in my ears and say “lalalalalala” until I made my next treat with stevia, like these no-bake coconut cookies, snickerdoodle cookie dough balls, or homemade chocolate chips.

But I had to know if something we eat a lot of was likely or surely going to wreck my health.

So into the research I dove.  

It took a long time, but today I’ll go through the concerns one by one so you can see the conclusion that I came to and why and then decide for yourself what you think.

And after reading this post, you also might be interested in reading about the possible connection of erythritol and heart disease and if xylitol causes tumors.

Want to Save This Post?

Enter your email & I'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get healthy living updates too.

Save Recipe

Is Stevia Safe?

Here are some of the claims floating around out there about the negative effects of stevia.

it can cause infertility
has a hormonal structure
it can act as a mutagen and cause cancer
it taxes the adrenals
causes hormone issues
causes hypoglycemia
lowers blood pressure
has dangerous additives
high in oxalates
tastes bitter YIKES!!!!!

Before you go panicking and throw your stevia in the garbage, read on and I’ll address them one by one.

stevia products with text overlay for post about stevia safety, collage

Addressing Concerns About Stevia Safety

Stevia Has Unhealthy Additives

Stevia sold in stores and online is sometimes mixed with fillers and flavor enhancers like:

– maltodextrin
– glycerine (I use this for low carb baking anyway and don’t really have a problem with it as long as it’s not made from GMO soy)
– dextrose
– cellulose
erythritol
– the ubiquitous undisclosed “natural flavors”

I’m sorry but this is simply a ridiculous argument.

While bloggers who make this point about stevia safety are correct to point out that there are often unsavory things added to stevia, this is the equivalent of saying that we shouldn’t eat meat because it’s often mixed with nitrates, the cows are often fed antibiotics or it is made into hotdogs.

Just.Buy.Stevia.That.Isn’t.Mixed.With.Anything.Else.

That would be Pure Stevia Extract.

Like I said, however, I don’t really have a problem with glycerine and often I have called companies that have “natural flavors” on their label only to find that their flavorings were completely natural extracts only. So sometimes the “natural flavors” aren’t so scary after all and it isn’t necessarily a problem to buy stevia with additional ingredients – just do your homework.

Pay attention to the labels on the stevia you are considering buying.  And the price.

If the price looks too good to be true, chances are that the stevia in question has fillers. On to the next argument.

Stevia Tastes Terrible

Yes, some stevia is sub par.

Some is just bad and even pretty horrendous-tasting. But if you do your research, you can find great tasting stevia.

I have always loved NuNaturals, but I am now possibly on the hunt for a replacement as they’ve changed their formula. It’s still pretty good but I have a thing about finding “the best” (like with essential oils). Of course, if you use too much stevia in baked goods and the like, you just might get a bitter aftertaste, but there are ways around that.

If you use less, or use stevia with other sweeteners, you can by and large avoid that problem.

Check out these posts for more info:
Stevia – What it Is and How to Use It
6 Tips to Really Like Stevia – This one is written by a former stevia hater and has some GREAT tips for avoiding the bitter aftertaste.

I’m working on choosing some more brands to recommend to you – but it’s taking awhile.  Hang in there!

Stevia Causes Adrenal Problems

Is stevia safe for people with adrenal fatigue?

The argument here is that:

-you eat stevia
– your body expects glucose because it tastes something sweet
– your body lowers blood sugar (causing hypoglycemia) since it is clearing the way for glucose -your body sends cortisol and adrenaline to create sugar from your tissues. Thus you are causing stress on the adrenals by eating stevia.

I couldn’t find any research to back this up. All I can say is that my adrenal issues are far better now, after years of eating stevia, than they were when I was eating sugar.

Plus there are plenty of places where folks recommend stevia over and above sugar and higher glycemic sweeteners in order to heal adrenal issues including here and here.

I just don’t see enough evidence of this for it to merit giving up stevia.  I do think that perhaps one could just not drink non caloric drinks with only stevia and make sure that stevia is consumed with other calories to mitigate any possible effect.

One important thing to note is that those who make this claim appear to be of the mindset that candida is not caused or aggravated by sugar consumption. I beg to differ.

Yes,  candida is a complex issues, but yeast DEFINITELY feeds off of sugar. Just bake some homemade bread to see how it works and it’s plain as day.

Is Stevia Linked to Hypoglycemia?

Is stevia safe for hypoglycemics?

Another concern brought up about stevia safety is that is causes hypoglycemia.  This is tied into the adrenal issue cited above.

Let me tell you this.  I had hypoglycemia (I diagnosed myself — my doctor missed it) and I had it bad.

I went completely off sugar at that point and started eating a bunch of stevia.  More than I ever had before.

My hypoglycemia is gone.

Totally reversed.

Now, does that mean someone else couldn’t have an odd reaction to stevia that might cause hypoglycemia?  Of course, it doesn’t mean that. If you are concerned, check your blood sugar after consuming stevia.  Everyone is different.

There are some studies showing that stevia helps control hyperglycemia, but that may or may not mean that it causes hypoglycemia. Note this study, for example, that found that stevia did not cause hypoglycemia.

Does Stevia Cause Infertility and Miscarriages?

Is stevia safe for use in pregnancy?

One of the main concerns about stevia safety is that it affects fertility.

There’s information floating around the internet that there are studies showing stevia causing infertility in rats, and there’s also talk that stevia’s been used in Paraguay for contraception.

Well, we can put this issue to rest. There have been several studies showing contraception issues with stevia, but they have all been debunked.

Take my word for it, or click through here to read a very very thorough article, with appropriate sourcing that addresses this issue completely.  Source

Of course, I completely agree with the author of the above-referenced post. If you think stevia is causing issues with your fertility, stop using it. Just the stress of that questioning might be enough to cause issues for you.

Does Stevia Not Support Glycogen Synthesis?

The argument here is that your body needs glucose to function but basically this is the same argument of hypoglycemia and adrenal issues.

However, in one post the additional argument was made that your body needs glycogen to convert inactive thyroid hormone T4 into active thyroid hormone T3.

The thinking here is that if you are using stevia instead of fruit and natural sugars, then you won’t have sufficient glycogen. I don’t know enough about this but I have been doing a lot of reading about the effects of low carb diets on thyroid and adrenal health and I think it’s worth thinking about.

Basically, however, I don’t think that this argument necessitates giving up stevia, but it does mean that we ought to consider making sure that we have sufficient carbs in our diets.  This post from Body Ecology and this one from Chris Kresser go into great depth regarding these low carb / adrenal / thyroid issues.

This study, in fact, shows that stevia helps with glucose tolerance.  This study as well suggests that stevia can help balance blood sugar. If that is the case, then concerns about stevia safety as it relates to glycogen synthesis would seem to be invalid.

Is Stevia a Hormone in Disguise?

Several bloggers mentioned that stevia is synthesized in the same pathway as 2 plant hormones, and that it ends up being structurally similar to those hormones.

Again, this is something that I could not find anything about on the internet.  And just because something is synthesized in the same way or is structurally similar to hormones, that doesn’t mean it is a hormone. Take NaCl for example.

Salt is fine to eat and we sprinkle it on food all the time. HCl, however, is stomach acid and we would do damage to ourselves if we sprinkled it on our food.  (I take HCl as a dietary supplement as mentioned here, but you would cause serious damage to your teeth and esophagus if you sprinkled it on your food.

Just because something is similar to something else doesn’t mean that it has the same qualities as that thing. I did, however, read a very detailed article on stevia safety that stated that it isn’t that stevia is synthesized in the same way as gibberellin and kaurene but that the plant is making kaurene and can either make gibberellin or stevia. Sadly, that article is now no longer on the internet. 

So that puts this argument into question for me. I haven’t dug into this enough, but I do think I feel at peace enough to not worry about it.

Is Stevia High in Oxalates?

Oxalates are naturally occurring substances in foods, but some people are very concerned about reducing them in their diet since eating too many of them, without balancing them with calcium intake in particular) can lead to kidney stones, hypercalciuria, and other things.

One of the bloggers who wrote about stevia being dangerous to consume initially wrote about stevia safety and was concerned that it is high in oxalates, but she later removed that from her blog post.

However, since it was initially there, and also since oxalates are getting more attention these days, I’m going to address it.

My thinking is this. Even if stevia were high in oxalates, the amount of stevia used is so small that it doesn’t amount to much and should not be a concern since oxalates are everywhere.

Also, most high oxalate foods have lots of nutritional benefits so it’s important to not risk poor nutrition by limiting your diet too much. In this case, better to reduce your sugar intake for a very minimal risk regarding oxalates.

Additionally, there’s evidence that gut bacteria play a big part in whether or not you will have oxalate issues. This post on the gut brain axis can be of help, or this post on finding a good low-histamine probiotic can as well.

Finally, it appears that any oxalates in stevia are only present in the whole leaf form, and not in the extract. A quick search on the internet shows many sources stating that “chemical stevia” (which appears to be the term they are using for stevia extract) has no oxalates, which makes sense since oxalates are in plant food and the white powder is just an extract and not the part of the plant that has the oxalates.

If you like using the whole leaf form, it seems that there are about 46mg in a 1 teaspoon size serving.

Since stevia (even ground leaves) are much stronger than sugar, you’re not going to be ingesting a whole teaspoon at once–and high oxalate foods are those that have 100 mg or more of oxalates per serving. Add that to the fact that almost all people who use stevia are using the extract, and I think this is a non issue.

Does Stevia Cause Mutagenic Reactions and (Yikes!) Cancer?

I read in several places that stevia can cause mutations and even cancer. Scary stuff.

Thankfully, one of the posts on stevia safety did clarify that the studies that appeared to demonstrate these risks were in the minority and that the amounts of stevia fed to subjects were quite high so they are typically discarded in discussions questioning stevia’s safety.

This study is one showing that stevia consumption does not cause genetic problems.  From the study:

these substances do not pose a risk of genetic damage following human consumption.

And here is this study with a similar conclusion.

Furthermore, in one study that is often cited regarding mutagenic reactions to stevia, the synthetic chemical structure of stevioside is being examined rather than the stevia leaf itself (aka rebaudaside A, M, etc.). The study is suggestive and not conclusive.

Also, they stated in the study that the topic needs to be studied more.

Finally, this study was done in 1985, which was before machinery, isolation, and extraction techniques were very different than they are today so that needs to be taken into account as well.

Can Stevia Cause Allergic Reactions?

The big claim here is that stevia isn’t safe for those with ragweed allergies.

I thought for a period of time that I was allergic to stevia.

I would use it and thought I was having sinus and eye symptoms from it. Over time I did a bunch of trials and errors and finally came to the conclusion that I am not allergic to it.

Boy, was I thrilled. Please do note that stevia is related to daisies, chrysanthemums, ragweed or marigolds.

It’s possible that if you are allergic to these plants that you might have a cross-reaction to stevia.

But that is not the case for everyone and I am proof positive of that. Bottom Line – Anyone can be allergic to anything.

Remember The Boy in the Plastic Bubble?  That boy was allergic to basically everything!

If you are allergic to one thing, that doesn’t mean that you are allergic to everything that is related to that thing.

You can either avoid the food or address internal issues that are causing your immune system to overreact, or both. But just because stevia might cause allergies in some is not a reason to avoid it.  Make sure you read the next section which addresses another possible cause for reactions to stevia.

Often Processed with Chemicals

Is stevia safe for those concerned about toxic ingredients?

I didn’t see this on any other blogs, but I will bring this into the ring myself.

Some stevia producers use chemicals to produce their stevia extract. For that reason, I only choose stevia from companies that do not use chemicals for processing their pure stevia extract.  For more on the stevia that I use, you can see this post on How to Use Stevia.

If you are having reactions to stevia, you might wish to contact the manufacturer to see how they process their stevia.

If the manufacturer is using clean processing then concerns about stevia safety regarding processing toxicity are unfounded.

Causes You to Eat More Sweets

A reader commented that I should add this to the list – that sweeteners like stevia can cause your body to expect glucose and therefore you end up craving and eating more as a result.  Apparently, this happens particularly in those who are sugar-sensitive.

This would apply to all low carb sweeteners and not just stevia – the same with many of the negative claims here. I have read about this before but I haven’t experienced this.  In fact, I think I crave sweets more and eat more sweets if I eat the “real sugars”.

Is Toxic for Your Liver

This is a recent addition to the list of concerns. A friend of mine on Facebook shared about the dangers of Splenda and mentioned that she uses stevia. One of her friends shared that her herbalist told her that stevia causes problems if you have liver disease.

Of course that had me worried so I started investigating.

I couldn’t find anything backing up that claim. In fact, I did find a study showing that stevia actually reduces the accumulation of fat in the liver of obese mice. (source)

Causes Nervous System Problems

A reader shared an article with me stating that stevia contains compounds (beta-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide) that may depress the activity of your central nervous system. This really perplexes me. I recognized those terms as being beneficial terpenes so I decided to see what they were referring to.

The answer? I have no idea.

In fact, beta-caryophyllene is known to have protective effects on the nervous system. So odd, eh? (source)

And caryophyllene oxide has also been shown to have loads of benefits as well (source). I did find one study talking about the potential for some depressing activity of these terpenes (which I assume is the source of this information) but it’s not appropriate to evaluate a substance based on one small part of it. For example, you wouldn’t say that an essential oil is bad because it has one of these terpenes in it.

The same article made a lot of other claims, none of which had links to any sources verifying the information.

More Debunking and Heavily Researched Posts

Oh, and by the way, it doesn’t mean I can’t be wrong, but this kind of research is basically my (sugar-free) jam. I thrive on this.

You can see more posts like this here:

Conclusion

So…is stevia safe?

If you are concerned about stevia’s safety, here are my basic final thoughts. I think that there are numerous benefits to using stevia and I also think that the concerns are largely unfounded.

For those of us struggling with candida, blood sugar issues (like diabetes and insulin resistance) or trying to eat a low carb diet, I think there is likely no better thing to put in your cuppa (whether it’s coffee or this coffee substitute), or homemade sugar-free lemonade.

Or even bake with. Because life without brownies is hard, right?

Basically, my answer to the question, “Is Stevia Safe?” is “yes!”

Now that you are likely feeling better about stevia and we’ve answered the question “Is Stevia Safe?”, again, here are some other helpful posts about stevia:

Stevia – What It Is and How to Use It

6 Tips to Really LOVE Stevia

Homemade Liquid Stevia Drops (which you can now happily make knowing that your stevia is likely not a health risk at all!)

What do YOU think?
Do you use stevia? Will you keep using it?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 

463 Comments

  1. Didn’t find a reply button for my earlier comment but we seem to be on the same wavelength re: Dr. Gundry. He’s very credentialed so I want to trust his opinions, but IMO he’s overmarketing: the video ads are a turnoff for me. (On the lectins issue, haven’t I read that he or others suggest pressure cooking beans to reduce lectins? I read Dr. Joseph Mercola’s articles: he prioritizes information on research, with sources and references, over marketing. Many follow him because they embrace his ideas and his willingness to continually explore new research that at times changes his thinking. As well, comments from his lively followers offer even more good information. Unfortunately, he seems to strike fear in censors and has had to make his archives private, though you can briefly access articles at mercola.com.

    1. Yes, there’s a limit to how many comments can go in a thread and I can’t extend it. Sorry about that!

      I don’t believe he said to do that but I could be wrong. I argued w/ a blogger about this many years ago about why, if the lectin amount is about the same with pressure cooked and soaked beans as low lectin foods on Gundry’s list, then why can’t those avoiding lectins eat those beans? She had no answer.

      As for Mercola – yes I know about the censorship issue. I have some concerns about some of the things his significant other markets but they have some good info.

      This is a really disconcerting development, however. https://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/market-trends-analysis/dr-mercola-consulted-with-psychic-before-axing-top-executives

  2. I’m always interested in your thinking…I think we’re both a bit nerdy , but at 76 I’m starting to flame out too fast. So I appreciate the energy you give to your blog.

    1. Awww thank you. Yeah I guess nerdy is a good word for it. You’re flaming out too fast? Meaning you aren’t wanting to research that much anymore? I am trying to balance the energy since life has a lot of demands right now but I appreciate the kind words!

  3. thank you for this! I love Better Stevia… and have used it for years! I get people telling me it causes this or that… and I agree wholeheartedly! don’t eat the stevia with JUNK IN IT!! easy. 🙂 so thank you for this! I will add it to my home screen 🙂

    1. You are so welcome! It can, like anything, be a problem for some people but I think that the information in the post clears up a lot of concerns and some of them are just plain silly! What do you mean adding it to your home screen?

  4. Among your most recent answers in comments goes to your Amazon link and Stevia Select. Have you found your perfect replacement for NuNaturals yet?

      1. In your *spare time* you’ll develop a perfect stevia?! I did grow stevia last year (easy to grow) and whizzed it in a coffee grinder I reserve for other-than-coffee, but it takes a LOT of dried leaves to make much powder and I have yet to find something to try it with. I have 2 cups of unadorned coffee in the morning and water after that. Not much into making sweets. Wish I could develop a tea habit.

        1. LOL – Yes, I’ve been considering putting out my own products after being very disappointed in marketing and business practices of a lot of companies. I don’t know what I will do but I have one product already. I just need to get a label on it. I’ve had a lot going on and it’s hard to address all of the pieces. I found a stevia that I like but I haven’t checked into the pricing. I’ll do that now.

          I like the idea of extract made with leaves but I haven’t made that myself yet but it’s pretty therapeutic from what I posted in my Facebook group recently. You can check it out at https://wholenewmom.com/hlc if you’d like.

          1. Darn, I don’t have a FB account, but I’ll look into how to extract stevia and maybe I will learn to use it more. I assume you use alcohol or glycerin. I was pleased that my potted stevia came back after the first season of leaves faded away. Anxiously awaiting news of your new product. You’re an entrepreneur as well as a talented recipe creator and amazing researcher!

            1. Oh I’m sorry – I could try to write a post about it – SO interesting! I guess you don’t have Instagram either? I’ve heard about Lyme and stevia but didn’t know what the real facts were, and now I have a better feel for it so I’d like to share! Yes, alcohol is best as it tends to result in a better extraction than glycerin but glycerin still works. Also extracts will last longer. I’ll see what I can do about the products! I appreciate the encouragement. Lots going on making it harder to have a website like this — work going up and income going down so it’s hard. I appreciate you!

              1. We appreciate you, too, but take care not to over-extend. I have a tendency to do that, and it’s not smart. You be smart! I was reading today about Reb.M – another variety of stevia that Dr. Gundry is using instead of stevia in one of his products. So much to know, so little time….

                1. Thank you!! Yes, I have to be careful. I don’t know what to think about Gundry’s info. Some of his lectin information doesn’t make sense to me. Oh I found the Reb M – it can be either from stevia or from sugar cane. Sounds like he’s using the one from stevia? It’s a molecule. It will not have any effect on Lyme likely b/c in the studies it was the whole leaf that helped.

                  1. That’s right, from fermented sugarcane! I’ve been undecided about Gundry. Think he’s right on much and certainly has the credentials, but I question other of his new direction. Guess I hadn’t made connection between Lyme and stevia. Still so much to learn! But I know it’s good to question *everything*.

                    1. I’d like to hear what direction you’re wondering about. I don’t follow him but I don’t think his lectin theory makes complete sense and am concerned about his heavy marketing, I believe he states that you can’t eat well-prepared beans, but he does allow low-lectin foods. Beans that are properly prepared should be low lectin so I don’t understand that. About stevia and Lyme, sorry I forgot that I hadn’t mentioned that in our conversation. Yes, it’s very interesting (more than interesting actually) but many seem to think that eating the extract will help, but it will not.

  5. I waited to read this article because I was not wanting to hear a lot of negative stuff about ‘my stevia’. Whew, I’m ok now. Thank you for such a comprehensive dive into this subject. Good job! Now let’s go make some sugar-free brownies!

    1. Thank you, Carol! I feel pretty good about it as well. Of course there are people who don’t do well with it, and I almost always blend it with other sweeteners, but I’m glad to have it as an option! Enjoy the brownies!

  6. Adrienne, this post is outstanding. I wish more blogger and influencers would do research as you have here. This is so thorough and… I’m grateful for you. Thank you!!

  7. I wonder how many of those misinformation articles are put out by sugar companies? I’m highly allergic to ragweed, but have no problem eating stevia. In fact, it is the only sweetener that doesn’t give me indigestion. The alcohol sweeteners like sorbitol and mannitol tear my gut up something fierce and not only that, they are high fodmap (see the Monash University website about the low fodmap diet.) I’ve been following 4 diets since the end of Jan 2022 – a girlfriend (YouTube Possum Patty) calls it the Freedom Diet – sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, onion and garlic free, caffeine free, citric acid-free, you get the picture. smile! And the good part of the diet is I’ve lost almost 27 pounds and have more stamina. Today I went shopping and was able to walk through 4 stores! Before I was diagnosed, 1 or 2 stores wore me out. My dietician suggested I go Paleo or Mediterranean as much as I can within the confines of the other 4 diets.

    1. What’s interesting is that the ones I recall seeing were from healthy living bloggers–not sugar companies. I understand the thinking about ragweed and it’s true that some people react to substances that are related to things that they are allergic too, but I really like our former allergist’s thinking–don’t avoid foods unless you really have to. She was all about not restricting unless necessary.

      You are on 4 different diets at the same time? Can you explain more about that, please? And what is she saying is wrong w/ garlic and onion–is it the sulphur content?

      Glad you are feeling well!! I thought I was reacting to sulphur at one point, but turns out that I wasn’t–thankfully (at least as far as I could tell). I love foods that are high in it :).

      1. I was in the middle of GI tests when I got Covid in Dec 2020. I have asthma, plus several other conditions and when I was having difficulty with breathing on Christmas Day, I went into the ER. I had talked with a doctor via phone two weeks before and was diagnosed with a sinus infection and put on antibiotics, so it was after I have finished the antibiotics, that I began having difficulty breathing. They gave me a CT scan and kept me overnight to get me started on blood thinner because I had blood clots in my lungs. Never had that happen before and I was scared out of my gourd. I also use a C-pap machine and had to request one of those to sleep with. I think that’s what kept me breathing. After I came off the blood thinners 6 months later, I had cataract surgery (yeah, no more pigmentary glaucoma) and then started the GI testing over again, along with two endoscopies. I was diagnosed with lactose and fructose malabsorption, had a bleeding ulcer in the first endoscopy, but it cleared up by the 2nd, but also was diagnosed with GERD/gastritis/gastroparesis (still had food in my stomach from 7:30 pm the night before – surgeon was hopping mad cause he thought I had broken the fast). When I was a teenager, I was diagnosed with a mild case of colitis and put on a bland diet, then in my 20’s hypoglycemia and allergies and asthma, etc. Then discovered soy based butter didn’t like me – it was either the soy or the colorant (makes me wheeze). Didn’t know which and had an environmental rast test – highly allergic to ragweed, cats, dust mites, etc. Discovered that sorbitol didn’t like me, neither did agave syrup, etc. I tried honey and could eat it on biscuits, but when I baked with it, got some kind of reaction. So the diets were hypoglycemia, GERD/gastritis, low-fodmap and now we’re focusing on the gastroparesis. The last time I ate grilled cheese sandwich with the maximum dose of lactaid tablets, I was sick for three days and my dietician said I might have a mild allergy to dairy, so I’ve gone dairy-free. Meanwhile, while all this has been going on, my pulmonary doctor ordered a follow-up CT scan. The blood clots are gone, but they discovered a thyroid nodule that they think is a cyst and the adrenal hyperplasia which is a birth defect and I have an slightly enlarged heart. Mom said she really messed me up. smile! The best thing about the diets is the fact that I’ve lost 27 pounds since January!

        1. Hi there – sorry for the delay – my that’s a lot! I’m glad you lost weight but I don’t recommend this method.
          Hope things are going better for you now!

          1. Saw the GI doctor yesterday and have a few more tests to run on me. I see the endocrinologist in March after a few tests for her in February. I had been diagnosed with the beginning stages of pulmonary hypertension when they discovered the enlarged heart, but 2 pulmonary specialists didn’t agree with my primary doctor that I had it. I’ve always have been a puzzle to the doctors. smile! And since I go to a university medical center, I get to educate the next generation of physicians!

            1. I get all of that. If you’d ever like to communicate via email I’m happy to do so. I have been a puzzle as well–but thank God we have found solutions / approaches that really worked.

              I’m still researching but I think what I have found can apply to most people. I hope to share more in the near future on a broader basis but I can talk individually to some extent now.

              Hugs.

              1. Well, I had my three tests done at Christmas — Yay! No gastroparesis or cancer, but I do have gallstones and a fatty liver. I was supposed to get an allergy test, but they are booked until 2024, so will have to go elsewhere to get my full food panel testing done. So doc took me off the gastroparesis diet and told me about the Mediterranean Diet. I asked my dietician about the malto-dextrin in Stevia in the Raw and she said I don’t have to worry about that, because it’s a small amount and I don’t have diabetes. Also, vegetable glycerin is high fodmap and is a sugar alcohol made from soy or coconut. Since you can’t see on the ingredient label what it is synthetized from, it’s best if I stay away. I got some inulin recently in gluten-free flour that made me sick and I tossed that bag.

                1. I’m so glad to hear! Good news! I don’t use much glycerin at all–a practitioner of mine from years ago, though I didn’t agree with her on everything, I liked her perspective on sweeteners. She said none of them are perfect (stevia is pretty close though!) she would mix them up / rotate / blend them. That way you’re getting less exposure to all of them. 🙂

  8. Just signed up for your emails, wanted to give you my info on Stevia.
    I have been using it for over 20 years, probably over 30 years. I love it! My favorite brand is Stevita stevia. It use the liquid mainly because it mixes well in iced tea. It is wonderful, has no bitter after taste. They offer a variety of products. The liquid has a “purse size” which is very convenient, they also have a larger bottle for at home use. It is Organic, It is made in Brazil. Think you will like it a lot. Check it out at StevitaNaturals.com.

    1. Hi Barbara and welcome! Nice to hear. I have tried that one as well, but haven’t had it for a long time. What other brands have you tried? I’d like to do a taste test soon…so many things to do!

      1. I have not tried any other brand since finding Stevita Stevia. It is absolutely fabulous and has everything I was looking for in a stevia product. It is non-gmo and Organic, the only ingredients are water, organic stevia extract and grapefruit seed extract, also the taste is great, there is no bitter after-taste. I believe you will find it an excellent product. The only minor problem I have encountered is in refilling my purse size bottle, sometimes the hole in the top gets stopped up, but that is easy to fix with a warm water flush and a needle to open it back up. I do not have that problem with the larger bottle that I only use once and toss out.
        Hope you enjoy it as much as I have, I have been using it for over 10 years and it has always met my high standards.

        1. Glad to hear! Interesting that they use GSE in there – I hadn’t noticed that! I think we tried it years ago — there was another one that I really liked but I’m not finding it now.

        2. Hello again! I found the stevia! It wasn’t showing up well in searches on Amazon but I did find it – https://amzn.to/3RShYCu (affiliate link). I just reached out to the owner again. I really should do a taste test at some point. Alas I need a lot more time!

  9. Great article thanks,,I use stevia daily only in small amounts along with coconut sugar and do not seem to have any problems 🙂

  10. I am very sugar sensitive and use Stevia about 95% of the time. The brand I like best is “Nature’s Stevia” and has no additives; it does have glycerin.

    1. Hi there. I don’t think I know that one–and I’m not seeing it when searching. Is that the correct name?

  11. The link for oxalates to do with Stevia doesn’t work. I am very concerned about oxalates I need to know what you found out I use the clear kind of Stevia

    1. Hi there – sorry about that. I put most of the important information in the post now. Check it out and let me know if that helps.

  12. I have been using Stevia for years and love(d) it. I’ve just started experiencing kidney stones and advice anyone who has them to do their research. My type stone requires extremely restrictive oxalate intake and 2 teaspoons of stevia in my morning tea included my daily limit of oxalates. The good news is that they/oxalates are not everywhere and although I may have to give up spinach I’ve learned to love kale and have been able to find low oxalate substitutes for most foods I like.

    1. Hi there. I assume you were using 2 tsp of a stevia blend, correct? If so, I would think that it wouldn’t have that many oxalates in it. I’m so sorry you had to deal with that, however! Look forward to hearing!

  13. Hi there,

    I’m Kath, and I coordinate partnerships for the Sweet Talk blog at Pyure Brands.
    As you may know, Pyure is a line of plant-based, sugar substitutes for people who insist on the best for themselves and those they love. Our Sweet Talk blog is bursting with information about the benefits of organic and zero-calorie stevia products.
    Helping people make smarter lifestyle choices is one of our passions. You can probably relate. That’s why we’d love to collaborate with you!
    As a start, you may be interested in adding our articles as additional resources for your website, [https://wholenewmom.com ]. In return, our team would love to promote your website, content, and announcements across our social platforms.

    Let’s promote a healthy lifestyle together. I look forward to hearing from you!
    With appreciation,
    Kath

  14. Hi Adrienne,

    Thank you for your great detailed research and summarization! 🙂

    I also use NuNataurals in my yummy Cacao-Berry breakfast smoothie. However, it is not just Stevia Extract as your link showed. When I looked on my bottle it was called NuNaturals White Stevia Powder and it did have Matodextrin as the first ingredient, then Stevia extract and natural flavours.

    Also, wondering what your thoughts are about Swerve or Monkfruit that is predominantly Erythritol which are alcohol sugars with no net carb effect instead of Stevia? Keto plans use it a lot.
    LOve to hear your thoughts?

    Thanks again, Adrienne for your great blog! 🙂

    1. Hello Shirley! Thanks for the kind words!

      Yes, NuNaturals has a blend or two. I have been trying out other stevias. Hope to share thoughts at some point. I have this post on Erythritol: https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/is-erythritol-safe/

      and I just got some Lakanto, which is monk fruit combined with erythritol. There is also monk extract, which is plain. I think monk is great. I’m trying to figure out how I do with the erythritol but that post should help! I really appreciate the kind words!

  15. I have been using stevia for probably at least 15 years, maybe more, since it first became commercially available. I had had gestational diabetes 18 years ago, so I tried using it. However, I never got rid of my sweet tooth. I would still crave sweets, and would find myself binging on sweet treats, even so -called healthy ones. I also have gut dysbiosis, even though I have been gluten free for years. I believe it was caused in part by prior sugar usage, gluten, and stevia. I recently read “The Stevia Deception” by Dr. Bruce Fife. I highly recommend it to anyone concerned about stevia. I am now off all sweeteners, including stevia.

    1. Hi Colleen. Thanks for reading and for writing. I’m sorry that your sweet tooth never went away. It seems that it goes differently for different people which of course, can be the case for many people and many topics. I do think I read some of Fife’s information.

      Actually I just went and saw some of the information right now. Basically he is saying that the issue is that eating low calorie sweeteners hurts your health b/c you think there are calories coming, but there aren’t, correct?

      I will say that his Feast Without Yeast book is unusual. Are you familiar with it?

      He talks about getting rid of yeast by eating honey and wheat and potatoes as a good part of the diet.

      Here is a review from Amazon:

      Author talks about recipes which are yeast free, and for all those who want to avoid yeast because of candida, can just use a lot of high carb recipes mentioned in this book. Carbs = sugars = candida = more yeast.

      Then there’s french fries recipe, I mean, seriously? Who puts yeast in french fries anyway? And a whole lot of potato recipes, which are starches = sugars = candida = more yeast.

      I’m not saying that having this odd information means that he is wrong about stevia, but just saying it’s something to pay attention to. Please let me know about the thoughts on stevia. Thanks!

  16. “Let me tell you this. I had hypoglycemia (I diagnosed myself — my doctor missed it) and I had it bad.”

    I bet, heck I just self-diagnosed and cured my plutonian cancer crabs. Who needs medical school, real-world research, and actual expertise….we have webMD and a few months of online “research”…..right?

    Holy (expletive removed by blog owner).

    1. Hey John. You have a very “interesting” email address.

      I have no idea what your comment means. I never said anything about not needing doctors or medical school. I stated that my doctor missed the info that was plain as day on my labs. My fasting glucose level was 50. Perhaps you should look that up online and see how easy it is to diagnose hypoglycemia using fasting glucose numbers.

      I almost never use WebMd. There are other sites I prefer for several reasons.

      And please refrain from using expletives on my site even if you try to hide them.

      Thanks.

  17. Stevia has traditionally been used to cure obesity and diabetes, just something to think about… My personal experience with stevia is that it makes me crave sugar less, I’ll feel satisfied by just a little something with added stevia. What is a little bad about it, but this pertains to all sweeteners, sugar included, is that using stevia daily makes me less sensitive to the natural sweetness in foods like tomatoes.

    Using stevia in an occational treat is still ok, but using it every day isn’t really too good on low carb, as it is nice to be able to taste the intense sweetness of vegetables which only comes out when there are no other sources of sweetness in my diet. Using it more rarely also makes me use less when I do use it.

    1. Interesting. I wonder if that is common? I have heard people talking about diet and noticing flavor–that if you eat a totally bland diet (or really any restrictive diet) and then add in a food you haven’t had for awhile, then you will find that the flavors are more intensified. Let me know what you think.

      1. I have not tried other diets, so I cannot speak of bland foods or anything. Low carb is just a healthier way of living and less wheat related stomachache for my daughter.
        What I do know however, is that the common experience in my family is that after only a few days of a low carb diet without added sweeteners, carrots will start tasting sweet like candy. But sweeteners in any good or drink, natural or not, will make the carrots taste as boring as on high carb diets.

        It is a really wonderful effect when even sweeter vegetables start tasting too sweet to eat more than a couple bites. When that happens, I only think about chocolate or cake for a couple seconds before I dismiss them as inedible and undesirable. It makes low carb very sustainable. Only vegetarian is as easy to me, but that’s because I’ve always been too picky about meat and animal fat. My youngest brother gave up vegetarian after just a couple weeks, but he didn’t like beans.

  18. did you ever hear about a product called “true lemon.” I’ve been drinking it for a while because I was under the assumption that it contained ONLY stevia. I just noticed that it also contains 1 gram of sugar. Because of this, even though I enjoyed drinking it, I feel that it would no longer be wise to drink it. I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.