Is Stevia Safe? The Truth About Infertility, Mutations, and More
Have you heard scary things about stevia dangers--that it might be tied to infertility, genetic mutations, and more? It's frighenening stuff, but is it true?
Join me as I dig into all the research in this post to find out if Stevia Is Safe or if it's another one of those not-so-natural sweeteners that can sabotage your health.
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.
I wrote quite a bit about stevia in this post - Stevia - What it Is and How to Use It" but essentially, 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
- is calorie free
What's not to love?
Well, after literally YEARS of using stevia, imagine my fear when I started reading post after post on the internet by other whole foodies either stating they'd given up using stevia, or why they never used it in the first place, and claiming all sorts of problems with this herb.
The articles truly kind of sent me into a panic.
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
Like 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.
Fun stuff, eh?
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.
Addressing Concerns About Stevia Safety
Stevia Is Often Mixed With 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 Should Be Avoided Since It 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!
Does Stevia Cause 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 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:
- Is There Paint Thinner In Your Cereal?
- Is Costco Coconut Oil Junk or the Real Deal?
- Heavy Metals In Cosmetics--What You Need to Know
- Is Your Probiotic Making You Sick?
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
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?
Hi Adrienne, new to your blog, but really impressed with the thoroughly researched info. I'm extremely relieved and at peace about my recent decision to replace sugar with stevia. I did my research but still had my qualms. My question is: Could you please bluntly list or direct me to another post of yours or another resource stating your recommendations for exact brands/formulas of stevia that you think are best? You have my trust, now I need your faves. I want a solution for baking as well as a substitute for my coffee etc. Any or all of your suggestions will be helpful. A quick list of links or just names of the products would be GREATLY appreciated. There's just so much on the market to choose from, and while I could probably make decent selections on my own, why do so when someone has already done the legwork? Lol. Thank you so much!
Hi there and welcome! Sorry for the delay here I'm weeding through tons of comments -- I put some in this post - https://wholenewmom.com/how-to-like-stevia/
I hope that helps! Hope to revisit this as well in the future.
I loved stevia, but my doctor said I should stop usuing it. I looked into studies and found some scary things. I'm mostly concerened with brain health, I cut out sugar to prevent seizures and heal gut health. Have you seen this study, it preformed worse than aspartame. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2221169115002555
Hi there - thanks for reading and for writing. I was initially concerned, but if you look at the study they are talking about ingesting 1000 mg per kg of weight. So that would mean that for me, a 125 poundish adult (57 kg), that I would eat 57,000 mg of stevia extract. That's 814 1/32 tsps which is 25 tsp of stevia. That's an incredible amount of stevia extract. I use about 1/32 tsp in my coffee substitute. I would like to look into this more but this is the equivalent of eating 101 cups of sugar! Totally ridiculous. I'm not sure what to think about the amounts of things that they used in the study of the sucralose and aspartame b/c of course those are concentrated too, but still. Thoughts?
Thanks for the reply! Well that makes me feel better. I still think I should personally cut down on my use. I couldn't figure out how to convert the amount they gave the rats to what I eat because I didn't know how many grams of stevia go into making an extract. I usually just use the extract and not the leaves.
They also mentioned that the Brian cell death from stevia was possibly from how many minerals are in stevia and it being too much for the Brian at that level. Are all the minerals that are in the leaves in the extract made from the leaves? Confusing
Hi there - I'm really confused about the mineral thing b/c there are minerals in lots of foods. I don't know. I still wonder about this b/c of the concentration. If we fed mice the equivalent of 100+ cups of anything in a day wouldn't we expect to see damage?
Hi again. I saw that about the minerals. The amount that they were using in the study is preposterous. I didn't know what to think about the minerals b/c there are minerals in all kinds of foods. If you are concerned, you could of course use the plant. But I would think that if one ate 100 cups of maple syrup in a day that some really bad things would happen to that individual--don't you think?
Nice, thorough article. I actually *am* allergic, unfortunately--to that whole family, as well as others--but man, I wish I wasn't. Would help so many health things, and that's aside from how a growing number of companies have been including it in recipes.
Thank you! I'm so sorry that you are allergic! It is such a good natural alternative so I'm glad it's in a lot of foods but we actually don't buy many packaged foods at all so if you avoid that you should be good. You can then sweeten with whatever you like.
I read on webmd that as long as you consume calcium with stevia, it is unlikely to form kidney stones. So it may be fine in a cup of coffee with milk. I make Thai iced tea and use a lot of stevia to sweeten it rather than sugar (Thai iced tea recipes call for a LOT of sugar). Been doing this for years without any problem.
Similarly, the weight gain paradox happens when you consume no calories with stevia. The sweetness prepares your body to receive calories so it screws up your body if there is no calories. Once again best to consume it with milk in a beverage or in foods.
Hi there. As I mentioned, I'm really not worried about oxalates in stevia as you consume so little - 1/32 tsp to sweeten a beverage. I don't think stevia contributes to weight gain -- here is more evidence. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0570178315000561
I understand the hypothesis but after reading some articles it seems that people are saying it "might" happen but not that it does. You can read this and see what I mean. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892765/
Of course, if you are concerned about the oxalate component, then go ahead and have it with milk. It just doesn't make logical sense to me to be that concerned about something when you are only eating 1/32 of a tsp or so at a time.
Great article! Wow to all the mean and defensive commenters on this. It’s amazing how crazy people get! I often wonder if some of the negative press and “research “ out there about stevia is not from the chemical sweatner companies that loose profit because of the popularity of stevia, what better way to “kill” the competition. I’ve seen it happen before. A grain of doubt sends the masses into a panic! Anyways, thanks for the great article and research! I’ve been using stevia for 5 years now and have had only positive results. Weight loss, healed Adrianal fatigue, pre- diabetes ... gone, no sugar cravings because of stevia, I went from a sick mess to a picture of health all while using stevia! So to me, proof is in the results. Thank you!!
Thank you so much for reading and for the encouraging comment. I have seen great results as well. Every one is different but I love it and I think for the majority of people it's great!
I like this post, enjoyed this one appreciate it for posting.
Thank you so much for reading and for the kind words!
I was using sucralose but just switched to stevia because I read it's healthier. I just had a physical and all's well so I have no medical need to avoid either. I just bought my first bag of stevia mixed with maltodextrin and I love it. The jury is still out but I think it not only takes away a desire for cane sugar, it also seems to decrease my appetite overall! No complaints at all!
So great! I would just recommend checking the sourcing for the maltodextrin--sometimes it's corn which is almost always GMO. I am working on a post now about the problems related to that. Stay tuned!
To prior commentator: You are obviously searching for something if you have found this site regarding Stevia. If you want to disprove this site, do your own extensive research, on your own. I appreciate sites like "Whole New Mom". She cares for her family and has extended any knowledge to others. I know, as she states in her comments, that I can research further if I need to.
You should not shame someone unless you have all the facts.
Thank you "Whole New Mom" for your Marshmallow recipe that I'm going to try and the body scrubs 🙂
Thank you so much, Bettina. I hope that they work out for you!
This is utter (expletive removed by blog owner). I personally don't have a stance on stevia, but the majority of the crap you're spewing is anecdotal evidence without any actual data. Your so called "research" is complete (expletive removed by blog owner), and you should feel ashamed of yourself for acting like you know what you're talking about.
Sorry but I don't allow foul language on my site. There are a number of studies linked to in the post so you are incorrect.
A lot of the issues that I touched on don't have studies to cite, for examples the oxalate issue.
You should feel ashamed commenting on a blog in this manner.
What a detailed article and it's so helpful for us to make our decision regarding Stevia. Thanks so much!
Have you come across anything that states that it is not suitable for young children and also patients with renal disease/kidney failure? Would very much appreciate your view on this as I am confused by the many conflicting arguments. Thank you!:)
Hi there and thank you! I haven't seen anything about that - have you seen it?
Loved your research! I use stevia everyday and I'm so glad to know it is very safe. People tend to make assumptions about things they have not took the time to learn about. Thank you for your concise conclusion.
Thanks so much! I agree with you, but wow, I was scared! I am researching some more things too and working on some more posts. Hope to see you around again!
I have started using stevia in everything I cook with and in my water I use coconut stevia. I was drinking 2 liter cherry dr pepper a day and now i drink water with the coconut stevia and love it. I was just worried about using it like I do. I am eating healthy and drinking water and feeling so much better. Taking sugar out of my daily lifestyle makes a huge difference.
So great!!!! It does make a huge difference. Good for you!
I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the thoughtful, totally transparent in terms of personal experience and bias, and well-researched approach to this post! It's rare to find that in a world of "experts". Top notch. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Lorin! It was a scary topic to investigate but I was glad how it all turned out!
I think you need more updated information. Its become well known with the experts what Stevia does to the gut. Its not just Candida that it affects. Also the bad bacteria that it feeds. Also the body determines stevia to be a sugar even if it isn't. Also, these things I'm listing are only a tip of the iceberg, and besides, it can cause weight GAIN, not loss. The body becomes adjusted to stevia and compensates for it where its not beneficial as from the start. So it would be wise to use just a little, and very, very part time, if at all.
Hi again. I haven't seen that stevia affects candida by killing it, but have read over and over that it doesn't feed it. I haven't seen anything about stevia feeding bad bacteria. What have you seen? I have seen that it might have an effect on 2 strains of one bacteria but many herbs are thought to have effects on bacteria and the study didn't seem to be conclusive.
As for weight gain, I addressed that in the post. I haven't seen any of these issues though I do work on not eating sweet things all the time. Thanks for your comment.
Re: Some stevia producers use chemicals to product their stevia extract. For that reason, I only choose stevia from companies that do not use chemicals for processing their pure stevia extract.
How can you determine whether a company does not use chemicals? It is not stated on the Stevia product container.
Please name companies that do not use chemicals?
Hi again. Good question. I just added some text to the post to help you with a link to another post on stevia that has more information. I often just call them. Hope that helps!
You keep using the word "issues" instead of the correct word, which is PROBLEMS.
Hi Jeff. Thanks for reading and for commenting. In actuality, the word can be used for problems as indicated in this definition:
Yes "issues" is a broad term, but it can be used for problems and difficulties as well.
Thank you for this info! I struggle with insulin intolerance and candidas albicans. I was off sugar altogether for about 10 years. Felt great. Started gaining weight fast going through paramenopause. Used stevia, xylitol and erythritol together. Im no longer intolerant to dairy, seem to have no ill effects when small cheats are inevitable, blood sugar doesn’t spike for “no reason”, I now gave hope of someday not being insulin intolerant. Stevia from “thin healthy mama” online is processed properly and has no additives so the taste is way better. I’m trying to find other sweetners instead of alcoholic ones like xylitol and erythritol but the other day someone told me again stevia was bad; reason unknown. I didn’t realize how that depressed me till you’re sight relieved me incredibly. Like everything, we do need to eat a balanced amount though. (I read several sources 6tsps of any sugar besides fructose is enough in a day - kinda hoping that’s not true. ) Other sweeteners I have only heard of from a nutritionist are honey and maple syrup. I am contemplating mixing stevia with these. Thanks again!
You are so welcome!!
LESS sugar the better. Sugar does no good at all for our bodies. It is totally useless and has harmful effects. I am not an alarmist, just one who does a great deal of reading plus research to back up claims and statements. Would you believe that sugar affects our blood vessels? Makes them inflamed more and can cause vascular issues. Be careful with sugar.
Yes this is true. Thanks for a very helpful comment.
Glad to read about this. I think that the best is to avoid every alternative to sugar or even normal sugar, but life would be kind of hard unless you get used to this. With my diabetes T1 I always use stevia with my daily tea cups, but in my case I got used to eat( for example) natural yoghourt without any type of sugar and know i love it that way, it's more healthy and natural.
Even if I have diabetes I think that it's always better brown sugar than artificial sweeteners,there are sugar free cookies and other stuff for breakfast that i'm trying to avoid latelly to find a better alternative with less sugars cause of the artificial sweeteners. Sometimes I'm usually pissed off with the missunderstood about this disease when ppl says: 'you can't eat sugar at all with diabetes', that's not truth, it is not like if you were allergic to gluten , you just have to be responsible and control the quantity of carbs and sugar do you eat and how to prevent hiper or hypoglucemias.
I use stevia which is not artificial. Xylitol and erythritol really aren't either. You might be interested in checking out monk fruit or at least coconut sugar to cut the glycemic load.
Do ur own research and u will never use stevia again.
Not sure what you mean. I did research - are you suggesting I do a double blind study of my own?
Your wrong about the Xylitol and erythritol. They do raise the glycemix index. But thats the least of our worries when it comes to artificial sugars and even stevia. How the body responds to these is beyond belief. It is not as safe as the companies that sell and promote would like us to think, to make them $$$
Hi again "plb4333"
You are wrong about this. Erythritol has a glycemic index of 1. See this study on xylitol: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1178408/ Xylitol and erythritol are sugar alcohols which aren't artificial sweeteners like saccharin.
If you are going to make a claim about them having a response "beyond belief" then please back it up. Here is my post on erythritol: https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/is-erythritol-safe/
I'm happy to engage about this but you have to say something of factual content and not just an overarching generalization. Thanks.
thank you for taking the time to research this information regarding stevia. there is so much information regarding nutrition on the internet and it is refreshing to find someone like you! thank you
You do realize she was VERY biased as well. Mostly because she had used Stevia over many years and thought, most like, it must be safe! One person can't speak for millions, this is a unqualified presentation, unofficial study to show so many readers, wrongly...
Hi "plb4333". I have loads of sources in the post to studies backing up my post. It is not an unofficial study - there are loads of them mentioned. Please tell me which of those you disagree with.
I spelled it out clearly in the post that I wanted to figure out the truth b/c I was worried. I did my best to figure it out and I'm comfortable with it.
Thanks Adrienne,
This is wonderful news.
I know my story is a bit off-topic however it is how I came to find your site...... I have recently discovered that taking PPI's (Proton Pump Inhibitors) long-term can have serious negative effects on your overall health. It is used to aid heartburn. Apparently it is one of the most prescribed medications on the planet - netting big pharma $billions every year!!! I have been taking 40mg daily for over 15 years as I have a hiatus hernia and was always told by trusted GP's that they are fine........ I am now getting off them and have discovered well-backed natural alternatives - the same as stevia is a natural alternative sweetener to sugar with great health benefits. I agree with you, it is frightening to hear these things or read them on the internet. Thankfully it is not the case with Stevia. Thanks again for your efforts to post your findings. Cheers, Pat 🙂
Ugh - I'm glad you are off of those! Have you seen this post of mine? https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/how-to-get-rid-of-rosacea/ Thanks for the kind comment!
Wow, thanks again Adrienne,
My Wife suffers with rosacea so have passed it on..... it seems our tummies can be responsible for lots of health issues, especially when we just accept advice from those determined to only "manage symptoms" for repeat business rather than treat the root cause and actually heal us. Kind Regards 🙂
I hope it's helpful for her! Yes, much begins in the gut for sure. This was a life changer for me.