Is stevia really safe?

"Trust, but verify!" Is stevia safe?

There are many sweeteners. They have different effects, metabolic pathways, and different ADIs (acceptable daily intakes).

Humans have long been searching for the perfect sweetener that has no side effects. Everyone wants to eat sweets without getting the negative effects of consuming added sugars.

Today, let's take a detailed look at one of the natural sweeteners.

Stevia is a plant that contains steviol glycosides (SG).

They are 300 times sweeter than sugar.
SG is STEVIOL + sugars (this is important to remember).
There are 2 main glycosides of stevia: stevioside and rebaudioside A, and 38 others.

Industrially, stevia glycosides have been learned to be extracted, separated, and sold separately (that's why you can see the names "stevioside" or "rebaudioside A" for sale). They are more or less the same, because the metabolic pathway is the same. Pure rebaudioside A simply doesn't have a bitter aftertaste. In the USA, stevia leaves and their extract were approved in 2007 as a "dietary supplement".

So let's look at the metabolic pathway of these substances in our body to understand if stevia is really safe.

Our enzymes cannot separate the steviol + sugar complex, so it passes into the large intestine, where Bacteroides microbes live. They have an enzyme that separates steviol from sugars. Steviol is absorbed and enters the liver, while the bacteria of the large intestine consume the sugars.

In the liver, steviol must undergo detoxification, due to which a conjugate of steviol with glucuronic acid will be created. This conjugate can be excreted by the kidneys with urine. This happens with the help of a certain enzyme (UDP-glucuronosyltransferase), whose activity depends on the UGT1A1 gene. That is, this enzyme helps to "staple" steviol with glucuronic acid.

In most people, this process works normally, because glucuronidation helps to remove not only steviol, but also certain drugs, hormones, alcohol, bilirubin, phenols, bile acids and other substances.

However, there are people, 7%, in whom this enzyme works slowly due to genetic changes (Gilbert's syndrome). Such people need to be careful with stevia, especially during episodes of yellowing, or when there are additional triggers (menstruation, stress, physical activity, colds, low-calorie diets).

What are the conclusions in the scientific community?

Current data suggest that stevioside and rebaudioside A, which are administered at doses higher than the ADI (acceptable dosage), may be proposed as potential drug candidates for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, cancer, inflammation, diarrhea, and oxidative processes.

It should be noted that the pharmacological properties of SG are especially observed in pathological situations. For example, stevioside does not cause hypoglycemia at normal glucose concentrations, but stevia does. This fact underscores the need to continue research and characterization of the bioactivity of isolated SGs, since a wide variety and quantity of components can be found in stevia extract, which can create synergistic or inhibitory effects among themselves. Therefore, further clinical studies are needed to determine the appropriate doses for pharmacological purposes.

Stevioside can be considered a safe, non-caloric, non-cariogenic, non-allergenic and natural alternative to sucrose. Although the use of stevioside in children, or during pregnancy and lactation has not been evaluated, preclinical and clinical evidence of its safety demonstrates the possibility of using it in compliance with the ADI.

If you like natural syrups, check out our science-backed ranking.

Each mindful small step today will become a giant leap for your well-being tomorrow.

Warm regards,
Kos