Dangers of Stevia

From LoveToKnow Safety

A lot has been said about the dangers of stevia, a naturally sweet herb housed in the sunflower family. Here we separate fact from fiction and give you the low-down on this controversial extract.

Stevia and field

Stevia: The Basics

Native to subtropical and tropical South America and Central American, stevia is an herb extract with about 300 times the sweetening power of sugar. Widely used throughout Japan as a sweetener, stevia is now available in the United States and Canada as a dietary supplement, but not as a food additive or sweetener.

Before we address some of the dangers of stevia, let’s take a look at its reported medical benefits. These benefits include:

  • It can help in the treatment and management of obesity.
  • Stevia has negligible affect on blood glucose and may even enhance the levels of a patient’s glucose tolerance.
  • Can help alleviate high blood pressure.

These beneficial medical factors help make stevia an attractive alternative to sugar, and a natural sweetener for diabetics and others who may be on a carbohydrate-controlled diet.

The Dangers of Stevia

All of these medicinal benefits notwithstanding, scientific reports have shown that the extract stevia may also be harmful when consumed. Some of these medicinal problems include:

Dangerous Findings of Stevia
Danger Description
Reproductive DifficultiesStevia, or the singular stevioside, at least in some studies, seems to affect the male reproductive organs. This was the conclusion of a group of European scientists in early 2006.
  • The study showed that when male rats were fed high doses of stevioside for 22 months, sperm production was severely reduced, the weight of the seminal vesicles declined, and there was an increase of cell proliferation in their testicles. In time, this could easily cause infertility or other reproductive problems.
  • In another study, female hamsters were fed large amounts of a derivative of stevioside called steviol. Here the scientists found that the female hamsters had fewer and smaller offspring.
Cancer There have also, at least in preliminary studies, been links to cancer.
  • In the lab, steviol can be converted into a mutagenic compound. This, in turn, may promote cancer by causing mutations in the cells’ genetic material, or DNA.
  • Scientists are divided on the issue of the caner link, and remain adamant that further testing, studies, and reviews need to be conducted in order to resolve the issue.
Energy Metabolism Studies indicate that large amounts of stevioside can interfere with the absorption of carbohydrates in animals and disrupt the conversion of food into energy within cells. Scientists are particularly worried about this development, especially as it pertains to children.

Friend or Foe?

Despite all of the scientific evidence, both positive and negative, no clear agreements have been drawn about the dangers of stevia.

On the one hand, stevia has been in wide use in Japan for the past 30 years, and to date, no evidence of any adverse reactions have surfaced during this time.

On the other hand, however, the Food and Drug Administration continues to firmly maintain that stevia is an unsafe food additive. Because of this classification, the FDA restricts the import of stevia as a food additive. The FDA position on stevia maintains that the toxicological information on stevia is too inadequate to determine its safety for consumption by the general public.

Opponents of this ruling argue, however, that it is not scientific evidence, but big money that allows the FDA to maintain this ban. They further argue that because stevia is a naturally occurring product, and therefore one that requires no patent to produce, no one company can capitalize on its development. Anyone, lay person or not, can harvest this naturally sweet plant.

The Future

As for the future of Stevia, Coca Cola plans to market stevia under the trade name of Rebiana and is currently patent-pending. This calorie-free food and beverage sweetener is also being marketed under the Cargill corporation, a food and agricultural provider. Likewise, both these companies hope that Rebiana will gain FDA approval as a food additive, and be widely marketed in the United States by 2009.

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Comments

Iorr61,

I can understand why it would seem that there are no foods that are actually good for you. Eating a balanced diet that includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean meats and low-fat dairy products is considered a good way to go.

Jodee Redmond LoveToKnow Editor

-- Contributed by: JC Redmond

Is there ANY food that is universally accepted as healthy or not bad for human consumption? At least on the Internet, no matter what it is, there's some opposing view stating it's bad for you.

-- Contributed by: iorr61

I think Stevia is ok in tea and drinks. I hope that it is confirmed to be a good healthful product.

-- Contributed by: bob fairlane
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