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Safety of Stevia

Stevia, also known also by its Latin name, Stevia rebaudiana, is marketed by several companies as a natural sweetener. Available at health food stores, stevia is an herb that grows wild as a small shrub in parts of Paraguay and Brazil.

  1. Safety approval

    • FDA approval

      Although it was formerly available in the United States only as a dietary supplement, in December 2008 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved stevia as a general purpose sweetener. Because of its all-natural ingredients, stevia's benefits far outweigh its risks when it is used as recommended.

    Blood pressure

    • Stevia has been shown to decrease blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Although researchers are studying stevia to determine its usefulness as a medicinal alternative, at this point consumers should not use it as a remedy in lieu of their current medication.

    Drug interactions

    • Drug interactions

      Since stevia is an all-natural product, few medications are known to interact negatively with it. If taken in large quantities, however, stevia may affect anti-hypertensive and anti-diabetic drugs, since it can contribute to lowering blood pressure.

    Cancer

    • Since the year 2000, exaggerated media reports have advised caution and suggested that sugar substitutes may have the potential to cause cancer. However, scientists have conducted clinical research on patients that consumed stevia for more than 10 years, the British Pharmacological Society reported, and concluded that stevia is not implicated in causing cancer.

    Pregnancy precaution

    • Stevia and pregnancy

      Stevia is relatively new on the market as a general purpose sweetener, and therefore researchers are still studying it to determine what effects, if any, it has on fetuses and nursing infants. According to the American Pregnancy Association, the only non-nutritive sweeteners that are considered safe during pregnancy are acesulfame potassium (marketed as Sunett), aspartame (sold as Equal or NutraSweet) and Sucralose (Splenda). Studies of saccharine (marketed as Sweet 'N Low) have shown that it crosses the placenta and may remain in fetal tissue, so its use for pregnant women still remains in question, as does the safety of stevia.

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