Stevia isn't unhealthy as a artificial sweetener

Question

Stevia offers a no-calorie, natural option to sugar and chemical sweeteners. Learn if it’s safe to use daily.

Comments

I like your take on this. As someone who has family members who have diabetes, they use stevia all the time for their drinks like tea, coffee, etc. I have personally never had stevia before, but my family members say they use it because it's a great alternative to actual sugar to help them stay healthy while still giving a sweet sensation to their drinks. Even in general too, people still use stevia all the time, as lots of people prefer it over the typical white cane sugar that is used by the greater good.

Answer 1

The claim that stevia is not unhealthy as an artificial sweetener is exaggerated. The only reason I say this is because this claim is making a blanket statement, implying that no matter what stevia is healthy. Stevia is generally known as safe. However, it is advised against to consume stevia in excess. In a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine in 2016, it was stated that "Steviol glycosides have a steroidal structure and therefore may have the potential to act as an endocrine disruptor in the body." It's important to mention that this is not for sure. However, these concerns indicate that it is not a good idea to assume stevia is completely healthy. Corroborating this, studies on stevia are in relatively early stages when it comes to it's effects on health. In conclusion, this claim is exaggerated due to the fact that stevia is not known as healthy at all doses, and studies are still being conducted in order to answer questions pertaining to the affects of stevia on the body. 

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-stevia

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26965840/

Comments

I found that this factcheck was accurate. Stevia isn't necessarily unhealthy if consumed in recommended quantities, but like a lot of things, consuming it in excess can make it "unhealthy."

Answer 2

Stevia isn't as unhealthy as an artificial sweetener, this claim is backed up by resources from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Text Version of Sweetness Intensity of Sweeteners Compared to Table Sugar. The article shows the intensity of sweeteners compared to table sugar, this comparison gives readers an understanding of the chemicals used in both sweeteners and table sugars and shows with numbers how many times sweeter sweetener is than table sugar. The article also goes on to reference the FDA and its approval of Stevia as safe (GRAS). These sources provided throughout the article, allows the claim that Stevia isn't as unhealthy as an artificial sweetener to be true. 

Comments

Please always include source links for anything you cite within your fact-check. Also, select a rating. Thanks!

Answer 3

This is true. After reading the article, it says you would have to consume over 27 packets of pure Stevia a day to exceed the acceptable daily intake. A lot of artifical Stevia sweeteners are only 95% extract which the FDA has deemed safe. I also found another study that looked at how stevia drops effect glucose level, insulin response, body weight, and energy intake. People who took 5 stevia drops twice daily for 2 weeks had no difference in glucose level and insulin response. Their energy intake and appetite expression was lower than the control group, but there was nothing indicating serious adverse health effects as a result of using Stevia.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7600789/

Comments

Excellent fact check. I like that you added statistics and concrete evidence in your fact check. You mentioned a study where people took 10 stevia drops daily for 2 weeks. I wonder if the results would have been same if they had taken a greater amount. Do you know what would happen if someone took more than the acceptable daily intake?
 Overall, well done!