Effects Of Stevia On Glucose

Stevia is an alternative sweetener that might help you kick your sugar habit and get your blood glucose under control. This zero-calorie sweetener has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, receiving "generally recognized as safe" standing. If you are diabetic, discuss the use of S. rebaudiana with your doctor or registered dietitian to determine whether it is the right choice of sweetener for you.

Stevia

Stevia is a non-nutritive sweetener derived from herb bushes in Central and South America. Commonly known as sweet leaf or sugar leaf, the stevia plant is a perennial shrub native to Paraguay. While more than 150 different recognized species of this plant exist, it is S. rebaudiana that produces the sweet compounds used in high-enough concentrations. It is the highly purified extract of S. rebaudiana that is available in U.S. markets for use as a sweetener.

FDA Approval

Stevia was initially available only as a supplement in health food stores in the United States. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, began granting approval of highly refined stevia preparations for sale in the U.S. in 1998. As of August 2011, the FDA has approved only five brands of highly refined stevia extract. They make the distinction that these brands are not stevia per se, but are rebaudioside, a highly refined and purified extract from one species of stevia plant.

Blood Glucose

A limited number of studies are available on the effects and safety of this emerging sweetener. One study published in 1986 in the "Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research" established that stevia rebaudiana has a positive impact on blood glucose tolerance, decreasing blood sugar levels overnight in study participants. A more recent animal study published in "Planta Medica" lends support to the positive impact of stevia, showing reductions in insulin resistance. According to the MayoClinic.com, the FDA has not approved whole leaf or crude preparations of stevia out of concern for its potential impact on blood sugar.

Cautions

While proponents suggest that this noncaloric sweetener is perfectly safe, delivering a sweet taste that is 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar, the MayoClinic.com warns it is not a "magic bullet." The University of Maryland Medical Center cautions against using the alcohol-based form of stevia if you are diabetic, while the FDA warns that products called "stevia" are not those considered safe, but are whole-leaf preparations or extracts of which rebaudioside is a component. The FDA website provides a current list of approved products.