Stevia, a South American herb known and loved since prehistoric times, is 300 times as sweet as sugar. Unfortunately, stevia's potency might be its greatest danger. People trying to lose weight won't stifle their sweets habit with a super-sweet sugar substitute. Several studies have also pointed to potential dangers of stevia use.
Obesity and Diabetes
The stevia herb--either raw and unprocessed or extracted and concentrated--is much lower in calories than regular sugar. However, Teri Gans of the American Dietetic Association cautions that trying to stifle an overactive sweet tooth by feeding it a potent sweet does not solve the root cause of inappropriate appetites. In addition, though stevia does contain compounds that improve insulin function and lower blood sugar, inappropriate use of stevia can lower blood sugar too far. The resulting hypoglycemia can be dangerous and can also cause reflexive overeating.
Cancer
Stevia in the raw contains at least one compound which has been converted in the laboratory into a known carcinogen. While it is not known whether or not this same conversion can occur inside the human digestive tract, cancer researchers advise caution when considering the use of stevia as a dietary sugar substitute.
Fertility Problems
Laboratory experiments using animal models have shown some fertility problems with stevia. Males fed stevia, under certain conditions, experienced testicular abnormalities and reduced testosterone levels. Females gave birth to fewer and low birth weight offspring. However, the applicability of these lab animal findings to humans has not been positively demonstrated, and further studies are needed. The Mayo Clinic also reports that studies have not yet concluded whether stevia is safe for pregnant and breast feeding women.
Temptation Hazard
The Coca-Cola Company has applied for many patents for use of a stevia-derived product, rabaudioside A, in new lines of artificially sweetened products. The sweetener has been found to be safe in nominal dietary amounts, but critics worry that consumers will consume excessive amounts of the sweetener, which could reveal unexpected effects of overuse.
Final Caution
Stevia in the Raw, also labeled as stevia extract, is a brand name for a concentrated extract of stevia. The cautions noted in this article are not intended to reflect specifically on that or any other specific brand.
One of the cautions to consider is that many of the concerns about stevia are based on controversial studies whose control and design have not been universally accepted. So reliance on the negative possibilities may misdirect potential users away from decades of reportedly safe and constructive uses in many highly developed and technologically advanced countries.
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