Stevia
Stevia rebaudiana
Herbs & Roots. Latin American & Amazon and Modern nutrition.
Also called Sweet herb, Sweetleaf, Candyleaf, Yerba dulce, Honey leaf
Pinyin: Tián Yè Jú
Spanish: Estevia
Can lower blood sugarA plant whose leaves contain very sweet compounds, used as a zero-calorie sweetener.
Did you know? Stevia's sweet compounds are about 200 to 300 times sweeter than table sugar, yet they add almost no calories.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Blood sugar. Small trials suggest stevia may lower blood sugar a little. The studies are short and mixed in quality.Early proof
- Blood pressure. A few small trials show modest drops in blood pressure. Larger, longer trials are needed.Early proof
- Weight. Swapping sugar for stevia cuts calories. Good trials on stevia alone for weight loss are lacking.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Pancreas & blood sugar, Heart & vessels, Energy & metabolism
Traditional use
The Guaraní people of Paraguay and Brazil sweetened drinks, including yerba mate, with the leaves for generations. Modern use is mostly as a sugar substitute.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Hypoglycemic, Hypotensive. Energy: neutral.
How people take it
Used as a sweetener in drinks, yogurt and baking. Sold as green leaf powder or purified extracts, such as stevioside and rebaudioside A. Trials used purified extracts, and doses varied; no standard dose is set.
Food, tea and powder.
Where to get it
Native to Paraguay and Brazil and now grown in China, Japan and other countries. Sold as dried leaf, powders, drops and packet sweeteners made from purified extracts.
Be careful
Purified extracts are approved as food sweeteners in the US and EU, but whole leaf and crude extracts are not. Side effects can include bloating and nausea. Safety data in pregnancy and for children are limited.
Avoid if: pregnancy; low blood pressure; diabetes medicines.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Often blended with monk fruit in tabletop and drink sweeteners.
- Use cautionDiabetes medicine (metformin, insulin, glipizide, Ozempic)
May add to diabetes medicines and lower blood sugar more than expected. Check blood sugar more often.
- Use cautionBlood pressure medicine (lisinopril, amlodipine, losartan)
May add to blood pressure medicines and lower pressure more.
Adds up with others that may lower blood sugar: , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 39 more.
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The honest take
Stevia is a useful zero-calorie sweetener. Its blood sugar and blood pressure effects come from small, short trials with mixed results. Many stevia products are mostly sugar alcohols like erythritol, so read labels.