If you are trying to eliminate sugar from your diet, stevia may be one of the options to consider. But, are there side effects to using it? Here are three possible side effects of using stevia in your diet.
1. Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Some stevia products contain additional sugar alcohols that may cause bad side effects in people that are hypersensitive to the chemicals.
Sugar alcohols (polyols) are naturally occurring carbohydrates that are found in certain fruits and vegetables. Sometimes sugar alcohols are manufactured, too.
Symptoms of sugar alcohol hypersensitivity are indigestion, nausea, vomiting, bloating, and cramping.
The Mayo Clinic warns that eating sugar alcohols can have a laxative effect. When eating as much as 50 grams, or in some cases as little as 10 grams, some people can experience intestinal gas, diarrhea, and bloating.
Such hypersensitivity is rare, however. And, using stevia by itself has shown to help gastrointestinal problems such as symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and reduced diarrhea.
2. Kidney Damage
Another possible side effect of stevia use is kidney damage. Because stevia is a diuretic, researchers posited that using stevia over time would eventually damage the kidneys.
However, recent studies have shown the opposite may be true. They have determined that stevia may actually be a preventative measure against kidney damage instead of introducing damage. The study shows that in kidney cells, stevia reduced cyst growth and not caused more damage. But, this study was conducted in a laboratory and not with live participants.
3. Endocrine Disruption
Lastly, steviol glycosides can interfere with hormones function that is controlled by the endocrine system.
A study found that when exposed to steviol, human sperm cells experienced an increase in the production of progesterone. Researchers theorize that the steroidal structure of steviol acts as an endocrine disruptor.
Final Thoughts
Though research is ongoing, the potential side effects of using stevia are enough to warrant caution when using this sweetener. Remember to use moderation when trying new sweeteners, and only consume them in modest amounts. At least, until they conduct more research for side effects.
