Stevia is a sugar alternative. It’s calorie-free and plant-based, but you should still try to limit your intake of any added sugar. Stevia is growing in popularity as a plant-based, calorie-free ...

Understanding the Context

Stevia is an intensely sweet-tasting plant that has been used to sweeten beverages and make tea since the 16th century. The plant is originally native to Paraguay and Brazil but is now also grown in ... Medical News Today: What are the side effects of stevia and who should avoid it? Using stevia as a sugar substitute can reduce calories in foods and drinks, but it may also have some adverse effects.

Key Insights

Possible side effects include nausea, bloating, low blood pressure, and hormone ... What are the side effects of stevia and who should avoid it? Purified stevia leaf extracts (Truvia, PureVia, others). Other countries, such as those in the European Union, have more sugar substitute options than does the United States. The FDA allows product-makers to use sugar alcohols, such as sorbitol and xylitol, too.

Final Thoughts

The agency doesn't consider sugar alcohols to be food additives. Stevia (Pure Via, Truvia, Enliten). Sucralose (Splenda). Artificial sweeteners are many times sweeter than sugar. So it takes only a small amount of an artificial sweetener to sweeten foods. That's why foods made with artificial sweeteners often have fewer calories than those made with sugar.

Artificial sweeteners don't affect blood sugar. Why can't I find Stevia in food markets and grocery stores? I'm talking about pure Stevia that's not mixed with sugar or sugar substitutes. All I see is Stevia in the Raw, which is mixed with Dextrose.