Stevia side effects

After hearing about stevia several times on cc, I did an internet search on side effects.  It seems, so far in my research, to be pretty safe, but something I read really raised my eyebrows.

http://www.zhion.com/herb/STEVIA_side_effects .html

Stevia can lower your blood sugar and blood pressure levels.  I didn't read the actual studies, but it appeared that someone who is having trouble stabilizing blood sugar, or who has low blood pressure (or taking medicines to lower it), should not use stevia withough consulting a doctor.  Perhaps these were unusually large doses, but so were the doses given to rats to cause them problems with artificial sweetners like aspartame and sucralose.

I just wanted to put this out there, see what others had to say, and maybe urge a bit of caution.  Just because it is "natural" doesn't mean it can't affect your body negatively.  Most medications we have now are purified forms of the active ingredients in herbs that have been used for thousands of years.  It's just the dosage and strength is now controlled. 

That being said, the jury is still out as far as my use of stevia.

Oh, and this website seemed to be pretty impartial, as well.  http://www.steviazone.org/stevia-side-effects .shtml

It basically said you can't trust research at all in the US, regardless of outcome, because of the possiblity of funding affecting the outcome.

It also mentioned that many of the spices we use can be dangerous in large quantities, which I had heard before. 

I do know that people who are allergic to ragweed can die from drinking chamomile tea.  And the amount contained in a leaf can differ from plant to plant, a common problem with herbs.  (Not to mention the recent find that cooking things at high temperatures creates a carcinogenic compound).

And what do you know, here's what WebMD says :  "Stevia might cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to the Asteraceae/Compositae family of plants including ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies, and many other plants."  Notice they did say MIGHT.

Can anybody give me some non-biased research journal articles??

I have no non-biased articles but I have heard that Stevia is a much safer alternative than Splenda..I'm sure it can cause an allergic reaction in some people which isn't anything doubtful, almost anything can cause an allergic reaction. I do believe though, that with all sweetners..artificial or "natural" as stevia calls itself, it can harm your body either way..but do I love it so..hmm

I've been using it in my coffee for the past 5 years--because I like it really sweet, and using real sugar would probably be too high-cal!--with no ill effects whatsoever. As with absolutely everything in the world, some people will react to some things where others won't. Look at the kids with peanut allergies. Yet for a huge portion of the population, they're harmless. I'd rather put stevia into my body than aspartame or even refined white sugar.

As with most things, what I suspect is the case with Stevia is that taken in moderation, most people experience little problems.  The problem is defining "moderation", I suppose.  I probably only use a Tablespoon or two of sweetener a day, most days, not a lot by any means, so it would probably be quite safe for me to try it - I'm just a bit leery of herbal products.

You are certainly right that natural does NOT equate to SAFE. The anecdotal "I've tried it and I'm fine" shouldn't count for much either. You can find a lot of cigarette smokers who will give you the same reassurance.

That doesn't mean I think there are necessarily big problems with stevia. I did the same quickie research and decided to try some.

I recommend trying a small amount to start with. I bought a box and did not care for it. It had a very bitter after-taste to me. An acquaintance who loves the stuff was the beneficiary. It's kind of pricey for that. lol.

Original Post by chris1208:

You are certainly right that natural does NOT equate to SAFE. The anecdotal "I've tried it and I'm fine" shouldn't count for much either. You can find a lot of cigarette smokers who will give you the same reassurance.

Thank you, Chris!  Yes, this is what I am saying.  Part of it is that about 5 years ago, my parents got on this big health kick and started eating really weird things and taking a whole lot of herbal supplements just on a basis of what seemed like - this webpage says the government doesn't want you to know this...  I really hate it that they don't do any research over the side effects, and lots of herbal remedies have them.  Nor does Mom ask her doctor if they will interact with her medications.  They found "natural" substitutes for flouride in toothpaste, antiperspirants, and other things.

I'm all for reducing chemical intake, but I'm not certain herbs, in which are the same chemicals in many medicines, just uncontrolled, are the answer.  Again, I would really like to see some unbiased research.

Original Post by chris1208:

You are certainly right that natural does NOT equate to SAFE. The anecdotal "I've tried it and I'm fine" shouldn't count for much either. You can find a lot of cigarette smokers who will give you the same reassurance.

Thank you, Chris!  Yes, this is what I am saying.  Part of it is that about 5 years ago, my parents got on this big health kick and started eating really weird things and taking a whole lot of herbal supplements just on a basis of what seemed like - this webpage says the government doesn't want you to know this...  I really hate it that they don't do any research over the side effects, and lots of herbal remedies have them.  Nor does Mom ask her doctor if they will interact with her medications.  They found "natural" substitutes for flouride in toothpaste, antiperspirants, and other things.

I'm all for reducing chemical intake, but I'm not certain herbs, in which are the same chemicals in many medicines, just uncontrolled, are the answer.  Again, I would really like to see some unbiased research.

i tend to have issues with my blood sugar - and always use splenda in my coffee, but recently just bought some stevia. still finishing up the remaining splenda i have, so i haven't started the stevia yet - but is it's blood sugar affect any different than that of splenda and equal?

i guess i'll still just have to try out stevia myself to see if it does anything different than splenda for me.

I didn't see how much stevia lowers blood sugar, or how much you have to have to have any effect (probably varies from person to person, and leaf to leaf).  I did research on splenda a few years back, and I don't recall seeing anything about it affecting blood sugar.

Just keep an eye on your blood sugar, and be aware, because it is a known issue.

will do - thanks for the advice :)