What Is Stevia, and How Is It Made?
Stevia, or Stevia rebaudiana, is a plant native to South America. (3) People there have been consuming the leaves as a source of sweetness for hundreds of years. (4) It became popular as a sweetener in Japan in the 1970s, but it hadn’t been a leading sweetener in the United States until a decade ago. Today, the extract is widely popular as a zero-calorie sugar alternative. Most notably, stevia is very potent; it’s 200 to 350 times sweeter than sugar. (3) Because stevia is added to thousands of products, reading the ingredient label will tell you if stevia is included. Still, it does go by many names, which can sometimes make pinpointing its presence tricky. Here are the ones to look for:
SteviaHigh-purity steviaStevia extractStevia leaf extractSteviol glycosidesSteviol glycosides (E960)RebianaRebaudioside A (Reb A)Stevioside
A Closer Look at How Stevia Is Made
Unlike artificial sweeteners, which are made in a lab, stevia does come from plant leaves. But it needs to be processed before it gets to your table or in your food — it’s not likely you’re eating the leaf itself. The leaves are first harvested, dried, and steeped in hot water. (5) The liquid is then filtered and spun to make an extract from the intensely sweet components of the leaf called steviol glycosides. It’s then blended with any number of additives, like dextrose or maltodextrin, to cut the intense sweetness so that it can be easily incorporated into foods.
Calories: 16Protein: 0gFat: 0gCarbs: 4gSugars: 4g
As you can see, table sugar is a carbohydrate. What’s more, all of its carbohydrates (and calories) come from sugar. (And, for reference, other sweeteners, like honey and maple syrup, contain a similar number of calories as traditional granulated sugar.) Now, here are the nutrition stats for stevia (per 1 g packet): (7)
Calories: 0Protein: 0 gFat: 0 gCarbs: 1 gSugars: 1 g
Clearly, stevia and sugar are very different, particularly because stevia adds nothing to your daily calorie totals. Other sugar substitutes (aspartame, saccharin, sucralose) are also almost completely free of calories. Many people talk about how stevia has a favorable effect on blood sugar levels — making it ideal for people with type 2 diabetes and those who want to lose weight — or use this as an indication that it’s better than other non-nutritive sweeteners. But randomized trials on the weight loss and diabetes management potential for stevia are largely mixed. (8) Some trials show that blood glucose responses are lower after consuming stevia, while others report no changes. When it comes to other health markers, like blood pressure, the results are also often mixed. Two trials reported no changes, while one did report a decrease in blood pressure after eating stevia compared with a placebo. (8) Overall, consider stevia an option as a sweetener, but don’t expect it to make a discernible difference in your health. In one study, participants drank a beverage sweetened by aspartame, monk fruit, sucrose (sugar), or stevia and then ate lunch an hour later. (9) People who drank the zero-calorie beverage (regardless of the type) ate more lunch compared with those who drank the sucrose (sugar) beverage. What does that mean? “The energy ‘saved’ from replacing sucrose with NNS [non-nutritive sweeteners] was fully compensated for at subsequent meals; hence, no difference in total daily energy intake was found between the treatments,” the authors wrote. That said, prior research found that when people consumed a stevia or aspartame drink before a meal, they did not end up eating more compared with those having a sucrose (sugar) drink. (10) Another review published in 2017 looked at three randomized controlled trials involving stevia. (11) “None of them described a difference in change of body weight between the intervention and control groups,” the authors noted. The takeaway: Research is mixed. Including stevia or other calorie-free sweeteners in the context of a healthy diet may be your best bet if you’re looking to lose weight. (12) Plus, you may have heard the buzz that stevia is actually helpful for blood sugar control. Initial research on mice published in 2017 shows that stevia stimulates a specific protein channel that helps the pancreas release the proper dose of insulin. (14) But jumping to the conclusion that stevia is a way to treat diabetes isn’t yet appropriate. (15) When purchasing Stevia as an at-home ingredient, you have two main choices: powdered or granulated stevia that comes in packets, and liquid bottles or droppers. You can also find it in blended products, which may combine stevia with other additives, like erythritol (a sugar alcohol). (16) Some blends also use ingredients like dextrose and inulin. These help consumers better use stevia in cooking and baking without having to use crazy conversion charts. (1) You may also find brands that combine stevia and regular sugar to help cut the sugar content. To store, keep in a cool, dark, dry place, like a cabinet away from heat. (17) If using a liquid drop, read the bottle to see if it needs to be stored in the refrigerator. (Some do not.) (18) It should be no surprise that different types of stevia have different shelf lives. (3)
If you’re new to stevia, you may first try it in coffee or tea, something that can help reduce your added sugar consumption throughout the day. (1) In warm drinks, stevia dissolves well. Add a portion of a stevia packet, stir, and taste, continuing to add more until you reach your desired level of sweetness. As for cooking and baking, you can substitute stevia and its respective blends for most or some of the added sugar in a recipe, as it remains stable when heated. (1) Just remember to always read the label of the product you’re using to get the right conversion. It’s also recommended that you keep ¼ cup of granulated sugar in the recipe so that the food will caramelize or brown nicely. Include it in pancakes, cookies, muffins, pie, frozen desserts, salad dressings, and sauces. In terms of side effects, if you overeat stevia-containing foods simply because you believe they’re healthier, you can still gain weight. (22) There are also questions about if stevia, like other non-nutritive sweeteners, alters the balance of gut bacteria in the body, the health implications of which aren’t fully understood. (23)
NOW Foods BetterStevia LiquidSweet Drops SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia SweetenerPyure Organic All-Purpose Blend Stevia SweetenerTruvia Natural Sweetener (400 count)SweetLeaf Natural Stevia Sweetener
