Stevia side effects cause questions about its use

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Stevia is being offered as a natural low calorie sweetener that can be useful for persons wanting to lose weight, diabetics needing better control of blood sugar and as an alternative to many of the current artificial sweeteners now being used such aspartame (NutraSweet) and sucrolose (Splenda). The Coca Cola bottling company has developed a deep interest in this natural sweetener and has filed at least 24 patents for new products sweetened using the substance. Unfortunately, many persons that have begun to use the product have found that there are some Stevia side effects that make its use questionable.

Stevia is a plant that can be grown in nearly any herb garden.  The crushed leaves can often be used to sweeten beverages.  In addition, the product can be purchased as an extract in most grocery stores.  The product is sold in packets much like those of aspartame, sucrolose  and other sugar substitutes.  Still there are some rather unnerving Stevia side effects from use of both the extract and the plant.

Laboratory studies have shown that one of the stevia sweetener side effects lowers blood sugar. While this might seem to be beneficial to diabetics, those taking medication for the condition as well as persons suffering from hypoglycemia could have low sugar reactions that are very dangerous. One Stevia side effect is that the blood sugar could drop low enough that the person has tremors, blacks out or even goes into diabetic shock. This Stevia side effect is causing many to question its use in persons suffering from diabetes and diabetes related diseases.

Another Stevia side effect is the lowering of blood pressure.  Persons who have normal blood pressures could have a significant enough lowering of blood pressure that they feel dizziness or black out.  Persons that have low blood pressure to begin with will see these effects multiplied.  Even persons dealing with high blood pressure, when on medication to control the condition could have problems caused by this Stevia side effect.

According to studies on laboratory rats, a Stevia side effect may be found in the reproductive systems of both men and women.  Men taking the supplement may have a lower sperm count.  In addition, it can cause loss of weight of the testis as well other male reproductive organs.  Women may have a more difficult time becoming pregnant.

There is some research that has linked stevia sugar to the development of cancer. If this is proved to be a problem, these Stevia side effects are likely to cause a ban of the product. Until that time, the possibility may be enough to keep many people away from the herb.

Users are reporting several other Stevia side effects. These problems may or may not be supported by research. In particular, many persons using the stevia sugar substitute report an almost immediate headache. The pain can be from moderate to severe and may last from a few minutes to several hours. When the persons stop using the product the headaches tend to disappear. The headaches could be related to drops in blood pressure or drops in blood sugar. Both of these conditions can trigger headaches, including migraines. Persons experiencing these problems may want to stop using the product for a week to ten days and see if the headaches stop. Several users report these Stevia side effects from only one half teaspoon of the product per day.

Other Stevia side effects and warnings that are being reported is muscle and joint aches. The muscle and joint aches appear quickly after using even a small amount of the product. One person reported pain in the foot so severe that he could not walk down stairs without using the handrail to support his weight. Once the product was discontinued, the pain went away. Others report a stiffness of the back or side with use of the product.

Although the FDA has approved this herbal supplement for use as a sweetener in human use, the many side effects of the product have many people questioning the approval.  Those if favor of use of the product claim that it has been used in South America and Japan for many years without causing problems.  However, studies in laboratory rats have caused some concerns for many people.  In addition, the reports of problems by persons using this natural sweetener may cause many people to question if it is all that it is said to be.

Many of the available artificial sweeteners also present problems for users.  There are many people that have problems with products containing aspartame in particular.  This product causes side effects that are just as serious as the Stevia side effects.

Persons that experience Stevia side effects are going to want to pay attention to labels of low calorie drinks and foods.  With the number of patents registered to Coke, consumers can be sure that this product will begin to appear in many different products available in local stores.

Here's a great video that has a doctor discussing Stevia sweetener and stevia safety in great detail.