Stevia

Scientific Name(s): Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni
Common Name(s): Azucacaa, Ca-a-jhei, Ca-a-yupi, Caa-he-é, Candyleaf, Capim doce, Eira-caa, Erva doce, Honey leaf, Honey yerba, Ka'a he'ȇ, Kaa jheeé, PureVia, Rebiana, Stevia, Sweet herb of Paraguay, Sweet leaf of Paraguay, Sweetherb, Sweetleaf, Truvia, Yaa waan

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Jun 21, 2021.

Clinical Overview

Use

Stevia and its extracts contain sweetening constituents known as steviol glycosides that have been evaluated for their antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and antihypertensive effects. However, clinical trials are lacking to support any uses of stevia, except as a sweetening agent.

Dosing

The acceptable daily intake of stevia is 4 mg/kg.

Note: ¹/₄ tsp of ground stevia leaves is equal to 1 tsp of sugar.

A standard stevia leaf infusion (1 cup taken 2 to 3 times daily) has been used as a natural aid for diabetes and hypertension. Stevioside 250 to 500 mg capsules administered 3 times daily for 1 to 2 years has been used in clinical studies evaluating antihypertensive effects. A dosage of 1 g of stevia leaf powder for 60 days was used in a small study of patients with type 2 diabetes to reduce postprandial glucose levels.

Contraindications

Contraindications have not been identified.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.

Interactions

Coadministration of stevia with drugs that inhibit organic anion transporter 3 (OAT3) uptake of stevia (eg, diclofenac, quercetin, telmisartan, mulberrin) may alter the renal clearance of stevia.

Adverse Reactions

No major adverse reactions have been documented.

Toxicology

Steviol glycosides have "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) status according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, stevia leaf and crude stevia extracts do not have GRAS status and are not FDA-approved for use in food.

Scientific Family

• Asteraceae (daisy)

Botany

Stevia is a branched, perennial shrub indigenous to northern South America and commercially grown in Central America, Israel, Thailand, and China.Lemus-Mondaca 2012, Taylor 2005 The plant can grow to 1 m in height; the leaves are 3 to 4 cm in lengthLemus-Mondaca 2012 and are used for their sweet taste.Taylor 2005 The stem is woody, and the flowers are small and white with a pale purple hue. The fruit is a spindle-shaped achene. The plant does not tolerate cold weather, particularly temperatures below 9°C (48°F).Lemus-Mondaca 2012

History

Stevia was historically used by the Guarani tribe of South America to sweeten tea. Native Brazilians and Paraguayans used the leaves of the plant as a sweetening agent. Europeans discovered stevia in the 16th century, and North American researchers began investigating its sweetening properties in the 20th century. Paraguayan botanist Moises Santiago de Bertoni described stevia in the late 1800s to early 1900s. It was not until 1905 that the plant was officially named S. rebaudiana.Momtazi-Borojeni 2017 Eight glycosides responsible for the plant's sweetness (eg, stevioside, rebaudioside) were discovered in 1931 by the French chemists M. Bridel and R. Lavieille.Bridel 1931, Carrera-Lanestosa 2017 Stevia extracts have been used in a few countries, including Japan and Paraguay, as a food and in medicine.

Chemistry

There are 220 to 230 species under the genus Stevia, but only S. rebaudiana and Stevia ph...