New Study: Stevia and Gut Microbiota

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In the United States, about 38 million Americans have diabetes, with 1 in 5 people not knowing they even have it [5]. With the rate increasing every year, the search for sugar alternatives becomes more crucial for young adults. Natural alternatives like stevia and monk fruit have emerged as a beacon of hope while artificial sweeteners have faced concerns and controversies.

What is Stevia?

Derived from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant, stevia is known for its natural origins and high sweetness level with no caloric content. Stevia is 150-300 times sweeter than sugar, requiring substantially less amount to sweeten foods, drinks, or supplements [1]. Stevia has a glycemic index of zero, meaning it does not affect blood sugar levels, beneficial to diabetics. Stevia is recognized as safe by the FDA when, like everything, used in moderation. Stevia is the natural sweetener used in Holistic Nutrition's brain health supplement, Focase.

Stevia Consumption Shown Not to Alter the Composition of the Human Gut Microbiota

Previously, other researchers, like Seuz et al., examined the effects of artificial sweeteners and found that saccharin led to glucose intolerance, while stevia had no impact [3,4]. A 2024 study conducted at the Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit at the University of Manchester was published in Nutrients by Gurdeep Singh et al. that offers an evaluation into the effects of stevia on our gut's microbial composition [2].

The study involved a 12-week randomized controlled trial (RCT) open-label trial where healthy individuals took daily doses of stevia simulating regular consumption by the general population while the other group had no changes to their diet. The participants had 3 study visits: one at baseline, one at 6 weeks, and one at 12 weeks. The researchers analyzed the gut microbiota of the participants through 16S rRNA gene sequencing, allowing insight to the microbiome of the participants in both groups.

The Study Conclusion:

“Overall, although there may be several individual taxa that are associated with stevia use, we found no significant differences in overall community composition after 12 weeks of stevia consumption at real-life doses. Therefore, our data suggest that regular, long-term consumption of stevia does not significantly impact the human gut microbiota.” This suggests that stevia’s presence in the diet does not significantly disrupt the delicate balance of our gut in the microbiota, holding promise for integration into a health-conscious diet. The stability of the gut microbiota is crucial as it plays a pivotal role in various functions, including digestion, immunity, hormonal, and metabolic function.

The researchers offered their input on future studies to further the evaluations seen in this study:
  • More functional analysis, specifically metabolic analysis, to further strengthen the study.
  • This study selected healthy individuals as the crucial first step to determine the baseline, investigating the effects of stevia on other populations like obesity or T2 diabetes to further investigate effects.
References
  1. Ashwell, Margaret. “Stevia, Nature's Zero-Calorie Sustainable Sweetener: A New Player in the Fight Against Obesity.” Nutrition today vol. 50,3 (2015): 129-134. doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/nt.0000000000000094
  2. Singh, Gurdeep et al. “Consumption of the Non-Nutritive Sweetener Stevia for 12 Weeks Does Not Alter the Composition of the Human Gut Microbiota.” Nutrients. 16,2 (2024): 296. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16020296
  3. Suez, Jotham et al. “Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota.” Nature vol. 514,7521 (2014): 181-6. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13793
  4. Suez, Jotham et al. “Personalized microbiome-driven effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on human glucose tolerance.” Cell vol. 185,18 (2022): 3307-3328.e19. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.07.016
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “National Diabetes Statistics Report.” CDC, 2021, National Diabetes Statistics Report | Diabetes | CDC. Accessed 6 Feb. 2024.