Daily Health News Blog

Stevia is the common name for extracts from the plant Stevia rebaudiana. In the U.S., a purified component form of the plant — called rebaudioside A (rebiana) — is "generally recognized as safe" by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and may be used as an artificial sweetener in foods and beverages. Refined stevia preparations (Pure Via, Truvia, others) are considered nonnutritive sweeteners and, as such, may appeal to people trying to lose weight. But there's no evidence that they offer an advantage for weight loss over other artificial sweeteners. In addition, these highly refined stevia extracts may cause mild side effects, such as nausea or a feeling of fullness. The FDA hasn't approved whole-leaf stevia or crude stevia extracts for use as food additives because of concerns about possible health effects. In particular, the FDA has concerns about the effects of whole-leaf or crude stevia on blood sugar control, the kidneys, and the cardiovascular and rep...