Despite being a powerhouse of sweetness, stevia is actually perfectly healthy. It’s what’s known as a ‘non-nutritive sweetener’, which basically means our bodies don’t store it, so it literally has zero calories.
On top of that, stevia doesn’t affect blood sugar levels or insulin response. It doesn’t cause cavities. And it doesn’t have any negative health impacts.
In fact, one study showed that stevia may even have a positive effect on insulin levels. And that study joins more than 40,000 others that concluded stevia is safe to use in foods. So you can get the sweet hit you crave without the guilt or worry.
And because stevia is natural, it’s a much better alternative to the not-so-natural artificial sweeteners you’ll find on the market. Research suggests that some popular artificial sweeteners can have nasty effects on health. For example, anything with sucralose can reduce insulin sensitivity and do a number on gut flora.
As a rule of thumb, we reckon it’s best to avoid anything artificial, full stop. When it comes to sweeteners, that means staying away from aspartame, sucralose, saccharine and neotame (to name a few).
Drew B
Author