Can Stevia Affect Your Microbiome?
As 2023 draws to a close, many people begin to think about new goals and intentions for the New Year ahead. The most common New Year’s resolution is to improve health, which often involves better food alternatives and eating healthier. One of the most popular plant-based sweetener alternatives used in the food and beverage industry is Stevia. Stevia is a no-calorie sugar substitute made from highly refined extracts of Stevia rebaudiana leaves, called steviol glycosides. (1) Stevia does not provide any calories or impact blood glucose levels because steviol glycosides are not absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Steviol glycosides are degraded by cleavage of the glycoside linkage in the colon, forming steviol and glucose. The formed glucose molecules are used as an energy source and the remaining steviol is absorbed via the portal vein, metabolized by the liver, and excreted in urine. (2)
Stevia is the growing sweetener of choice for many consumers looking for natural and healthy products and is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, emerging scientific data has implicated the sweetener in causing a gut microbial imbalance. (3)
The microbiota plays a crucial role in our health and the various types of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms must remain in symbiosis with the host. A new study published by researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel showed that exposure to steviol glycosides over time, at an undetermined quantity, may negatively affect the gut microbial balance, by interfering in the AHL-mediated quorum sensing (QS) and thereby inducing associated health complications. (3) QS is an inter-cell communication between bacterial populations through chemical signaling molecules called autoinducers, that increase in concentration as a function of cell density.(4)
In another study that tested stevia consumption on rats, they concluded “In the current study, we found RebA (Rebaudoside A from Stevia) altered certain microbial taxa compared to the control group, but prebiotics seemed to have a greater impact on gut microbiota composition, even when consumed alongside RebA. RebA consumption reduced members of Bifidobacteriaceae, a widely-recognized and well-established “health-promoting” microbiota known for its role in short-chain fatty acid production, greater presence in breast-fed infants, protection from childhood obesity, and in treatment of various diseases through supplementation (6).
With the effects identified in this study and the growing consumption of stevia worldwide, there is an urge for more research to help further clarify the effects of these sweeteners and to shape guidelines for stevia intake. Those that use stevia should proceed with caution and moderation. Conclusive evidence on the way our microbiome affects weight management, diabetes, and other health issues is needed.
