Stevia Extract
A zero-calorie sweetener from Stevia rebaudiana. Its value lies in what it replaces: swapping sugar for stevia avoids the glucose load, but stevia itself is not a treatment for diabetes.
Evidence last reviewed: August 2026
What the science says
- No acute glucose or insulin rise Moderate evidence
A randomised crossover trial comparing stevia-, monk fruit-, aspartame- and sucrose-sweetened beverages found the non-caloric options produced no postprandial glucose or insulin rise and did not lead to compensatory overeating at the next meal.
- Small effects on fasting glucose and HbA1c Limited evidence
A 2024 meta-analysis reported small reductions in blood glucose and HbA1c with stevia, but the pooled trials were few, short and heterogeneous.
- Cardiometabolic safety debate is largely resolved in trials Moderate evidence
An umbrella review using bias-adjusted methods found randomised trials of low- and no-calorie sweeteners show neutral to favourable cardiometabolic effects, while observational reports of harm are largely explained by reverse causality.
Dosage & safety
Scientific references
- Effect of stevia on blood glucose and HbA1C: A meta-analysis
- Effects of aspartame-, monk fruit-, stevia- and sucrose-sweetened beverages on postprandial glucose, insulin and energy intake
- Reconciling conflicting evidence on low- and no-calorie sweeteners and cardiometabolic outcomes: an umbrella review using naïve and bias-adjusted methods
Where to buy
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