Is stevia safe?
In general, Stevia is an all-natural herbal product with centuries of safe usage by native Indians in Paraguay. It has been thoroughly tested in dozens of tests around the world and found to be completely non-toxic. It has also been consumed safely in massive quantities (thousands of tonnes annually) for the past several decades. Japan which has probably the most stringent food safety standards in the world has approved Stevia for the last several decades and permits its wide use across products.
Yes. The Stevia plant has a long history of safe usage dating back several generations. Today it is consumed in large quantities by millions of people all over the world. Steviol glycosides, the natural sweet compounds found in Stevia leaves are non-toxic and non-carcinogenic (do not cause cancer).
See chapter 6 for a detailed discussion. In general, Stevia is an all-natural herbal product with centuries of safe usage by native Indians in Paraguay. It has been thoroughly tested in dozens of tests around the world and found to be completely non-toxic. It has also been consumed safely in massive quantities (Thousands of tonnes annually) for the past twenty years. Although one group of studies, perform 1985 through 1987, found one of the metabolises of steviosides, called Steviol, to be mutagenic towards a particular strain of Salmonella bacteria, there is serious doubt as to whether this study is applicable to human metabolism of Stevia. In fact, the methodology used to measure the mutagenicity in this test was flawed according to a follow-up piece of research, which also seriously questioned the validity of the results. For myself, I intend to use the product with both confidence in nature and respect for the healthy moderation and balance which nature teaches us.
Stevia has been thoroughly tested around the world and found to be completely non-toxic. It has also been consumed safely in massive quantities (thousands of tons annually) for the past 30 years. For a detailed discussion and informaton on where to find these studies online, visit the Stevia Research page of this website or you can purchase Stevia Rebaudiana: Nature’s Sweet Secret by David Richard.
