“Is stevia recommended for diabetics?”
My mother takes stevia with her tea and coffee. Is it really a natural supplement and recommended for diabetics?
8 Answers
stevia is a natural sweetener and will not raise her blood sugar levels.
Stevia is a plant extract and is metabolized differently than sugar. This
is a good choice for a sweetener for patients with diabetes.
*Dr. Krisel Nagallo, NMD*
*"Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity"
is a good choice for a sweetener for patients with diabetes.
*Dr. Krisel Nagallo, NMD*
*"Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity"
Thank you for your question. To be clear, stevia is a sugar alternative, not a supplement like most herbs are considered to be. Most refined sugar is made from either sugar cane or sugar beets and they spike a person's blood sugar, which is harmful for everyone, even more so for diabetics. Stevia is made from a plant called stevia rebaudiana and by itself doesn't spike blood sugar. HOWEVER, many stevia sweetener brands blend the stevia with other things, like maltodextrin and dextrose, which studies show can raise blood sugar. Those blends may not be good for diabetics. When shopping for a stevia product to use as a sweetener, read the ingredients label and look for one that has little to no added ingredients, especially the two items listed above.
This is a great question! Generally speaking, "sweet" has been designed to signal our body that something is good for us (i.e., fruit is generally great for us). However, if someone has sugar issues such as with a diabetic condition, "sweet" can be a terrible enemy.
Stevia does not influence blood sugar levels or insulin like regular sugar does, so stevia is generally preferred for people concerned with managing blood sugar. It is natural, from a plant. You can pick it right off the stem and crush it into baking ingredients, teas, coffee, etc.
Sugar free is fine but not every day. Side effects.
Studies revealed that Stevia has been used throughout the world since ancient times for various purposes as a sweetener and a medicine. Stevia is likely to become a major source of high-potency sweetener for the growing natural food market in the future. Although Stevia can be helpful to anyone, there are certain groups who are more likely to benefit from its remarkable sweetening potential. This includes diabetic patients, those interested in decreasing caloric intake, and children. Stevia is a small perennial shrub that has been used for centuries as a bio-sweetener and for other medicinal uses, such as to lower blood sugar.
Stevia is safe to use for diabetics. Stevia is a natural sweetener (not artificial). If you were to find a stevia plant out in nature and chew it, it will taste very sweet and bitter. Even though stevia products are sweet, it is not glucose (sugar), so the blood sugar will no elevate with stevia consumption. Another similar sweetener is monk fruit.
