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If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you may recall that I used quite a bit of stevia back in the day. I used it in chocolate milkshakes, my morning tea, sugar-free desserts, and even my salad dressings. I basically used it all day, everyday.
You may have noticed that I don’t use stevia in my recipes or daily routine anymore, so I thought I’d take a moment to share why.
Why I Started Using Stevia
First, let’s talk about why I tried stevia in the first place. I embarked on my first Candida Cleanse in 2011, following the protocol laid out in Natalia Rose’s book, Detox 4 Women.
While following the program, I cut out nearly all sugar (even the natural sugar found in fruit) and satisfied my sweet tooth using stevia instead, because it is marketed as an all-natural, zero-calorie sweetener that isn’t supposed to impact your blood sugar or feed yeast overgrowth. (And killing off yeast overgrowth is the goal of a Candida cleanse.)
I followed this protocol strictly for 30 days, and then stuck with the general guidelines for several months afterwards before incorporating more fruit, grains and cooked starches, and animal protein into my diet again. Even when I returned to a more “standard” diet, I continued to use stevia because it was such an easy way to sweeten things throughout the day. I carried a bottle in my purse at all times!
However, I started to notice a few things after using stevia for several months, even long after my diet returned to normal:
- I craved more sweetness. At first, it took a while for my taste buds to adjust to the flavor of stevia– I actually didn’t like it right away. But once my taste buds adjusted, I couldn’t get enough of it. I started using it in everything, and I noticed that the more I used stevia, the more I wanted it. At one point, just 2-3 drops of liquid stevia was enough to satisfy my sweet tooth in a mug of tea or over a salad, but as time went on I found myself adding much more than that to my drinks and meals to get the same satisfaction. In a way, it felt like the sweetener was skewing my taste buds and I needed everything to taste sweeter to enjoy it. I also found myself craving desserts all day long, and when once a small piece of dark chocolate would satisfy my evening sweet tooth, I soon needed to eat the whole bar to feel the same sense of satisfaction.
- I lost my period. The real tipping point for me was the fact that I lost my period while using this much stevia. Though some people could write off a missing period as a sign that the body is “detoxing,” it was a big red flag for me– particularly because I wanted to get pregnant in the near future and hadn’t had a period for nearly 6 months at that point. I was willing to do anything to regulate my cycle again, so I decided to give up stevia completely, to see what would happen. My period returned within 4 weeks, and I was overjoyed! I actually tried adding stevia back into my diet again, just to see if my cycle was affected (and because I was a total stevia addict) and my period disappeared for another 2 months… so that’s when I decided to give it up for good. Of course, I can’t say for sure that it wasn’t something else that caused my cycle to be out of whack, but because pregnancy was my priority at the time, I wasn’t willing to take chances. (On an anecdotal note, two of my close friends also had issues with their cycles and recently decided to give up stevia as an experiment, even though they didn’t use it frequently– and they both saw their periods return within a month.)
- My gut-instinct told me to stop using it. Most zero-calorie sweeteners, even natural ones, have always had a “too good to be true” feeling to me, and my gut instinct has always been to NOT use them. My mom is actually allergic to aspartame, so I’ve always steered clear of the mainstream artificial sweeteners to be on the safe side, but I’m not totally convinced that all zero-calorie sweeteners (even natural ones) don’t still contribute to excess insulin being released into the body. The body is programmed to release insulin when your mouth tastes “sweetness,” so if there is no sugar for the insulin to metabolize, I’d worry that it would remain in the blood stream and potentially lead to hypoglycemia, which comes with side effects of anxiety and hunger.
I also find it interesting that Elaine Gotschall, author of Breaking the Vicious Cycle, has deemed stevia “illegal” on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). She notes that stevia’s molecular structure resembles that of a steroid, and therefore it probably has physiological effects on mammals– it’s just hard to tell whether those effects are good or bad. And while stevia is marketed to have zero impact on blood sugar, my mother (who is Type 2 Diabetic) has found that stevia does, in fact, spike her blood sugar similarly to any other sweetener. So, I take all claims with a grain of salt!
It’s also worth noting that some cultures may have once considered stevia a form of birth control. I was advised by a mentor to stop using it before I wanted to get pregnant, which is what led me to even consider that it might be affecting my cycle in the first place. If it can affect my hormones to the point that it might be affecting my fertility, I don’t feel that it should have a regular place in my diet. (However, I do know several women who have gotten pregnant while using stevia liberally– so it definitely shouldn’t be considered a form of birth control, as it doesn’t affect everyone the same way.)
Clearly, what’s right for me might not be what’s right for anyone else, but I did want to address why I no longer use stevia in any more of my recipes, and why I don’t offer modifications using stevia. I do think using stevia leaves, from a fresh plant, might be a totally different story, since the sweetness wouldn’t be nearly as concentrated as using the commercial liquid drops and powders– which are processed to an extent. I can only speak to my experience with using the liquid drops, which as far as I can tell, are fairly concentrated.
For those of you who do still want to use stevia, you can still find some of my older recipes here.
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Reader Feedback: Have you tried stevia and if so, do you still enjoy using it?
I’m was trying to sweeten with dates this year after seeing what you do. but I’m opposite. I’m easing up on that and going back to stevia after seeing dentist and seeing potential cavities. I’ve never had a a cavity in my life! This past year I had eased up on stevia and used more dates and natural sweeteners for my son and I to use in out smoothies. But my dental health is suffering now. So go figure. Everybody is different in their own way.
Hi! Have you noticed any other products or lack of products affecting a lost cycle? I haven’t had a cycle in 1.5 years, and been on bio identical hormone cream and hypo thyroid prescription. I don’t eat flour, added sugar (only sugar from fruit, except for very occasional maple syrup), gluten nor dairy (except goat, eggs if that counts). I’d try introducing some of those products back, but they just make me feel sick. Maple syrup, paired with high protein, is the only sugar product that doesn’t make me sick as long as I stay within reason and eat it later on in the day. I’m pretty active, so I’m not sure if I just need more carbs but I load myself up with carbs so not sure. It’d be wonderful if anyone has any thoughts to try. Thank you!!
I have been researching wheat, corn, soy, dairy, and meat; basically anything that is in the food chain that is GMO and/or sprayed with chemicals like RoundUp. I went on a diet two years ago that was free from any first or second generation foods that would have RoundUp in/on them. Within two weeks I was pain free and full of energy. Several months after starting the diet, I took a six week trip to Europe to stay with friends in Germany, Ireland, England, and France. Since I was staying with others, I felt like I could not tell them that I had a special diet and could not eat the foods they prepared, so I ate all of those foods that had given me major problems in the United States. I was expecting to feel horrible, but I did not; I was still full of energy and pain free. When I returned to the States, of course my husband did very little grocery shopping while I was gone and the cupboards were empty, so we went out for dinner that night and I had a burrito with beef, cheese, and a flour tortilla. Within an hour I was doubled up in pain, I felt bloated, and all my joints hurt! The next day I began researching what could be causing the trouble. I discovered that RoundUp and similar products are banned in many countries because of the effects described here (and worse!). So now I look for organic products to replace the conventional wheat, corn, soy, dairy, and meat or I look for things like pasta made in Italy and bread made in Germany or I make my own from organic products. Those European foods or organic foods do not cause me troubles.
I am completely convinced that my severe use of stevia which I thought would be a better sweetner, especially for my diabetic boyfriend, completely disrupted my hormones. I feel it was the root cause of my low progesterone and adrenal fatigue. I was full of energy and life before my use of stevia. After years of trying to figure out what was causing my low progesterone and adrenal issues…by process of elimination, it came down to stevia. I kicked it to the curb and in literally days my brain fog lifted, aches and pains went away, and I just felt better. I am 90% better…..it is has taken a very long time to balance back out. I took my whole family off of it. My girls especially….I don’t need them having fertility issues. I have read that using green whole stevia powder, is acceptable but I just can’t bring myself to try it or if you grow it to use the whole leaf. There are components in the whole leaf that are missing when they make liquid stevia, supposedly that help control the effects of stevia. The incredible sweetness of stevia is caused by the extraction process. The Japanese I have read are responsible for creating the liquid stevia which is now used in almost everything! Sold it to Coca Cola ….I don’t drink soda but if I did, I would be concerned about that. It is also in vitamin waters etc. No stevia or microwaves for me….no thanks!
Hey, I think I might be having hormone issues related to stevia as well. Did you get you progesterone tested before and after stevia or your adrenals? How did you know that they’re low?
Maybe it was because of the processing of the stevia you were using. Try growing and drying your own.
Do you still use calm magnesium powder? I wish it didn’t have stevia love that product.
No, I stopped using that because of the stevia, too. I do still take a magnesium supplement when needed, though– just not the drink.
They have a natural calm without any stevia, that’s the one we usually use. Sometimes I get the stevia one because it tastes so much better, but now I’ll stick to the unflavored with no stevia! My daughter is allergic to stevia, she gets itchy bumpy skin all over her body from it.
Which magnesium supplement do you use? I have been using the calm magnesium because I had read that the magnesium pills don’t absorb as well. I would love to know if you have had success with something else other than Calm.
I currently use Pure Encapsulations when I feel the need to supplement: http://amzn.to/1TmB8PM
I hate the taste of stevia and it’s frustrating that it is added to so many things that don’t need to be sweet, like supplements and protein powder. After a lot of searching I found powdered magnesium bisglycinate by bioclinic naturals. Has a little bit of citric acid but nothing else and not much taste at all. I order it online.
I am guessing you were using the “off the shelf” processed stevia. As a qualified herologist, I am not surprised at those results. My suggestion, to all wanting a healthier, more in tune with yourself and nature lifestyle, use the ACTUAL Stevia leaf. No nasties, all natural.
I was totally surprised by this post because I thought you have always been anti stevia! I’ve been following your blog for 2-3 years and I haven’t seen you use any stevia at all- just honey, maple syrup and sugar. I’m wondering if your cycle was affected not by stevia itself but by the fact that you replaced it with high carbs and your body does well with carbs.
Agreed. I think it was weight loss from a lower carb/lower calorie diet that was probably the culprit behind the missed periods. There’s no good quality evidence of stevia having any effects on fertility in humans. I’ve been using it since 2009 with no issues. You get such a tiny amount of steviosides in each drop that its effects on the body are minimal. I appreciated reading Megan’s story, but the way it was written leaves out so much detail that would be important to discovering what actually caused her issue.
Stevia does not cause a blood sugar spike in diabetics, but the other foods you are or are not eating with it could certainly alter how it impacts blood glucose levels.
I think it depends what make or kind of stevia you were buying/ using.
As i have STEVIA plant in my garden and just as you make fresh mint tea I use Stevia. Drop the stem with leaves into my tea or just warm water/ milk if I bake. I also went through a year long candida cleaning process but used stevia very rarely because I believe Candida needs sweet environment and it doesnt recognises if it is healthy agave syrup, stevia or white yuk yuk sugar. The craving we get for sweets is because Candida is hungry and makes us want what she wants! So we must be strong and dont let her win the battle 🙂
Of course if you used tablets or liquid stevia it went through a chemical process again and there is a high chance also that there was aded something which might not be as healthy for humans. It is sad but it is usually the fact.
You are right about using the whole plant. The refinement of stevia is what causes trouble.
I have never liked Stevia.
What do you think of Xylitol? I like the taste and measure for measure. I know it causes some people digestive issues but doesn’t bother me. But what do you think?
It’s interesting I’m not the only one who noticed changes when using stevia. I started when I was breastfeeding at about 1 year postpartum- just a tiny bit! And my milk supply dried up within days. I had to wean my daughter within a few days as I had no more milk left but hadn’t changed anything except adding some stevia.
Also, it makes my mouth feel very dry. Both my parents say it makes their mouths tingle- I was thinking allergic reaction?! I just felt parched after using it.
I tried using a popular add-to-your-water stevia powder and after my bottle of water I felt dry. I used to use it more but not anymore. It’s rare, and maybe a few drops here and there. I want to cut my sweet tooth, not make it crave more…