Steviol glycosides

Studies in people

• Open question

  Blood sugar control²

  In people, steviol glycosides slightly lowered fasting blood sugar, but scientists say the evidence is weak and more research is needed.

• Benefit

  Blood pressure in people³

  In people, steviol glycosides lowered systolic blood pressure, but scientists do not yet know whether other health effects are real.

• Open question

  Allergy to sweeteners⁴

  Reports of allergy to steviol glycosides are rare, and none have appeared since purified products reached the market.

• Open question

  Blood sugar and appetite⁵

  In 30 healthy men, stevia-sweetened drinks led to similar blood sugar and insulin over 3 hours as sucrose drinks.

• No harm found

  Gut bacteria and health markers⁶

  In people, steviol glycosides in drinks changed gut bacteria, short-chain fatty acids, or heart and blood measures no more than sugar did.

• Benefit

  Inflammation and antioxidant response⁷

  In people, steviol glycosides in a sweetened drink raised a calming body signal, but scientists still need more studies.

• Benefit

  Heart and blood vessel health⁸

  Steviol glycosides may help cholesterol and blood pressure, but studies in people are few and low quality.

• No harm found

  Blood pressure⁹

  In 100 healthy adults, 1000 mg a day of rebaudioside A, a steviol glycoside, did not change blood pressure.

Animal and lab studies only

• Open question

  Gut bacteria balance¹⁴

  In lab and animal studies, steviol glycosides may change gut bacteria, but results differ and human studies are lacking.

• No harm found

  DNA damage risk¹⁵

  Steviol glycosides have been tested a lot, and most studies found no evidence they damage DNA.

• No harm found

  Gut lining in lab studies¹⁷

  In lab studies, stevia did not affect gut cells, unlike miraculin and mogroside V.

• Benefit

  Taste and blood sugar¹⁹

  In animal studies, steviol glycosides made sweet, bitter and umami tastes stronger and helped keep blood sugar down.

Study type not stated

• Open question

  Health effects of a sweetener¹¹

  Steviol glycosides are studied for effects like inflammation, weight, blood pressure, diabetes and tooth decay.

• No harm found

  Food additive risk assessment¹²

  A panel found no safety concern for glucosylated steviol glycosides used as a food additive at proposed levels.

How it’s made and used

• Taste and bitterness¹⁰

  In people, steviol glycosides mixed with sugar tasted less bitter when sweetness was blocked.

• Gut bacteria and sweeteners¹³

  Gut bacteria in people and animals break down steviol glycosides into steviol, which the body then absorbs.

• Bitter taste¹⁶

  Steviol glycosides, the sweeteners in stevia, latch onto bitter taste receptors in lab studies, which may explain the bitter aftertaste.

• Bread quality and calories¹⁸

  In bread with stevia extract instead of sugar, calories were lower and it stayed softer with less microbial growth.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.

Expert panels that weigh all the research. Shown for context: the signal at the top does not count them.

• UN and WHO food additive experts (JECFA), 2026

  Acceptable daily intake: up to 4 mg per kg of body weight.