Steviol glycosides and allergy warnings from plant family links
What it found
Hypersensitivity reactions to stevia in any form are rare, and no stevia-related allergy has been reported in the literature since 2008.
The few documented cases came before high-purity products reached the market in 2008.
What they found
Studies in people
Allergy cases are rare
Hypersensitivity reactions to stevia in any form are rare. The few cases in the peer-reviewed literature were reported before high-purity products came to market in 2008.
No recent allergy reports
There have been no reports of stevia-related allergy in the literature since 2008. That was when many global regulatory authorities began to affirm the safety of steviol glycosides.
No adverse event reports
Neither stevia manufacturers nor food allergy networks have reported significant numbers of any adverse events related to taking in stevia-based sweeteners.
Other findings
Plant family link
Steviol glycosides are extracted from Stevia rebaudiana, a member of the Asteraceae family. Many plants in this family, such as ragweed, goldenrod, chrysanthemum, echinacea, chamomile, lettuce, sunflower and chicory, can cause hypersensitivity reactions through multiple routes of exposure.
What the authors conclude
“Therefore, there is little substantiated scientific evidence to support warning statements to consumers about allergy to highly purified stevia extracts.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say there is little substantiated scientific evidence to support warning statements to consumers about allergy to highly purified stevia extracts.
How it was done
Steviol glycosides come from Stevia rebaudiana, a plant in the Asteraceae family, and many plants in that family can trigger hypersensitivity reactions. Some media reports and resources have issued food warnings claiming stevia could cause allergy.
The authors ran a comprehensive literature search to find all available data on allergic responses after people consumed stevia extracts or highly purified steviol glycosides.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The paper is based on a literature search, so it can only report what has been documented, not prove that allergy will never occur.
- It cannot show how common any reaction might be in the general population.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA
The paper
- Title
- Steviol glycoside safety: are highly purified steviol glycoside sweeteners food allergens?
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Urban JD, Carakostas MC, Taylor SL (2015). Steviol glycoside safety: are highly purified steviol glycoside sweeteners food allergens?. Food and chemical toxicology. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2014.11.011PubMed 25449199DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error