Steviol glycosides and allergy risk from published reports
What it found
Allergic reactions to stevia are rare, and no cases have appeared in the scientific literature since 2008.
The few older reports involved less purified extracts rather than the highly purified sweeteners sold today.
What they found
Studies in people
Allergy reports before 2008
A small number of allergic reactions to stevia were recorded in the scientific literature. All of these happened before highly purified products reached the market in 2008.
No recent allergy reports
Since 2008, there have been no published reports of stevia-related allergies in people. Manufacturers and food allergy networks have not recorded significant numbers of bad reactions either.
Other findings
Plant family allergy link
Stevia comes from the same plant family as ragweed, lettuce, sunflower and chamomice. Many plants in this group can cause allergic reactions through different types of exposure.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude there is little real scientific evidence to back up allergy warnings about highly purified stevia extracts.
- Their search found that documented allergic reactions only occurred with older, less purified forms of the plant.
How it was done
Stevia belongs to a plant family that includes ragweed and chamomile, which can trigger allergic reactions. Because of this link, some media outlets warned shoppers about possible stevia allergies.
The authors searched the scientific literature for every report of allergic reactions after people consumed stevia extracts or highly purified steviol glycosides. They also checked records from manufacturers and food allergy networks for any related problems.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work gathered past reports rather than testing people directly. It cannot prove that no one will ever react to highly purified steviol glycosides.
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 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error