Stevia drinks and gut bacteria over four weeks
What it found
In 59 healthy adults, a stevia-sweetened drink had no significant effect on gut bacteria or fecal short-chain fatty acids compared with a sucrose-sweetened drink.
The authors say it had no significant effects on fasting heart and metabolic measures either.
What they found
Studies in people
Gut bacteria
At week 4, there were no significant differences in gut bacteria at the phylum, family, genus or species level between the stevia and sucrose groups. The same was true at baseline and after the washout at week 8.
Fecal short-chain fatty acids
There were no significant differences in fecal short-chain fatty acid concentrations between the stevia and sucrose groups at week 4. No significant differences were seen at baseline or week 8 either.
BMI change
At week 4, BMI had increased by 0.3 kg/m2 in the sucrose group compared with the stevia group. All other body measurements and heart and metabolic measures did not differ significantly.
After washout
At week 8, after the 4-week washout, there were no significant differences in gut bacteria, fecal short-chain fatty acids, or any body or heart and metabolic measure between the groups.
What the authors conclude
“Daily consumption of a beverage sweetened with 25% of the ADI of stevia for 4 weeks had no significant effects on the HGM, fecal SCFA, or fasting cardiometabolic measures, compared with daily consumption of a beverage sweetened with 30 g of sucrose.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that daily consumption of a beverage sweetened with 25% of the acceptable daily intake of stevia for 4 weeks had no significant effects on the human gut microbiome, fecal short-chain fatty acids, or fasting heart and metabolic measures, compared with daily consumption of a beverage sweetened with 30 g of sucrose.
How it was done
Some nonnutritive sweeteners have been suggested to harm the human gut microbiome, but the effect of steviol glycosides on it has not been well studied.
59 healthy adults (36 women, 23 men, average age 31, average BMI 22.6) drank 16 oz of a beverage with either 25% of the acceptable daily intake of stevia or 30 g of sucrose daily for 4 weeks, then had a 4-week washout. Gut bacteria were analysed by shotgun sequencing and fecal short-chain fatty acids were measured at weeks 0, 4 and 8, along with body measurements, fasting blood glucose, insulin, lipids, blood pressure, pulse and 3-day diet records.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This trial lasted 4 weeks, so it cannot show what happens with longer-term daily use.
- It tested one dose of stevia (25% of the acceptable daily intake) in a beverage, so it cannot show whether other doses or other food forms would give the same results.
- It compared stevia with sucrose, not with a drink containing no sweetener, so it cannot show how either compares with plain water.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Frontage Laboratories (BRI), Canada; Cargill R&D Center, USA; Cargill R&D Centre Europe, Belgium
The paper
- Title
- Comparison of a Daily Steviol Glycoside Beverage compared with a Sucrose Beverage for Four Weeks on Gut Microbiome in Healthy Adults
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Kwok D, Scott C, Strom N, et al (2024). Comparison of a Daily Steviol Glycoside Beverage compared with a Sucrose Beverage for Four Weeks on Gut Microbiome in Healthy Adults. The Journal of nutrition. doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.01.032PubMed 38408729DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error