Steviol glycosides and blood sugar across trials in adults
What it found
Across trials in 871 adults, steviol glycosides lowered fasting blood sugar by about 4.10 mg dl-1 compared with controls.
They made almost no difference to HbA1c, a longer-term blood sugar measure.
What they found
Studies in people
Fasting blood sugar
People taking steviol glycosides had lower fasting blood sugar than those in the control group. The average drop was 4.10 mg dl-1.
HbA1c levels
There was almost no difference in HbA1c between people taking steviol glycosides and the control group. The difference was just 0.01%.
Who benefited most
The drop in fasting blood sugar was clearest in people aged 50 or younger. It also showed in overweight or obese adults and those without diabetes or high blood pressure at the start.
Other findings
Evidence quality
The authors rated the overall quality of the evidence as low.
What the authors conclude
- They found that steviol glycosides improved fasting blood sugar in adults compared with a control group.
- They say more research is needed to confirm these benefits when steviol glycosides are used instead of sugar.
How it was done
Earlier trials gave mixed results on how steviol glycosides affect blood sugar control in adults. The authors wanted to combine trial data to get a clearer picture.
They combined results from randomised trials comparing steviol glycosides with a control group. Twelve trials were included, covering 871 adult participants, of whom 48% were female. They looked at changes in fasting blood sugar and HbA1c from the start to the end of each trial.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The authors rated the overall evidence as low, so the true effect might be different.
- These trials measured specific blood markers over set periods, not long-term health outcomes like disease risk.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Jinan University, China; Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, China; Father Sean O'Sullivan Research Centre, Canada
The paper
- Title
- Effect of steviol glycosides as natural sweeteners on glucose metabolism in adult participants
- Type
- Systematic review and meta-analysisThe authors follow a set, published method to find every relevant study, then combine the numbers from them into one result.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Bai X, Qu H, Zhang J, et al (2024). Effect of steviol glycosides as natural sweeteners on glucose metabolism in adult participants. Food & function. doi:10.1039/d3fo04695hPubMed 38512280DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error