Can diabetic patients use stevia as sweetener in their diet?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 55-year-old female. I heard that stevia acts as a natural sweetener for various dishes and it is a boon for diabetic patients. Is that true? I would like to know the different forms of stevia available in markets. I want to know the sweetness of stevia compared to sugar and its zero-calorie nature. Will incorporating stevia in a diet of diabetic patients increase blood sugar levels? What are the potential side effects faced due to stevia consumption? How to manage it?

Kindly suggest.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

It is probably best known as a source of natural sweeteners. Some people take stevia by mouth for medical purposes such as lowering blood pressure, treating diabetes, heartburn, and high uric acid levels in the blood, for weight loss, stimulating the heart rate, and for water retention.

Stevia Sweetener: They come in a variety of forms: liquid, granulated, individual packets/sticks, and cubes/tablets. Only 25 products have pure stevia leaf extract. The vast majority of the sweeteners you buy are going to have a filler. The most common filler is erythritol. Stevia is 30 times sweeter than sugar in its unprocessed form and 250 to 300 times sweeter once it has been purified. Products made from Stevia are available and they contain zero calories and offers a conversion chart on the internet for cooking and baking purposes.

I hope this information helps you.

Thank you.