What is Stevia?
Stevia is derived from the leaves of the South American plant Stevia rebaudiana, which is part of the sunflower family. Commercial use and marketing of the natural leaves is not permitted in the US. The active sweet compounds, called stevia glycosides, are extracted and refined in a multi-step industrial process to meet US and European regulatory requirements. Although the FDA has not approved the unrefined leaves, it has designated the refined extract as “Generally recognized as safe (GRAS).” Stevia is very sweet and a little goes a long way. (200-350 times sweeter than table sugar.) Comes in liquid, powder, or granulated forms.
Keto Status?
Acceptable
Why?
Stevia has no calories, does not raise blood sugar, and appears to be safe with a low potential for toxicity.
Possible Side Effects From Ingesting Stevia?
There’s not enough long-term data on stevia to discern its true impact on the health of frequent users.
Source
PLEASE NOTE – I Heart Keto Mart will add more sources and up-to-date research articles as they come to our attention. We welcome any of our viewers to send us any information/research/articles that you think would be of interest to our rating decision. Keep in mind – we are not rating ingredients solely on their general health benefits or side effects. To see our rating process, click on the link below.
I Heart Keto Mart Rating Guide
I Heart Keto Mart rates all ingredients through a “keto diet” & “low carb diet” lens. As an example, peas would be rated as “Acceptable” on a non-keto healthy diet; however, due to their carbohydrate level, we rate them “Objectionable”. We also rate all sweeteners that typically cause a rise in blood sugar and insulin levels as “Objectionable”. If you prefer a natural sweetener, like honey, over a sugar alcohol like erythritol, you may not agree with our “Objectionable” rating. I Heart Keto Mart rates all ingredients based first and foremost for those that have a sugar/carbohydrate addiction. Ingredients are rated for those who must moderate if not completely abstain from any sugars. If you have questions about this, please refer to this article: Why Some Whole Foods Are Not Keto Friendly
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