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Warning about Stevia

by lee
(California)

I had a rapid onset reaction to stevia in the form of severe sinus congestion. I looked online to try and figure out why and if the stevia was the cause. Turns out the stevia plant is related to ragweed, which is one of the highest allergy causing plants in North America and Europe.

I have been allergic to ragweed all my life so this was no surprise, however, my surprise is in the promotion of this product without any warnings. Stevia is turning up in all sorts of "healthy" products from probiotics to protein shakes. So I constantly have to be on the lookout to make sure I don't accidentally get dosed.

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Mar 17, 2023
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starstarstarstarstar 		Stevia and Nasal Congestion
by: Jayson

I personally attest to this as I have noticed having long term nasal congestions since I started taking stevia drops in my coffee.

I easily get colds/congested sinuses every time I drink something ice cold but it usually subsides in less than a day or in few hours.

I have NO known allergens before having Stevia in my diet but when I started using this, I now experience nasal congestions that lasts more than a week with some instances of itchy throat and runny nose.

This, however, is a personal experience and not yet confirmed medically so take my comment at your own discretion.
Oct 30, 2021
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starstarstarstarstar 		congested sinuses NEW
by: Anonymous

I had been transitioning to a keto then carnivore diet. I still indulge in stevia sodas and candies. I often would have some stevia chocolate before bed. I have been congested almost every night of sleep. I did a couple days of only meat and my sinuses were clear both nights. I made my own stevia chocolate and put too much stevia in it. i ate several pieces which were way to sweet and almost instantly my sinuses were closed up. I had not made the stevia and sinsus congestion link until ten minutes prior to typing this. I will now eliminate all stevia and see how my sinus react. if i remember, i will write an update here about my sinuses with no stevia in diet.
Oct 26, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		Stevia Allergic Reaction NEW
by: Anonymous

I had purchased some no sugar added pecan delights and after one bite my nose became congested. I found it unusual because I don’t have a nut allergy and have consumed pecans before. I later ate an entire piece of the pecan delight and it happened again and had to take a Reactine because the nasal congestion was so bad I had to mouth breathe. I looked at the ingredient list and it was sweetened with Stevia Leaf Extract and I have a confirmed Ragweed allergy. I’ve never consumed Stevia before and will steer clear of it. Thank you for posting your experience and it reinforces the fact that we have to pay attention to ingredient list.
Mar 08, 2017
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starstarstarstarstar 		Reply to "Bad reaction to Stevia"
by: Barbara

Thank you for your comment on the effects of Stevia on your body. As you know, Stevia is a plant and if you pluck off a leave and chew it, you'll immediately notice the sweetness.

So you are correct in saying that Stevia is "processed" because the green plant is clearly processed and sold to consumers in a "white powder" form.

Some Stevia sugars are more processed than others and have additives of one type or another in them. The key is to find the purest form of Stevia if you want to use that as your sweetener of choice.

If I were having symptoms of your type, I would cut out any Stevia that you are adding to coffee and other foods. Obviously you can't control what's in your protein powder, but just cutting out the additional stevia might help you figure it out.

Try using a little honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar or even regular sugar (keeping it to a minimum since the body doesn't like a lot of sugar) and see if it helps.

Thanks so much for commenting and I wish you the best of luck.
Jul 05, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		Bad reaction to Stevia
by: Anonymous

I have also had episodes of nausea, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating which I think they are related to consuming Stevia. Each episode followed drinking a beverage containing Stevia. The worst episode impacted my ability to stand and walk properly and was preceded by a cup of coffee where I mistakenly used more than my usual amount of Stevia.

I have tested this out on myself by drinking coffee with sugar one morning and coffee with Stevia the next. I only have a bad reaction the mornings I have the coffee with Stevia. The protein powder I use also contains Stevia and drinking it also gives me these negative symptoms.

I am also allergic to ragweed, but am not convinced that my reaction to the Stevia involves only the effects of histamine.

There is quite a bit of talk on the internet about the bad effects of Stevia and that it too, because of the way it is processed, is an artificial sweetener.

Can you please comment on this? The majority of protein powders I am aware of contain Stevia and I would guess it will increasingly be added to many foods.

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