Stevia is better for weight loss, compared to sugar and other artificial sweeteners, as it has no calories, or any dangerous side effects! A small dose of 45 mg can help us consume up to 10% fewer calories per day!
Stevia supports weight loss, as it has no calories!
Stevia is good for weight loss, as it has zero calories. On the contrary, sugar has about 380 calories per 100g.[1] Therefore, stevia is a better sweetener than sugar for weight loss. But, both sweeteners contain no nutrients. Stevia is also highly processed food. You better avoid consuming too much.
Is stevia better than sugar for weight loss?
If you follow the same diet, and start consuming stevia, instead of sugar, you can burn belly fat. You could lose up to 2 lbs of body weight in a month just by consuming stevia, instead of sugar! For instance, just by switching to soft drinks with stevia, you can save up to 240 calories a day, or 7,200 calories per month.
According to studies, we consume up to 10% fewer calories a day when switching from sugar to stevia or any other sweetener with no calories.[2]
Moreover, overweight people seem to benefit the most from consuming stevia, instead of sugar. Overweight people significantly improved their Body Mass Index by replacing sugar with stevia, or any other calorie-free artificial sweetener. On the contrary, people with normal weight didn’t lose weight.
Besides improving body composition, consuming stevia instead of sugar, as part of a healthy diet, may have many health benefits. It may have beneficial effects on insulin and glucose levels, inflammation, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol Also, it may reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.[3]
Moreover, stevia is considered to have little to no allergic potential.
Does stevia regulate appetite?
There’s a myth that stevia has a filling effect. That isn’t true. Stevia doesn’t affect satiety. As a rule of thumb, try to eat foods high in water, fiber, and protein in order to regulate appetite.
Stevia may make you fat
Although stevia can help you lose weight, you shouldn’t eat high amounts. After all, stevia is a powerful sweetener. It’s about 300 times sweeter than sugar!
Chronic consumption of stevia, or any other artificial sweetener, may inhibit the ability of sweet taste receptors to enjoy the flavor of natural foods, like fruits. The daily consumption of stevia keeps our sweet taste receptors constantly stimulated. Hence, stevia and other artificial sweeteners can cause belly fat because we constantly seek fattening foods high in sugar and fat.[4]
Stevia may be addictive
Most noteworthy, sugar is addictive, as it releases endorphins, and dopamine. It makes us feel good. It acts as addictive drugs. Actually, all sweeteners seem to have the same effect. Stevia and other artificial sweeteners stimulate brain reward signaling, independent of their sweetness!
So, the regular exposure to sweeteners can alter food taste and preferences! Therefore, we want to eat more fattening food every fay. This causes fat belly.
Children are more vulnerable to sweeteners, such as stevia, or sugar. Parents should be very cautious with portion sizes.
Stevia is highly processed food
Certainly, stevia is the healthiest sweetener! Other available artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and acesulfame may have side effects, such increased risk of obesity, alteration of gut microbiota, negative pregnancy outcomes, and even cancer.[3]
On the other hand, we don’t consume any part of the stevia plant. We consume a highly processed product which contains only sweet compounds and no nutrients. Stevia powder has a poor nutritional value. It doesn’t contain any vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, or antioxidants.
How much stevia can I eat in a day without gaining weight?
A daily dose of 4 mg of stevia per kilogram of body weight (or 1.8 mg per lb) is considered pretty safe. So, you could consume a scoop (about 45 mg) of stevia a day. This serving is equivalent to 1/8 tsp.[2]
Even much higher dosages of stevia won’t per se make you fat. But, too much stevia can indirectly cause belly fat, as it may affect sweet taste receptors. It’s impossible to follow a healthy, long-tern, hypocaloric diet for weight loss if you always crave fattening foods.
Stevia is good for the environment
Additionally, stevia is better than sugar for the environment. Stevia requires less land, water, and energy compared to sugar. For instance, stevia has an 82% reduction in carbon footprint compared with beet sugar and a 64% reduction compared to cane sugar. Moreover, the water footprint for stevia is 92% lower than beet sugar and 95% lower than cane sugar.[2]
How much Stevia can Kids consume?
It’s recommended for children to limit their daily consumption of free sugars to less than 5% of the daily calorie intake. Infants should consume even less. So, kids could consume up to 6 tsp, or 25 grams of added sugar per day. But, ideally, kids shouldn’t consume any added sugar.[5,6]
Moreover, children shouldn’t consume more than 4 mg of stevia per kilogram of body weight (or 1.8 mg per lb) a day.[7]
| weight (lbs) | stevia (mg) |
| 34 | 61 |
| 40 | 72 |
| 50 | 90 |
How much stevia do children consume?
Children consume more sugar than the maximum recommended daily intake. The main sources of sugar are beverages, sweeteners, and processed foods.
Most noteworthy, children consume the highest amount of sugar, stevia, or other artificial sweeteners relative to their weight per day. This can lead to weight gain, and many diseases. Even in adulthood.[8]
In fact, stevia and other sweeteners are addictive! Sweeteners release endorphins, and dopamine in the brain. They stimulate brain reward signaling, making us feel good.
The regular consumption of stevia, sugar, or other sweeteners can alter food taste and food preferences! Kids start enjoying only fattening foods, which are high in sugar and fat. This is the type of diet that has been associated with childhood obesity.
It’s important for kids to develop good dietary habits. Above all, parents should teach children to avoid drinking soft drinks or eating sweets. In fact, parents should teach children to prefer natural sources of sugar, such as fruits. Fruits are packed with vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants.