Did you know Stevia doesn’t shake up gut bugs? The impact of stevia on the gut microbiota has been the subject of several studies. While some research suggests that stevia may have limited effects on the gut microbiota, other studies have found potential impacts. For example, a study published in the Journal of Functional Foods found that stevia components had a limited growth response on common gut bacteria, with the typical human gut microbiota remaining largely unchanged.
Another study on rats concluded that stevia altered certain microbial taxa, but prebiotics seemed to have a greater impact on gut microbiota composition.
On the other hand, a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture stated that stevia has been found to have no negative effect on human gut health. Therefore, while some studies suggest minor impacts of stevia on the gut microbiota, the overall evidence is not conclusive, and further research is needed to fully understand the effects of stevia on gut bacteria.
The Study:
- Researchers recruited healthy adults who rarely used artificial sweeteners and weren’t picky eaters.
- Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: stevia, control, and time-only control.
- The stevia group took five drops of stevia extract twice daily, while the control group maintained their usual diet.
- Everyone attended three study visits: at the start, after six weeks, and after 12 weeks.
- The researchers analyzed stool samples using advanced techniques to assess gut bacteria diversity and composition.
Results:
- No significant differences were found in overall gut bacteria composition (diversity) between the stevia and control groups after 12 weeks.
- However, some minor changes were observed at the individual bacteria level.
Stevia consumption slightly decreased a genus called Akkermansia and increased another called Faecalibacterium. - A specific type of bacteria called Butyricoccus, known for producing beneficial fatty acids, was significantly higher in the stevia group.
Interestingly, a computer model accurately identified stevia users based on their gut bacteria patterns, although these individual changes didn’t significantly alter the overall microbiome.
Key Takeaways
- Regular stevia use for 12 weeks doesn’t significantly affect the overall gut bacteria composition in healthy adults.
- Stevia may influence specific gut bacteria functions related to fatty acid production.
- More research is needed to understand the long-term effects of different sweeteners on gut health.
Conclusion
While stevia had minimal impact on the overall gut bacteria composition, it appears to influence specific bacterial functions, particularly fatty acid production. This suggests that different sweeteners likely have different effects on gut health through their interactions with our resident microbes. Study source
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