Stevia is a popular, plant-derived, non-nutritive sweetener extracted from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant, native to South America. As consumers incorporate this sweetener into their diets, questions about its long-term health implications, particularly cardiovascular health, have risen. This article addresses a specific concern: whether Stevia consumption contributes to the formation of blood clots.
Stevia’s Chemical Profile and Usage
Stevia’s intense sweetness comes from steviol glycosides found naturally in the plant’s leaves. The primary sweet components are rebaudioside A (Reb A) and stevioside, which are 50 to 300 times sweeter than table sugar.
It is important to distinguish between crude Stevia leaf extracts, often sold as dietary supplements, and the highly purified steviol glycoside extracts approved as sweeteners. Regulatory bodies base safety assessments on these purified extracts, which typically contain at least 95% steviol glycosides. The purification process removes bitter notes and other compounds found in crude leaf extracts.
Investigating the Clotting Concern
Comprehensive research on high-purity steviol glycosides does not suggest they directly cause pro-thrombotic effects, which promote blood clot formation. Concerns about Stevia and blood clots often stem from commercial sweetener products, which are frequently blends. These blended products contain other zero-calorie ingredients, such as sugar alcohols, to add bulk and texture.
Erythritol, a specific sugar alcohol, is commonly used as a bulking agent in many commercial Stevia tabletop sweeteners. Recent pilot studies show that high levels of erythritol in the blood can significantly increase platelet responsiveness, a measure of the blood’s tendency to clot.
The concern appears linked to the erythritol component mixed with the Stevia extract, not the steviol glycosides themselves. This is a crucial distinction, as purified Stevia extract has not been found to acutely stimulate the coagulation cascade in healthy individuals. While some animal studies suggest stevioside may have mild anti-platelet effects, these are not clinically significant enough to affect the average consumer’s clotting risk.
Scientific literature on high-purity stevia extracts does not indicate a mechanism for promoting clot formation. Regulatory approvals are based on the premise that these compounds are metabolically inert and do not interfere with coagulation processes. The risk of blood clots associated with some Stevia products is primarily attributed to co-ingredients like erythritol.
Stevia’s Interaction with Blood Pressure and Circulation
Separate from the clotting mechanism, cardiovascular research has focused on Stevia’s effect on blood pressure. Studies using high doses of the glycoside stevioside suggest a mild hypotensive, or blood pressure-lowering, effect. This effect is thought to occur through the relaxation and widening of blood vessels.
This blood pressure effect is distinct from the mechanism that causes blood clots. Stevioside’s potential to lower blood pressure is associated with pharmacological properties, generally seen only at intake levels far exceeding typical sweetening purposes. People with low blood pressure or those taking anti-hypertensive medications may require careful monitoring due to this mild hypotensive property.
The overall impact on circulation involves slight blood pressure moderation, but this does not translate into a pro-clotting state. Evidence suggests that for most people consuming Stevia, the effects on blood pressure and circulation are minor and not a cause for general health concern.
Regulatory Status and Safety Guidelines
High-purity steviol glycoside extracts have been rigorously reviewed by global regulatory bodies and are widely considered safe. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted high-purity steviol glycosides a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status, allowing their use as a general-purpose sweetener. This designation is based on expert consensus that the substance is safe for its intended use.
The safety profile is tied to an established Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI), the amount of a substance that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk. The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) set the ADI for steviol glycosides at 4 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day. This conservative limit is set 100 times lower than the level at which no adverse effect was observed in toxicology studies.
To put the ADI into perspective, a 150-pound (70 kg) person would need to consume approximately 40 packets of a typical tabletop Stevia sweetener daily to reach this upper limit. When consumed within regulatory guidelines, the scientific consensus is that high-purity steviol glycoside sweeteners are safe for the general population. Consumers concerned about co-ingredients like erythritol in blended products should check ingredient lists.