Stevia

[Partager]

Hi, not sure what's going on exactly but I am not complaining. I have been taking 2 teaspoons of stevia for 3 days and I had had to reduce my novorapid by 50 %. The first day I didn't and I spent the afternoon with blood sugars of between 2 and 4. It was terrible. Now, I wasn't on much to begin with - just 20 per day (4/8/8). Now I am running between 5 and 8 with (3/3/4).
I am guessing I haven't found the cure as it would be more known. I am also guessing there must be something very wrong here in the long term. Is stevia dangerous for diabetics ?

 

[shedges]

Has anything else in your life changed? Physical activity? Mental activity? (it takes more energy than you think).
Were you taking lots of sugar before, that you have now replaced with stevia?
You need to consider everything in your daily routine, especially those things that might have changed, before making a connection like that.

 

[mamamodge]

Stevia is plant based not synthetic so maybe that has something to do with it?

 

[Partager]

I am taking the stevia in addition to what I normal eat.
Yes I have recently started studying spanish which is very exhausting. Is this extra brain activity a factor ?

 

[Auckland Canary]

The brain is the organ which is the biggest user of energy in your body so yes it can have an effect

 

[Charles Robin]

Stevia contains no carbohydrate, so will not raise your blood sugars. However, if you are eating two teaspoons on their own, whatever you are eating is not just stevia on its own. Stevia is extremely strong, I bake with it a lot. I tried a teaspoon the first time I used it, and it was one of the most horrific things I have done for a while! You only need very small amounts of pure stevia. Out of interest, is it a brand called Truvia you are using? If so, it is mostly comprised of erithrytol. That is a type of sugar, but the great thing is, we don't have the correct enzymes in our body to break it down. Therefore, we get its sweetness, but it passes through the body unchanged, and does not affect blood sugars. I was massively skeptical of such a claim, but I tried a number of teaspoons, and did not experience any rise in blood sugars even 4 hours afterwards.

In relation to your original question, stevia should not lower your blood sugars, but if you are using it to replace something sugary, you will need to reduce your insulin dose.

 

[Partager]

So in summary it is learning a language that's reducing my insulin dose requirement.
However I started adding stevia to my fruit salad (not instead of sugar as I didn't add anything before). So no I am not using it instead of anything.

Is it possible to restore damaged beta cells.

I found these on the Internet so am experimenting:

Avocado: A 2007 study found that avocado seed extract reduced blood sugar in diabetic rats. Researchers observed a restorative and protective effect on pancreatic islet cells in the treated group.

Stevia: A 2011 human study found that stevia has anti-diabetic properties, including revitalizing damaged beta cells.

 

[Ilya83]

Be careful with Stevia. You can be allergic to Stevia.

 

[Partager]

I am really worried that stevia might not be good for me if I take it every day.
Could it be affecting how I am absorbing my food so that I don't need so much insulin (50 %) ?
Although this might seen good, I would like to know what is happening now. I don't need or want to lose any weight.
I will keep going for a few more days and see.

 

[mamamodge]

I am really worried that stevia might not be good for me if I take it every day.
Could it be affecting how I am absorbing my food so that I don't need so much insulin (50 %) ?
Although this might seen good, I would like to know what is happening now. I don't need or want to lose any weight.
I will keep going for a few more days and see.

 

[mamamodge]

Hello again ,,
This post has interested me so did a wee search .This was discussed back in 2008 on this forum and someone posted a link to some research ..I just googled stevia and effects on blood glucose in people with diabetes.

 

[Partager]

Thank you for this. Looks like it does reduce my blood sugar but not a great idea. Just had another crash in blood sugar this morning.
I will telephone to my doctor to get another opinion. Maybe it is okay if I take stevia with honey.

 

[phoenix]

2 teaspoons of pure stevia is a huge amount. (as otherwise mentioned Truvia isn't pure stevia)
The toxicity trials are done on the assumptions of the small amounts (mg per kg) necessary for use as a sweetener. It is very powerful and you don't need much.

Preferentially, stevia is dosed according to taste (as it is used as a sweetener). For prudency, and due to some toxicological data on this herb, an estimated upper daily intake of around 8mg/kg should be used (for a 150lb human, this is 540mg). This dose is within the current recommended intake limits, and is sufficient for anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects but insufficient for any observed toxic or infertility inducing effects of stevia.
That being said, some human studies using prolonged intake of up to 1.5g daily show no adverse effects.

http://examine.com/supplements/Stevia/#ref68
The research reported in the above article on glucose lowering when used as a sweeetner found no significant effect on glucose levels/HbA1c etc
They have shown much larger doses had some effect on rats.
The only human trial reported in the article is just of a single largish dose This better than corn starch did but it was just this one occasion At the time of the article (Dec 2013) there had been no further papers at these sort of doses on safety or efficacy in humans (doesn't seem to include a 2011 human study, one of the rat ones was in 2011)
edit: just followed up with a fairly crude search in pubmed and still can't find any more recent human studies
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=stevia+diabetes+human

 

[AnnieC]

If you use stevia then make sure it is the pure one as said Truvia is not pure stevia. I use the Canderel Green Stevia. I sprinkle it on very sour berries like frozen ones and thats about the only thing I use it for I have never cooked with it I have used xylitol for that it's another natural sweetner and is more granual than stevia

 

[Partager]

I telephoned to a diabetic specialist nurse. She did not know about stevia. But she will ask someone and let me know next week. She was very pleased with my readings from yesterday. I will continue with 1 teaspoon of stevia with my breakfast. Then at least I will be having some carbohydrate at the same time. Blood sugars are still very good after this morning's crash (now 6,1).

 

[gpurdey]

Hi, Sorry this may sound silly but why were you taking two teaspoons a day? Stevia is very very strong so on it's own this must have completely overwhelmed your tastebuds. Personally I buy my stevia in leaf form off the internet, then it has nothing added to it to change it's taste. It is absolutely sutible for diabetics though, you could have another issue with it which is unrelated to diabetes though.

 

[LaineyK]

Is it just me, but when I've had stevia from say, Asda, and used it as a sweet er. I found it disgusting!! I tried to make chocolates with it and cocoa powder and was nearly the most horrifying thin I've ever eaten!!!! , am I missing something?

 

[LaineyK]

But hey, if it does reduce bg, I would rather that then injecting, lol