Everyone seems to be looking for the best-tasting artificial sweetener in order to remove the excessive amount of sugar in their food. Diabetes and obesity are on the rise, so this revelation comes as no surprise. Stevia has been used for centuries in different cultures to sweeten foods and drinks, so it was only a matter of time before it made its way to the United States. The extract is derived from the stevia plant, which is a small shrub indigenous to South America. It was originally used to sweeten tea by tribes in South America, and it spread to other continents quickly as it was discovered.

Disrupted Metabolism

It is thought that stevia can have an adverse affect on the body’s natural metabolism. This side effect can be detrimental to patients who are underweight or suffer from blood sugar problems. When food is consumed, it is broken down into glucose and carbohydrates, which are absorbed by the body for energy. How quickly this occurs is considered the body’s metabolism. It is thought that excess amounts of stevia can block the absorption of the glucose and carbohydrates, resulting in weight problems, loss of energy, and low blood sugar.