I’ve avoided stevia for years (see my IG story highlights dated back in 2017) I’ve even talked all about why you should avoid it in my podcasts…. ❇️ Contraceptive Native tribes have traditionally used Stevia for centuries for its contraceptive purposes! And in studies on female animals, Stevia was shown to reduce fertility by 57-79%, similar to the results on male studies. The effects on female infertility lasted for months after intake of Stevia was ceased. Stevia has this contraceptive effect as it impacts your hormones and hormone receptors on cells. The contraceptive properties of Stevia have been known for a long time - with early studies in 1968 showing this. ❇️ Endocrine Disruptor A cellular study found that stevia metabolites acted as an endocrine disrupting compound. Stevia increases production of progesterone, while antagonizing (blocking) its receptor (the study specifically looked at the progesterone receptor CatSper in sperm). Progesterone is essential for female reproductive health, including maintaining pregnancy, regulating the menstrual cycle, and fertility. Scientists observed adverse changes in progesterone receptor site activity concluding that stevia acts as a potential endocrine disruptor. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26965840/ ❇️ Effects Gut Health - Stevia interacts with the intestinal microbiota and needs bacteria for their metabolization, thus altering the bacterial population. - Stevia modulates the composition and function of the gut flora and leads to an increased risk of glucose intolerance. - Effects theIntestinal Microbiota Stevia Effects Immune Reactions A study reported that stevia increased infiltration of immune cells CD3+ lymphocytes in the mucosal lining of the small intestine, which reflects immune activation. References: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26965840/ https://www.nature.com/articles/nature13793 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31159256/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32326137/ #stevia #nocaloriesweetener #artificialsweeteners #endocrinedisruptors #guthealth #healthygut #ibstips #ibs #autoimmune #Microbiota #gutissues #gutflora #goodbacteria