Stevia Is Marketed as Healthy—But It Acts Like Birth Control.

Stevia is marketed as a natural, plant-based, zero-calorie sweetener—but multiple studies suggest it might act more like birth control than a harmless sugar alternative. Animal research has linked long-term stevia consumption to reduced testosterone, damaged reproductive tissues, lower fertility, and smaller litter sizes. A 2016 in vitro study even found that steviol glycosides disrupted human progesterone receptor function and reduced sperm’s ability to fertilize an egg.

In female rats, researchers from Paraguay and Brazil observed significant fertility suppression after just weeks of stevia extract use—effects that reversed only when it was removed. Stevia’s compounds appear to mimic or block hormonal activity, which may go unnoticed in short-term human trials that often ignore reproductive markers altogether. Even more concerning, the highly processed forms of stevia used in modern products are often combined with other additives like erythritol—which has been linked to memory issues in mice.

Stevia isn’t just a sweetener—it’s a chemical with hormonal side effects. If you care about your fertility or hormone health, ditch the packets and scan your labels.