Stevia extract shields diabetic rat livers from damage
Amirahmadi Z, Raeisi A, Koohpeyma F, Moghadam D, Kiani R
Medicinal Plants
The same leafy plant behind your zero-calorie sweetener packets may carry liver-protective compounds that go well beyond its sugar-free reputation.
Researchers gave diabetic rats a water-based extract of stevia leaves and found it calmed liver inflammation, lowered damaging blood sugar and oxidative stress markers, and helped shut down a destructive form of cell death called ferroptosis. The treated rats also gained weight and showed healthier liver tissue under the microscope, suggesting stevia's benefits may stretch past sweetening tea into genuine organ protection.
Key Findings
Stevia extract (400 mg/kg) lowered blood sugar, liver enzymes ALT and AST, and inflammatory markers IL-6 and CRP, while increasing body weight in diabetic rats.
Antioxidant defenses rose significantly: total antioxidant capacity and enzymes GPX, SOD, and CAT all increased (p < 0.001) alongside reduced MDA, a marker of oxidative damage.
Stevia upregulated ferroptosis-protective genes GPX4, FTH1, and SLC7, and reduced apoptotic liver cells and inflammatory gene expression (NFKβ, TNFα, IL1β), improving overall liver morphology.
chevron_right Technical Summary
In diabetic rats, an extract from the stevia plant protected the liver by reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell death, performing alongside the diabetes drug metformin in several measures.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Regulating ferroptosis: the impact of stevia on alleviating liver damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
Diabetes-related complications are associated with ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death characterized by lipid peroxide accumulation and disrupted redox homeostasis. This study investi...
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Stevia is a sweet sugar substitute that is about 50 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. It is extracted from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, a plant native to areas of Paraguay and Brazil. The active compounds in stevia are steviol glycosides. Stevia is heat-stable, pH-stable, and not fermentable. ...