The Truth about Stevia and Kidney Stones

In this video, I discuss a truth about the sugar alternative, stevia. I explain why stevia is bad for kidney stones.

As always, please do not post any personal medical information in the comments section or ask to comment on a personal medical situation.

Disclaimer: This video is not intended to provide diagnosis, treatment or medical advice. Information obtained from this video should not be taken in lieu of your own medical provider's advice and treatment plan. Please consult directly with a physician or other healthcare professional regarding any diagnosis or treatment plan options. Content provided on this Youtube channel is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional. The statements made about specific products throughout this video are not to diagnose , treat, cure or prevent disease.

Please consult with your medical doctor if you have any questions specific to your medical situation.

[cardmonty]

I need for you to speak out about the Dangers of Stevia. I’ve lost 150lbs on Keto. Been on it for 3 years. Maintaining my weight for over a year. I’m a 61 year old, 5’11” male that went from 321lbs to 170lbs. But recently - since December of 2021 I’ve had an issue of low blood pressure - 90/40. I went to the ER 3x’s - resulting in no explanation - all tests came up negative for Heart Disease. I’ve experienced intermittent chest discomfort and Arrhythmias. I went to a 2nd Cardiologist and we found out the culprit is STEVIA. Stevia acts as a vasodilator, as well as a diuretic. I used to make no less than 12 trips to the restroom during the day to relieve myself of fluid. Stevia caused my BNP - indicator for Heart Failure - to go into the 800 levels. I have none of the typical symptoms of heart failure - edema, shortness of breath, but I do have occasional chest discomfort and Arrhythmias. Not good. I’ve since switched solely to Monkfruit as my only sweetener. I felt better after eliminating Stevia on the first day I eliminated it from my diet. Stevia is hidden in so many “Keto” & “Diet” products on the market, as well as supplements. Your viewers, or patients need to know the dangers of using Stevia. It could’ve killed me. It could kill someone else out there.
It’s not as safe as they say it is. Or, at least the FDA says it is.

[JavierSainz-ht]

Dr Chan, two teaspoons of sugar are equivalent to 50 mg of stevia, therefore, the amount of oxalates is totally neglectable in one drink, even 5 drinks a day. You would need to drink 200 portions of coffee or tea in order to have a teaspoon of stevia. Also, different processes of purification are available, so oxalates can be removed from the extract.

[djmydlack]

There are 16 servings of Stevia in one teaspoon. That's 2.6mg oxalate in each serving. So, one or two cups of coffee with a squirt in each, a squirt in a cup of yogurt later in the day, all equals under 8mg of oxalate.

[ellesartelcontar]

Well, I had a ket diet for a year, and was recently diagnozed with small kidney stone, which I recently had to remove! I would add that I never had any issues with kidney stones whatsoever. So I would pay close attention to which sugar replacement I would use. Seems that oxalate numbers are not just a number, but a significant thing to consider when we try to diet.
I think I am going to switch from Stevia and go for erythritol, or a mixed with stevia version, such as Sverve. Thanks for going the extra mile to explain this so us!

[leadimentoobrien]

I have been searching for a while u r the only doctor eho addresses this THANK YOU!, I am gonna watch u forevef now.

[jetryan]

Pure Stevia in powder form, is even sweeter than the liquid. Had no idea as to major side effects & as diabetic was promoted to me as best natural form to use (coffee, tea). Who knew!!?

[drpfgldensun]

I noticed that one form of stevia had zero oxalates (processed), and the one you refer to (unprocessed) is the one with 42 mg. Can you please explain why we couldn't just use the processed form (whatever that even is)?

[recoverykonie]

Thanks!! I needed to hear about oxalates again and kidney stones.

[khosbeh]

Dear Dr. Chen, I just subscribed to your channel and greatly appreciate the advice that you are providing. Could you please advise on possible/known effects of erythritol both with and without Monk fruit? Looking forward to your reply

[BulletsForTeeth]

Hi Doctor Chan, new sub!

I've been using Splenda's Stevia for six months, had to go to the ER on Christmas Eve, the pain was that bad and I was experiencing toxic shock symptoms (cold sweats, brown urine), the ER doctor diagnosed me with a kidney stone (left side), gave me an IV and morphine to dull the pain I was in. Luckily there was only one stone, he said I was lucky because he's seen worse. He said he's seen patients with as many as fifteen! OUCH!

I love Stevia but I'm cutting way way back on the stuff, I just need to be careful how much I use, doctor recommends to drink lots of water and cranberry juice. I never knew about oxylites? Gonna keep a close eye on oxylite intake from here on out! I never had a stone before, but my first suspect was this Stevia sweetner I was using and apparently my hunch is on point with your recommendations.

The doc gave me some pain meds and flow max and sent me home, for those of you in an emergency situation the doctor said you can take 600mg of Ibuprofen every 12hrs (thats what it say's on the bottle), the doc said it helps dilate the urine tubes and helps with pain, but this is not a remedy, if you have a kidney stone go see a doctor so they can catscan you and see what's going on inside your kidneys, there may be something more serious going on and you need to know how many stones you're dealing with. Take care, and good health on into 2022!

[tragamonedas]

Hello Doctor Chan; As of today, which plant derived diabetic-friendly sweetener is preferable with no harm to overall health? Thanks a lot in advance.

[viajeIectrico]

I used a lot of dry stevia leaves until today - I would say between 2 and 5 tbsp per day, for almost a year... How screwed am I? Im having diabetes like symptoms :(

"A 2019 studyTrusted Source reported a possible link between nonnutritive sweeteners, including stevia, and disruption in beneficial intestinal flora. The same study also suggested nonnutritive sweeteners may induce glucose intolerance and metabolic disorders."

[davyjones-locker]

lol this doctor is recommending apartame and sucralose over stevia

[minhsao]

wow.... great video !!! really helps me think about my stevia intake :)

[leadimentoobrien]

Now can u tell us if weed has oxalates cuz i eat cbd when im passsing a k8dney stone

[jeanely]

So I use a few drops of liq stevia in my green tea, but never a tsp. So I drink that daily and I have had kidney stones. So wondering how many mgs of oxylates are in maybe one drop each?

[sadiekimmer]

I use stevia everyday for years and have two bad kidney stones

[sgill]

What about erithitol for kidneys? I think it's very hard on kidneys

[jetryan]

I've read conflicting information about oxalate, one said it's high in oxalate, another that it's low on oxalate as when the stevia plant is processed the oxalate is processed out so is very low in it. I know the Oxalate bind with calcium & can cause/make worse kidney stone & other stone development. And that our body sequesters/hides oxalate away on all body tissues because it's so toxic AND that it may contribute to higher inflammation & even auto-immune issues. Thots?

[WinterZzzzzz]

No mention of monk fruit. Not convinced on the Stevia thing...wish people would stop defending it so hard.