 Hello, I'm Ty Mason from the DiabetesCouncil.com researcher, writer, and I have type 2 diabetes. Today I'm going to answer the question is Stevia Good for Diabetes. But before we get into that, make sure you download my free diabetes management book, which also includes a diabetes grocery shopping guide, foods to eat and avoid, by clicking the link below. Stevia is actually a plant naturally grown in Brazil and Paraguay. It is now being grown in many other countries with China now being the largest export of the sweetener derived from the plant. The plant is in the same family as the chrysanthemum and sunflowers. The extract taken from stevia plant has been used for many years as a sweetener, which was actually banned in the United States in 1991 because it was thought to cause cancer. That ban was lifted in 1995, but the Food and Drug Administration allowed stevia to be imported and sold only as a food supplement, but not as a sweetener. In December of 2008, the FDA declared stevia to be generally regarded as safe. Since then, the market has been flooded with stevia sugar substitutes. Just some of the brand names of stevia are stevia in the raw, pure via, true via, sweet leaf, Walmart has their brand, great value stevia, only sweet, and there are plenty of other generic stevia based sweeteners available. Stevia extract is said to be 250 to 300 times sweeter than regular table sugar. Now stevia is generally accepted as a good sugar substitute. A 2003 study by Soren Greggerson found that stevia's side, which is the active ingredient in stevia, reduces post-prandial blood close levels in type 2 diabetes, indicating a beneficial effect on the glucose metabolism. Now post-brandial simply means the blood glucose levels after eating a meal. Stevia's side may be advantageous in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. A 2012 study by Naveen Chavana found that the active ingredients in stevia not only had a positive impact on blood glucose levels, but was found to be an antioxidant and had liver protection properties. So, is stevia good for diabetes? Well, my answer is yes, but I do feel you need to read the labels before you buy. Some forms of stevia sold in the US is all natural, but is it all stevia? Others have additives in them to promote longer shelf life. Be sure to read the label to ensure you are getting an all natural all stevia sweetener. I hope this answered your question as stevia good or bad for diabetes, don't forget to get your diabetes management book by clicking in the link in the description box below. And as always, let me know if you have any other questions concerning diabetes. Thank you so much for watching. I'm time Aison.