I have read a few books on different versions of the AIP diet including Dr. Amy Meyers The Autoimmune Solution as well as Terry Wahl’s The Wahl’s Protocol as well as bits and pieces of The Paleo Approach by Sarah Ballyntyne. I must have missed a lot when I was reading the Paleo Approach because she clearly talks about stevia not being good on AIP. I may not have been ready to hear this information about stevia. I have been personally been eating and using stevia for many years on the anti-candida diet, at least nine or ten years now and it has never caused me any problem at all.
I have heard doctors talk about stevia in relation to blood sugar because it is so sweet it sends a message to the brain that a sweet food is coming and it should release insulin that is not needed so the insulin could possibly raise blood sugar but and article entitled Stevia is Not a Good sweetener for an autoimmune diet by Angie King-Nosseir says, “Here’s the problem with stevia concerning blood sugar dysregulation – a s non-nutritive sweetener, stevia does not contain any sugars or calories, but it does impart the sweet tastes to the taste buds. When the brain sense the sweet taste, signaling processes clear the blood stream of sugars in order to make way for more sugars. Now, this would be fine if there were actually more sugars (not too many though) coming down the pike; however, since there are none, this leaves the blood sugar tanked and thus, results in hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia, in turn, leads to an effort by the body to replenish blood sugar levels by calling upon stored glucose from the liver and muscles, in the form of glycogen. To accomplish this mobilization of glucose from body stores, stress hormones must be released.” http://www.autoimmunemom.com/diet/stevia-sweeteners-hypoglycemia.html
I have suffered with hypoglycemia for years and I have not had any symptoms like that with stevia, nor do I crave more carbs. This author goes on to say that safe sugars are thinks like whole fruits, raw honey, maple syrup a coconut palm sugar. My daughter and I have had issues with all of those above except whole fruits. When I say issues I mean we have gotten pretty sick if we ate just a little too much of those sweeteners.
Author Angie King also says that many people with autoimmunity struggle with hormone imbalances with stress, insulin, thyroid and sex hormones and hormone imbalances are tightly linked to blood sugar control. She says that author Sarah Ballantyne, PhD says that stevia glycocides which are responsible for the sweet taste of stevia actually have a hormone structure.
The reason this all just seems like too much is because first of all I have no problem with stevia and I am still breastfeeding. Another reason is that I give Jessica many supplements including some very bad tasting ones like nystatin, which I mix up myself and I put stevia in it so she can tolerate the taste without throwing up. Until we test Jessica’s blood sugar or sex hormones which I don’t think is going to be any time soon I don’t know that we have a good case to stop the stevia except if this is all happening on an internal microscopic level we can’t see like the blood in her stool.
We have much more to learn and test out for Jessica with her diet, supplements and lifestyle like lowering her stress. I don’t even know how that is possible to lower the stress of a happy, well adjusted two year old.
What has been your experience with stevia on an AIP protocol? I’d love to hear from you.