Stevia in the Raw is not harmful for most people, but it’s not pure stevia. The packet version is a blend of dextrose (glucose) and a refined stevia leaf extract, while the Bakers Bag version swaps dextrose for maltodextrin, a starch-based filler. These bulking agents are what distinguish it from pure stevia extract, and they’re worth understanding if you’re using it regularly or managing blood sugar.
What’s Actually in the Packet
The stevia component in Stevia in the Raw is rebaudioside A (Reb-A), a highly refined extract from the stevia leaf. On its own, Reb-A is a zero-calorie sweetener that tastes roughly 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. But pure Reb-A is so intensely sweet that a single packet would be far too much, so manufacturers bulk it up with other ingredients to make it measure and taste more like sugar.
In the individual packets, that bulking agent is dextrose, which is simply another name for glucose. In the Bakers Bag (the larger resealable pouch), it’s maltodextrin, a rapidly digested starch. Both are carbohydrates. Each packet contains roughly 1 gram of carbs and about 4 calories, small enough that the FDA allows it to be labeled “zero calories.” One packet won’t move the needle. But if you’re stirring it into coffee three times a day, adding it to oatmeal, and baking with it on the weekend, those grams of carbohydrate start to accumulate.
The Blood Sugar Question
This is where the bulking agents matter most. Maltodextrin has a glycemic index of 110, which is actually higher than table sugar (around 65). Dextrose lands at 100. Both can cause a rapid spike in blood sugar when consumed in meaningful quantities. A single packet delivers a tiny amount, so the spike from one serving is negligible for most people. But for anyone with diabetes or insulin resistance, the math changes if you’re using multiple servings throughout the day.
The stevia extract itself does not raise blood sugar. If blood sugar control is your primary reason for choosing a stevia product, a pure liquid stevia extract or a brand that uses erythritol (a sugar alcohol with a near-zero glycemic index) as the bulking agent may be a better fit than Stevia in the Raw specifically.
Digestive Side Effects
Pure stevia extract is not known to cause gastrointestinal problems. The side effects people sometimes report from stevia products, including bloating, nausea, and diarrhea, are typically linked to sugar alcohols like erythritol that some brands add. Stevia in the Raw packets use dextrose rather than a sugar alcohol, so they’re less likely to trigger those symptoms.
Research from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service found that compounds in stevia extracts, including steviol glycosides, did not significantly change the composition or diversity of gut bacteria. They also didn’t interfere with normal digestive processes like fat and fiber breakdown. That sets stevia apart from some artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin, which have shown measurable shifts in gut microbial communities in certain studies. Erythritol, used in some competing stevia blends, may even support colon health by increasing production of butyric acid, a fatty acid that helps maintain the gut lining.
Long-Term Safety and Limits
High-purity steviol glycosides like Reb-A have been classified as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the FDA since 2008, and the agency has reviewed more than 50 GRAS notices for various steviol glycosides without objection. The acceptable daily intake set by a joint FAO/WHO expert committee is 4 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day, expressed as steviol equivalents. For a 150-pound person, that works out to roughly 12 packets of a typical stevia product daily, well above what most people use.
It’s worth noting that whole stevia leaves and crude stevia extracts have not received the same FDA approval. Only the highly purified extracts used in commercial products like Stevia in the Raw are cleared for use as food additives.
Does It Help With Weight Loss?
Replacing sugar with any non-sugar sweetener, stevia included, reduces calorie intake in the short term. A large WHO systematic review found that non-sugar sweeteners can lead to modest weight loss when paired with calorie restriction. But there’s no clear evidence that they help with long-term weight management on their own. Swapping sugar for Stevia in the Raw won’t offset an otherwise high-calorie diet, though it can be a useful tool as part of broader changes.
Who Should Pay Attention
For the average person using a packet or two a day, Stevia in the Raw poses no meaningful health risk. The stevia extract is well-studied and safe within normal consumption levels, and the small amount of dextrose or maltodextrin per serving is trivial in the context of a full day’s diet.
The people who should think twice are those using it heavily throughout the day, particularly anyone managing diabetes or insulin resistance. In that case, the cumulative dextrose or maltodextrin could nudge blood sugar in ways that defeat the purpose of choosing a sugar substitute. Switching to a pure stevia liquid or a stevia product bulked with erythritol eliminates that concern entirely. If you’re only using it occasionally, the difference between Stevia in the Raw and a purer product is functionally zero.