Stevia lowers testosterone?

[Guest guest]

This is just rat data, but still, it looks like cause for concern.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=1\

0619379 & dopt=Abstract

>J Ethnopharmacol. 1999 Nov 1;67(2):157-61. Related Articles,

>Links

>

>Effects of chronic administration of Stevia rebaudiana on fertility in rats.

>

>Melis MS.

>

>Departamento de Biologia, Setor de Fisiologia, Faculdade de

>Filosofia, Ciencias e Letras, Universidade de Sao o, Ribeirao

>Preto, Brazil. msmelis@...

>

>A study conducted on prepubertal male rats showed that chronic

>administration (60 days) of a Stevia rebaudiana aqueous extract

>produced a decrease in final weight of testis, seminal vesicle and

>cauda epididymidis. In addition, the fructose content of the

>accessory sex glands and the epididymal sperm concentration are

>decreased. Stevia treatment tended to decrease the plasma

>testosterone level, probably by a putative affinity of glycosides of

>extract for a certain androgen receptor, and no alteration occurred

>in luteinizing hormone level. These data are consistent with the

>possibility that Stevia extracts may decrease the fertility of male rats.

>

>PMID: 10619379 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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