Stevia identified as potential cure for Lyme Disease

A new study has discovered that Stevia leaf extracts have the potential to terminate chronic Lyme disease (Borrelia) more efficiently than antibiotics. The tick-borne disease has been discovered in more than 80+ countries worldwide and can be devastating for the patients.

Dr Eva Sapi decided to look at stevia after another researcher found that sugar was working to 'wake up' dormant bacteria, called persisters, in order to kill it. In the study, published in the European Journal of Microbiology and Immunology, the team tried different sugars and sweeteners and discovered that stevia extracts are more effective in killing Lyme disease bacterium than the standard antibiotics.

-The most important thing with these results is to point out that stevia is now only a natural sweetener for foods and drinks, however also has many positive health effects. Stevia has been used as an herbal remedy in Latin America for centuries. Today, several studies shows that stevia’s good components can even be used in pharmaceuticals, which is very exciting, says Sophia Horn af Rantzien, Managing Director of The Real Stevia Company

Though most of the cases reported are considered resolved with the treatment of antibiotics, 10-20% of patients go on to develop the chronic form, which is a persistent illness that can harm body organs, the brain and the nervous system.

The next step in the research is human trials, and to find the most efficient stevia components, but already the chemical study gives hope to a new treatment to cure Lyme disease.

The study was conducted by a specialist team, lead by Professor Eva Sapi at University of New Haven, Connecticut.

The Real Stevia Company provides sustainable stevia leaves and extracts to the global food industry. Our vision is a world where people can choose sustainably sweetened products without health implications. We deliver a socially and environmentally sustainable product, helping to raise Paraguayan farmers’ living standards, while meeting the quality and safety requirements of the food industry.