Could Stevia cause blood clots? Dr. Mallika Marshall answers your questions

BOSTON — Dr. Mallika Marshall is answering your medical questions. If you have a question, email her or message her on Facebook or Twitter.    

John on Facebook asks, "I heard that Stevia may cause blood clots. I eat mints and coconut candies sweetened with Stevia. Should I stop eating them?"  

It depends on your underlying health and just how often you eat them.  A sugar alcohol called erythritol, which is often added to Stevia, has been linked to blood clots, heart attacks, and death according to a recent Cleveland Clinic study. Researchers found that people with risk factors for heart disease were twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke if they had the highest levels of the additive in their blood.

These results need to be confirmed with further studies but in the meantime, if you have risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure and diabetes, you may want to limit the amount of erythritol you consume. 

Dr. Mallika is offering her best advice, but as always, consult your personal doctor before making any decisions about your personal health.   

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Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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