Home Ingredients Vitosa® (Next Generation Stevia — BGG)
Metabolic Health

Vitosa® (Next Generation Stevia — BGG)

Stevia rebaudiana
Evidence Level
Limited
1 Clinical Trial
5 Documented Benefits
2/5 Evidence Score

Vitosa is BGG's branded stevia sweetener, made from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana. No published human study has tested Vitosa itself. Every study cited on this page used generic stevia extract or purified steviol glycosides. Those studies show that stevia sweeteners do not raise blood sugar the way table sugar does, which is why stevia is used in place of sugar in foods and drinks. Claims that Vitosa tastes better or is purer than other stevia come from the manufacturer and have not been independently tested.

Studied Dose No published trial has tested Vitosa; everyday use is a few to tens of milligrams of steviol glycosides per serving, unlike the 1,500 mg/day of purified stevioside in the cited blood pressure study.
Active Compound Steviol glycosides (stevioside, rebaudioside A and others)

Benefits

Natural Sugar Substitute

Steviol glycosides are intensely sweet but supply no calories, so they can be used in place of sugar. This is a property of stevia sweeteners in general and has not been tested for Vitosa specifically. Swapping sugar for stevia lowers the sugar in a food; it is not itself a treatment for diabetes or for excess weight.

Supported by Trial 1

No Glycemic Impact

In one crossover trial, a stevia preload gave lower post-meal blood sugar and insulin than sugar (PMID 20303371); in another, blood sugar was no higher than with water (PMID 31842388). A pooled analysis of low-calorie sweetened drinks as a class, not stevia alone, found no rise versus water (PMID 36839408). Stevia avoids sugar's rise but did not lower blood sugar. FDA has not questioned GRAS notices for high-purity steviol glycosides.

Supported by Trial 1

Taste (Manufacturer Claim, Not a Health Benefit)

The manufacturer says Vitosa is refined to reduce the bitter, licorice-like aftertaste that some people notice with stevia. No published taste comparison of Vitosa against other stevia products was found, and taste is not a health benefit.

Supported by Trial 1

Heat-Stable for Cooking and Beverages

Steviol glycosides hold their sweetness when heated, so they can be used in baking and in processed drinks. This is a handling property of the ingredient for manufacturers, not a health effect for you.

Supported by Trial 1

Comes From a Plant Rather Than a Lab

Steviol glycosides are extracted from the stevia leaf rather than made synthetically like sucralose, aspartame or saccharin. Coming from a plant does not by itself make a sweetener healthier. The one cited study that compared them head to head (PMID 20303371) looked at food intake, fullness, blood sugar and insulin over one test day; fullness was similar, and insulin after the preload and the lunch that followed was lower with stevia than with aspartame.

Supported by Trial 1

Mechanism of action

1

Steviol Glycoside Sweetness

Stevia leaves contain steviol glycosides, which are naturally intensely sweet, roughly 200 to 400 times sweeter than table sugar. The body does not use them for energy, so they add no calories.

2

Bitter Receptor Considerations

Some steviol glycosides activate bitter taste receptors on the tongue, which is where stevia's aftertaste comes from. BGG says its purification lowers the bitter-tasting compounds in Vitosa. That is a manufacturer claim; no published measurement or comparison was found.

3

No Insulin Response

In one cited crossover trial, insulin measured after a stevia preload and the lunch that followed was lower than after a sugar or aspartame preload (PMID 20303371), and a pooled analysis of low-calorie sweetened drinks as a class, stevia among them, found no insulin rise versus water (PMID 36839408). Replacing sugar with stevia is a dietary swap, not a treatment for diabetes; people with diabetes should follow their clinician's advice.

Clinical trials

1
Generic Stevia and Blood Sugar: a summary of separate studies, not a Vitosa trial
PubMed

This entry summarises several separate studies of generic stevia extract and purified steviol glycosides. None of them tested Vitosa. The study linked below is a randomised controlled trial of stevia in people already diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (PMID 32257884).

In two short crossover trials, 19 healthy lean and 12 obese adults given preloads before lunch and dinner (PMID 20303371) and 30 participants with an average BMI of about 23 given a preload before lunch (PMID 31842388); people already diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in PMID 32257884; 174 Chinese adults with mild essential hypertension in PMID 14693305.

Post-meal blood sugar was lower after stevia than sugar in one crossover trial and no higher than after water in another. An eight-week diabetes trial found no change in fasting glucose, HbA1c or insulin with stevia tea versus sucralose. In the two-year hypertension trial, 1,500 mg a day of purified stevioside lowered average blood pressure from about 150/95 to 140/89 mmHg, significantly more than placebo: a drug-style dose in diagnosed patients, not a reason to expect change from sweetening a drink.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

No adverse events were reported in the 31-adult preload trial (PMID 20303371); the other short trials cited did not report on side effects.
In a two-year trial of 1,500 mg a day of stevioside, adverse effects did not differ significantly from placebo (PMID 14693305).
Some people notice a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste. The manufacturer says Vitosa reduces this; that has not been independently tested.
Allergic reactions to Asteraceae rare.
FDA has not questioned GRAS notices for high-purity steviol glycosides; stevia leaf and crude extracts are not GRAS.

Important Drug interactions

Blood pressure medicines: a two-year trial using 1,500 mg a day of purified stevioside in people with mild hypertension found lower blood pressure, so an additive effect is theoretically possible at that kind of dose. Ordinary sweetener amounts are far smaller.
Diabetes medicines: an eight-week trial in people with type 2 diabetes found no change in fasting glucose, HbA1c or insulin with stevia-sweetened tea versus sucralose (PMID 32257884). If you take glucose-lowering medication, mention stevia use to your clinician.
Lithium: a theoretical interaction only. No study cited on this page looked at stevia together with lithium, or at stevia's effect on kidney function.
Pregnancy: purified steviol glycosides are permitted as a food additive, but none of the studies cited here included pregnant women. Ask your clinician.
Breastfeeding: no study cited here included breastfeeding women. Ask your clinician.
Children: steviol glycosides are permitted in foods, but none of the studies cited here were done in children.

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Frequently asked questions about Vitosa® (Next Generation Stevia — BGG)

What is Vitosa?

Vitosa is BGG's branded stevia sweetener, made from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana. No published human study has tested Vitosa itself. Every study cited on this page used generic stevia extract or purified steviol glycosides.

What is Vitosa used for?

Vitosa is researched primarily for Metabolic Health. Steviol glycosides are intensely sweet but supply no calories, so they can be used in place of sugar. This is a property of stevia sweeteners in general and has not been tested for Vitosa specifically.

What is the recommended dosage of Vitosa?

No published trial has tested Vitosa; everyday use is a few to tens of milligrams of steviol glycosides per serving, unlike the 1,500 mg/day of purified stevioside in the cited blood pressure study. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Vitosa safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for Vitosa include: No adverse events were reported in the 31-adult preload trial (PMID 20303371); the other short trials cited did not report on side effects. In a two-year trial of 1,500 mg a day of stevioside, adverse effects did not differ significantly from placebo (PMID 14693305). It may also interact with some medications. Vitosa is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Vitosa interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Blood pressure medicines: a two-year trial using 1,500 mg a day of purified stevioside in people with mild hypertension found lower blood pressure, so an additive effect is theoretically possible at that kind of dose. Ordinary sweetener amounts are far smaller. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Vitosa?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Vitosa as Limited (2 out of 5). It is backed by 1 study summary and 5 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(5 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Anton SD, Martin CK, Han H, Coulon S, Cefalu WT, Geiselman P, Williamson DA Effects of stevia, aspartame, and sucrose on food intake, satiety, and postprandial glucose and insulin levels Appetite. 2010;55(1):37-43. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2010.03.009.PubMedUsed to support: Human crossover trial comparing stevia, aspartame and sucrose preloads. Stevia did not raise blood glucose or insulin after the meal the way sucrose did, and participants reported similar fullness. This is generic stevia, not Vitosa, and it supports the substitution claim only.
  2. Ajami M, Seyfi M, Abdollah Pouri Hosseini F, Naseri P, Velayati A, Mahmoudnia F, Zahedirad M, Hajifaraji M Effects of stevia on glycemic and lipid profile of type 2 diabetic patients: A randomized controlled trial Avicenna J Phytomed. 2020;10(2):118-127.PubMedUsed to support: Eight-week double-blind trial in 34 people with type 2 diabetes comparing tea sweetened with 2% stevia extract at meals against a sucralose tablet. It found no significant differences in fasting blood sugar, insulin, HbA1c or blood lipids, concluding that stevia could replace sucralose without changing these measures, not that it lowers glucose. Because it was done in patients, it cannot describe what stevia does for a healthy person. Generic stevia, not Vitosa.
  3. Hsieh MH, Chan P, Sue YM, Liu JC, Liang TH, Huang TY, Tomlinson B, Chow MS, Kao PF, Chen YJ Efficacy and tolerability of oral stevioside in patients with mild essential hypertension: a two-year, randomized, placebo-controlled study Clin Ther. 2003;25(11):2797-808. doi: 10.1016/s0149-2918(03)80334-x.PubMedUsed to support: Two-year randomised placebo-controlled trial in 174 Chinese adults with mild essential hypertension taking 500 mg of purified stevioside three times a day (1,500 mg daily). In the stevioside group, systolic pressure fell from about 150 to about 140 mmHg and diastolic from about 95 to about 89 mmHg over two years; the drops were significant against both baseline and placebo, and the incidence of adverse effects did not differ significantly from placebo. This is a drug-style regimen in diagnosed patients, not sweetener use, and Vitosa was not the product tested.
  4. Farhat G, Berset V, Moore L Effects of Stevia Extract on Postprandial Glucose Response, Satiety and Energy Intake: A Three-Arm Crossover Trial Nutrients. 2019;11(12):3036. doi: 10.3390/nu11123036.PubMedUsed to support: Three-arm crossover trial in 30 adults given water, 60 g sugar or 1 g stevia before lunch. After adjustment, blood glucose after the meal did not differ significantly between preloads, energy intake did not differ, and hunger was lower after stevia than after water. Generic stevia extract, not Vitosa.
  5. Zhang R, Noronha JC, Khan TA, McGlynn N, Back S, Grant SM, Kendall CWC, Sievenpiper JL The Effect of Non-Nutritive Sweetened Beverages on Postprandial Glycemic and Endocrine Responses: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis Nutrients. 2023;15(4):1050. doi: 10.3390/nu15041050.PubMedUsed to support: Systematic review and network meta-analysis of non-nutritively sweetened drinks, pooling 36 short-term trials (472 mostly healthy people) in which stevia was one of six sweeteners. The drinks showed no rise in blood glucose or insulin compared with water, at low to moderate confidence. This is evidence about sweeteners as a class, not about Vitosa, and it shows an absence of effect rather than a benefit.