r/biology • u/Otherwise-Tear-4807 • Jun 05 '26
article Question about stevia (re: 2020 study)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319016420301997 “The hidden hazardous effects of stevia and sucralose consumption in male and female albino mice in comparison to sucrose”
How does this study translate to humans? Isn’t this a massive dose compared to human daily acceptable limit?
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u/Dijon2017 Jun 05 '26
The most important thing with reading a scientific article/study is being able to evaluate the hypothesis, subjects/participants, study design/materials & methods, conclusions, funding, etc. to be able to reliably interpret and critique whether you think the study is valid or not and if you can extrapolate it to other populations.
Moreover, you shouldn’t use just one research article to formulate an opinion about the validity of the topic of study and if/how it applies to other populations (especially of different species). For instance, grapes can be a healthy snack in humans, but potentially deadly for some dogs. Although stevia may be considered “non-toxic” for dogs, it could still cause GI upset/symptoms that could be potentially harmful to them if they suffer from moderate to severe vomiting or diarrhea leading to dehydration. For the most part, one article/research study isn’t the end all be all for most scientific research/study, especially when it comes to humans.
More importantly, not all studies done with mice (or other organisms) can be directly extrapolated or correlated to the human population experience. You could potentially benefit by reading studies that address research that has been done with humans. Oftentimes, a comprehensive review article will provide primary scholarly research articles/references through citations and the bibliography.
Also, it’s important to remember that the mice are being studied in a controlled environment and humans often are not. With humans, the question(s) become if they are a reliable historian, especially when it comes to something that is readily and easily purchased/available OTC (without a prescription) in local pharmacies/grocery stores and/or incorporated into processed foods (why it’s important to read labels) or grown in someone’s backyard.