Please take a look at this research regarding Stevia impact on gut microbiome communication Molecules | Free Full-Text | Anti-Quorum Sensing Activity of Stevia Extract, Stevioside, Rebaudioside A and Their Aglycon Steviol (mdpi.com).
I am no expert in this fields but wanted to get your perspective on this research and topic.
Any thoughts about switching to monk fruit extract?
Thank you
Hey @DrData! Thanks for posting on this really interesting topic.
The form of stevia used in Huel is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and the research on stevia is still very new (1, 2). Current research is also mostly in rats/mice or conducted through “bacterial models” as was the case in the paper you linked, so these effects have not been replicated to my knowledge in large scale human studies, especially if consumed in amounts lower than the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 4 mg/kg/day (1).
We have thought about monk fruit extract! However, due to regulations on this sweetener in certain places where we sell Huel products (the EU), it is not feasible at the moment.
Thank you. I have lowered my daily dose in half sometimes even more by using unflavored for one of the two sccops. Sometimes I use all unflavored and use natural flavoring oils with monk fruit sweetener. It does not come close to the awesome flavor of Huel’s flavors but it’s fun trying it out.