A recent study indicates that Stevia is more effective at combating Lyme disease than antibiotics. The study’s results were recently published in the European Journal of Microbiology and Immunology. Lyme disease is particularly challenging to treat as it shape-shifts in quite a frustrating manner. Traditional antibiotics are not guaranteed to generate a lasting cure for Lyme disease. Enter Stevia. This natural plant just might be a more effective and safer way to treat Lyme disease than conventional antibiotics and other treatment methods.
About the Study
A preclinical study conducted by academicians at the University of New Haven’s Department of Biology and Environmental Science shows that Stevia leaf extract boasts strong antibiotic activity against the pathogen known as Borrelia Burgoderfi. This is the pathogen responsible for the onset of Lyme disease. The study determined that Stevia whole leaf extract proved effective against all known varieties of Borrelia Burgoderfi.
The CDC has determined that a minimum of 300,000 individuals are afflicted with Lyme disease per year. Antibiotics are currently used to treat the malady yet they are toxic and merely address superficial components of the infection. Stevia proves more effective in combating Lyme disease below the surface of the infection. Stevia excavates it from the system to the point that it can’t induce harm.
The University of New Haven researchers compared an alcohol extract of whole Stevia leaf typically sold in the U.S. retail market to traditional antibiotics. Each treatments abilities were assessed in regards to their impact on Borrelia Burgdorferi. Stevia stems from a plant with inherent phytochemical defense mechanisms that guard against infection. The consumption of Stevia transmits some of these antimicrobial properties to the human body. Stevia’s phytochemicals likely include steviol, austroinullin, dulcoside, rebaudi oxides, B-carotene, stevioside and riboflavin that contain antimicrobial properties which combat pathogens. The purpose of these compounds is to prevent microbial infections.
The study’s authors made it clear that upwards of 20 percent of Lyme disease patients are treated with antibiotics in the initial two to four weeks following diagnosis. Side effects from this course of treatment range from fatigue to muscle and joint aches and general pain. Some such effects lasted half a year.
Study Results
Stevia proved quite effective at eliminating Borrelia Burgdorferi spirochetes as well as persisters. Stevia sub-culture experiments and antibiotic treated cells were studied for upwards of two weeks. Stevia drastically reduced Borrelia Burgdorferi compared to antibiotics. It can be concluded that Stevia leaf appears to be quite promising as a means of combating Borrelia Burgdorferi. It is important to note that Borrelia Burgdorfer’s most antibiotic resistant form (biofilm) actually heightened in mass when certain antibiotics were applied. Stevia leaf extract reduced such biofilm mass on collagen and plastic test surfaces by a whopping 40 percent.
A Word of Caution
It must be noted that the above-referenced study is a preliminary endeavor. Readers should not interpret the results to mean that the simple consumption of whole Stevia leaf extract will produce superior results for Lyme disease treatment than traditional antibiotics. However, the study will certainly catalyze additional research on this topic.
There is no indication that Stevia can cause any sort of harm. The same cannot be said of traditional Lyme disease treatments like antibiotics. Those who are looking for an all-natural way to guard against the onset of a Lyme disease infection should give Stevia serious consideration.
