Zevia: a near sugar free cola and the stevia research around it

The strongest evidence here is about sweetened drinks as a group. A network meta-analysis of 36 short trials in 472 mostly healthy people found that drinks with non-nutritive sweeteners, stevia among them, moved blood glucose and insulin no more than water in the hours after drinking, with low to moderate confidence. Stevia was pooled with sucralose, aspartame and others, and pregnant women were excluded. No trial on this page tested Zevia itself. The studies are about stevia and steviol glycosides. On the label side, the single USDA record for Zevia cola lists 1.13 g of carbohydrate and 6 mg of sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), for one flavor and a recipe that may have changed since. USDA also lists a caffeine free version, and this page has no data on caffeine. Longer trials are small. In 28 healthy young adults, daily stevia extract for 12 weeks kept weight flat, -0.49 lb (95% CI -2.1 to 1.1; metric: -0.22 kg, -0.96 to 0.51), while the control group gained 2 lb (0.35 to 3.6; metric: 0.89 kg, 0.16 to 1.63), in an open-label trial with no placebo. In 59 healthy adults, a daily 16 oz stevia drink for 4 weeks left gut bacteria no different from a sugar drink.

How much is actually in it

• USDA lists Zevia cola at 1.13 g of carbohydrate and 6 mg of sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), with no sample data to show spread. — USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy record for Zevia cola Evidence E source
  Carbohydrate 1.13 g per 3.5 oz (100 g) (0% DV), sodium 6 mg (0% DV), zinc 0 mg

What your body absorbs

• In a trial in 20 volunteers, a maqui-citrus drink sweetened with stevia gave higher plasma levels of polyphenol metabolites than the same drink with sucrose, second only to sucralose. — 20 volunteers drinking a maqui-citrus beverage with sucrose, stevia or sucralose (n = 20) Evidence B source
  Absorption of most phenolic metabolites highest with sucralose, then stevia, lowest with sucrose; sizes not given in abstract

What it does to your health

• A network meta-analysis of 36 acute trials in 472 people found that drinks sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners, stevia among them, moved blood glucose and insulin no more than water. — 36 acute single-exposure trials, 472 predominantly healthy participants; sweeteners included stevia, sucralose, aspartame and others (n = 472) Evidence A source
  No effect on postprandial glucose, insulin, GLP-1, GIP, PYY, ghrelin or glucagon versus water (low to moderate confidence)
• In an RCT of 59 healthy adults, a daily 16 oz stevia drink for 4 weeks left gut bacteria and fecal short-chain fatty acids no different from a sucrose drink. — 59 healthy adults aged about 31, 16 oz beverage with 25% of the stevia ADI or 30 g sucrose daily for 4 weeks (n = 59) Evidence B source
  No difference in gut microbiome or fecal SCFA; BMI +0.3 kg/m2 with sucrose vs stevia (P = 0.013)
• In an open-label RCT of 28 healthy adults, daily stevia for 12 weeks did not change glucose response, and weight stayed flat against a 2 lb (0.89 kg) gain in controls. — 28 healthy adults aged about 25 with normal BMI, stevia extract daily or control for 12 weeks (n = 28) Evidence B source
  No difference in glucose or insulin response; weight change -0.49 lb (95% CI -2.1 to 1.1; metric: -0.22 kg, -0.96 to 0.51) stevia vs +2 lb (0.35 to 3.6; metric: 0.89 kg, 0.16 to 1.63) control
• In a crossover RCT in 60 adults with overweight, a stevia RebA and thaumatin drink before breakfast lowered the insulin response versus sugar but raised LDL cholesterol by 3 percent. — 60 healthy volunteers with overweight or obesity, 11 fl oz (330 mL) beverage with a sweetener blend or 8% sucrose before a standard breakfast (n = 60) Evidence B source
  Insulin iAUC lower with all blends (p < 0.001); LDL-cholesterol +3% after stevia RebA-thaumatin vs sucrose (p < 0.001)

Safety, limits and interactions

• In a 14 day crossover RCT in 39 healthy adults, fasting insulin rose from baseline after 220 mg a day of steviol glycosides, and all three drinks, sugar included, raised the insulin response to a meal. — 39 healthy normal-weight adults, beverages with sucrose 66 g/day, saccharin 220 mg/day or steviol glycosides 220 mg/day for 14 days each (n = 39) Evidence B source
  Fasting insulin increased after stevia (p < 0.01); postprandial insulin up and insulin sensitivity indices down after all three
• A meta-analysis of 9 RCTs with 756 people found no significant change in systolic blood pressure with steviol glycosides, MD -2.98 mm Hg, and reported mild side effects. — nine RCTs, 756 participants, mostly at high cardiovascular risk, stevioside or rebaudioside A supplements (n = 756) Evidence A source
  SBP MD -2.98 mm Hg (-6.23 to 0.27), not significant; adverse events abdominal fullness, epigastric pain, dizziness
• In the Italian Moli-sani study of 1,260 women, urinary sweeteners including steviol glycosides were not linked to overall breast cancer risk. — 988 women sub-cohort and 272 incident breast cancer cases, spot urine measured for 6 sweeteners including steviol glycosides (n = 1260) Evidence C source
  HR 1.09 (95% CI 0.80 to 1.48) for high vs low total urinary NNS score

What people believe that the data does not support

• In a crossover RCT in 20 healthy adults, a 11 fl oz (330 mL) stevia drink before lunch led to about 105 calories lower total intake than water. — 20 healthy adults aged 27, 11 fl oz (330 mL) beverages with 240 ppm stevia, water, or 40 g glucose, sucrose or maltodextrin before an ad libitum lunch (n = 20) Evidence B source
  Total energy intake 727 calories after stevia vs 832 calories after water (P = 0.013)
• In a crossover RCT in 30 healthy men, calories saved by drinking a stevia instead of a sucrose drink were fully eaten back at later meals. — 30 healthy male subjects in Singapore, aspartame, monk fruit, stevia or sucrose (65 g) beverages as a mid-morning preload (n = 30) Evidence B source
  Higher lunch intake after NNS (P=0.010); no difference in total daily energy intake (P=0.831)
• The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics lists stevia among seven sweeteners approved in the US and states all approved ones are determined to be safe. — US consumers Evidence E source
  Position statement

Who this works differently for

• In a cohort of 1,472 pregnant women in Chile, 41 percent consumed steviol glycosides, and any non-nutritive sweetener use was linked to 1.58 times the odds of gestational diabetes. — 1,472 pregnant women in Santiago, Chile, 24-h dietary recalls linked to package labels (n = 1472) Evidence C source
  OR for any NNS 1.58 (95% CI 1.10 to 2.26); sucralose OR 1.44; steviol glycosides consumed by 41.1%
• In 365 pregnant women in North Carolina, diet drink intake was not associated with excess gestational weight gain or fasting glucose. — 365 participants with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies, 24-h recalls of sugar-sweetened and non-nutritive sweetened beverages (n = 365) Evidence C source
  No association with excessive gestational weight gain, postpartum weight retention, fasting glucose or insulin
• EFSA kept the acceptable daily intake for steviol glycosides at 4 mg per kg body weight, and warned that high-consuming toddlers could exceed it. — EU population; highest 95th percentile exposures 4.1 mg/kg bw per day in infants and 6.9 in toddlers Evidence E source
  ADI 4 mg/kg bw per day as steviol equivalents; increased exceedance for toddlers at P95 under proposed uses

The bottom line

Whether a stevia drink helps you eat less is contested, because two small crossover trials disagree. In 20 healthy adults, a 11 fl oz (330 mL) stevia drink before lunch was followed by 727 calories in total against 832 calories after water (P = 0.013). In 30 healthy men in Singapore, the calories saved by swapping a sugar drink for a stevia one were fully eaten back later, and daily intake did not differ. Both covered single days, and neither followed weight. A meta-analysis of 9 trials with 756 people, mostly at high cardiovascular risk, found no significant change in systolic pressure with steviol glycoside supplements, -2.98 mm Hg (-6.23 to 0.27). It did report lower diastolic pressure and fasting glucose. These were supplement doses, and the trials differed a lot from one another. Short trials on insulin and cholesterol point in different directions. In 60 adults with overweight, a stevia RebA and thaumatin drink before breakfast raised LDL cholesterol by 3 percent against sugar, after a single visit whose meaning for LDL is unclear. In 39 healthy adults, 220 mg a day of steviol glycosides for 14 days raised fasting insulin from baseline. Those are changes within each arm, and the authors themselves ask readers to treat them with caution. In the Italian Moli-sani study, urine sweetener levels, steviol glycosides included, were not associated with breast cancer in 1,260 women (HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.48), from one urine sample at the start. Who should take care. EFSA kept the acceptable daily intake for steviol glycosides at 4 mg per kg of body weight and warned, on conservative estimates, that toddlers with high intake from all foods could exceed it. In pregnancy the data are observational and split. In 1,472 pregnant women in Chile, any non-nutritive sweetener use was linked to 1.58 times the odds of gestational diabetes (95% CI 1.10 to 2.26), a figure reported for sweeteners overall and sucralose, with no separate result for steviol glycosides. In 365 pregnant women in North Carolina, diet drinks were not associated with excess weight gain or fasting glucose. The supplement trials listed abdominal fullness, upper stomach pain and dizziness among side effects. The US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, in a 2012 position, called all seven sweeteners approved in the US safe, stevia among them.

Sources

1. zvia-r5-01 · USDA FoodData Central, dataset
   Beverages, ZEVIA, cola (FDC 174825, SR Legacy, Beverages): carbohydrate 1.13 g per 100 g = 0% DV; sodium 6 mg = 0% DV; zinc 0 mg = 0% DV; Foundation samples 0, CoFID match none
   USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC 174825 · checked 2026-09-28
2. zvia-r5-15 · randomized trial
   In general, sucralose provided the greatest absorption value for most of these metabolites, followed by stevia.
   Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2021 · checked 2026-09-28
3. zvia-r5-02 · network meta-analysis
   In uncoupling interventions, NNS beverages (single or blends) had no effect on postprandial glucose, insulin, GLP-1, GIP, PYY, ghrelin, and glucagon responses similar to water controls (generally, low to moderate confidence), whereas SSBs sweetened with caloric sugars (glucose and sucrose) increased postprandial glucose, insulin, GLP-1, and GIP responses with no differences in postprandial ghrelin and glucagon responses (generally, low to moderate confidence).
   Nutrients, 2023 · checked 2026-09-28
4. zvia-r5-03 · RCT
   At week 4 (after intervention), there were no significant differences in the HGM at the phylum, family, genus, or species level between the stevia and sucrose groups and no significant differences in fecal SCFA.
   J Nutr, 2024 · checked 2026-09-28
5. zvia-r5-06 · RCT
   There was a significant main effect of group on BW change (F(1,26) = 5.56, p = 0.026), as the stevia group maintained their weight as opposed to the control group (mean weight change at week 12: -0.22 kg, 95%CI [-0.96, 0.51] stevia group, +0.89 kg, 95%CI [0.16, 1.63] control group).
   Nutrients, 2020 · checked 2026-09-28
6. zvia-r5-09 · randomized crossover trial
   Compared with sucrose, there was a 3% increase in LDL-cholesterol after stevia RebA-thaumatin (p < 0.001 in adjusted models); and a 2% decrease in HDL-cholesterol after sucralose-ace-K (p < 0.01).
   Appetite, 2023 · checked 2026-09-28
7. zvia-r5-07 · randomized crossover trial
   Compared with baseline, fasting glucose increased after sucrose and saccharin, and fasting insulin increased after stevia (p < 0.01). All interventions increased postprandial insulin responses and reduced indices of insulin sensitivity (p < 0.05).
   Nutrients, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28
8. zvia-r5-08 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   Meta-analysis revealed a non-significant difference in systolic blood pressure between steviol glycoside and placebo, mean difference (MD): -2.98 mm Hg (-6.23 to 0.27). Significant reductions in diastolic blood pressure and fasting blood glucose were observed. There was no significant effect on blood lipid profile. Heterogeneity was significant. Adverse events included abdominal fullness, epigastric pain, and dizziness.
   Eur J Prev Cardiol, 2015 · checked 2026-09-28
9. zvia-r5-12 · case-cohort study
   In multivariable-adjusted Cox analyses, neither individual NNSs nor total NNS urinary concentrations were associated with overall BC risk (HR = 1.09; 95% CI 0.80-1.48 for high vs. low).
   Nutrients, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28
10. zvia-r5-04 · randomized crossover trial
    Total energy intake (beverage and meal) was significantly lower after the stevia beverage (727 ± 239 kcal) compared with water (832 ± 198 kcal, P = 0.013), with no significant difference between the water and caloric beverages (P = 1.00 for water vs. maltodextrin, glucose, and sucrose).
    J Nutr, 2020 · checked 2026-09-28
11. zvia-r5-05 · randomized crossover trial
    The energy 'saved' from replacing sucrose with NNS was fully compensated for at subsequent meals; hence, no difference in total daily energy intake was found between the treatments (P=0.831).
    Int J Obes (Lond), 2017 · checked 2026-09-28
12. zvia-r5-14 · position statement
    Seven NNS are approved for use in the United States: acesulfame K, aspartame, luo han guo fruit extract, neotame, saccharin, stevia, and sucralose. They have different functional properties that may affect perceived taste or use in different food applications. All NNS approved for use in the United States are determined to be safe.
    J Acad Nutr Diet, 2012 · checked 2026-09-28
13. zvia-r5-10 · cohort study
    The adjusted model showed a significant association between the consumption of any NNS and sucralose and the risk of GDM (OR for any NNS = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.10-2.26; P = 0.014; OR sucralose = 1.44; 95% CI 1.06-1.95; P = 0.020).
    Nutrition, 2024 · checked 2026-09-28
14. zvia-r5-11 · prospective cohort
    In analyses adjusted for age, household income-poverty ratio, education, marital status, and physical activity, neither SSB nor NNSB intake during pregnancy was associated with excessive gestational weight gain, postpartum weight retention, fasting glucose or fasting insulin.
    Nutr Res, 2025 · checked 2026-09-28
15. zvia-r5-13 · EFSA scientific opinion
    the Panel concluded that that there is insufficient justification to increase the current ADI of 4 mg/kg bw per day, expressed as steviol equivalents. With respect to the proposed extension of use and increase of the MPLs, the Panel concluded that the calculated, conservative, dietary exposure would result in an increased exceedance of the ADI for toddlers at the 95th percentile.
    EFSA FAF Panel, extension of use of steviol glycosides (E 960a-d) and modification of the ADI for steviol, EFSA Journal 2024 · checked 2026-09-28