“The Convincing Power of Stevia: A Natural Remedy Against Cancer”
Stevia leaf extract is widely known as a natural sugar substitute. However, Japanese scientists have discovered another important property of this plant: fermenting stevia with probiotics derived from banana leaves turns it into an effective agent for treating pancreatic cancer, which is highly resistant to most modern treatment methods. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer, with a five-year survival rate of less than 10%. Thus, developing new therapies for this disease remains one of the top priorities in modern oncology.
Researchers from Hiroshima University found that stevia extract—considered a healthier alternative to artificial sweeteners due to its natural origin—possesses strong anticancer activity. Even at high concentrations, stevia was able to kill pancreatic cancer cells without harming healthy cells.
In a series of in vitro experiments, scientists identified the optimal concentration of stevia extract—200 micrograms per milliliter—which destroyed up to 30% of cancer cells. Furthermore, when the extract was fermented using the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum, its anticancer properties increased significantly: at the same concentration, the fermented extract killed up to 90% of cancer cells.
Another major finding was that this effect was linked to a compound in stevia called chlorogenic acid methyl ester (CAME). This molecule enhances apoptosis, the natural death process of cancer cells. Its effects were even stronger after fermentation, indicating that the probiotic interaction improved the biological properties of the extract.
In addition, the fermented stevia extract exhibited powerful antioxidant activity—eliminating up to 94% of free radicals. This is attributed to the high flavonoid content in stevia leaves, which are well-known for their ability to neutralize oxidative molecules.
According to the authors, these results open a promising path for the use of probiotics as natural anticancer agents. Further studies are planned, including animal testing, to continue evaluating stevia’s therapeutic potential.
