The study was conducted by researchers from the Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of New Haven, West Haven, CT. The findings were published in the European Journal of Microbiology & Immunology. In the study, researchers directly compared an alcohol extract of a whole stevia leaf product to conventional antibiotics. They assessed their abilities to kill various forms of Borrelia burgdorferi.

B. burgdorferi can exist in different forms and it is highly resistant to antibiotics. It created a barrier against most conventional antibiotics, making it difficult to treat. Researchers found, “Stevia whole leaf extract, as an individual agent, was effective against all known morphological forms of B. burgdorferi.”

Researchers pointed out that about 10-20% of Lyme disease patients treated with antibiotics for the recommended 2-4 weeks experience adverse health effects. These often include fatigue, pain, joint aches and muscle aches. In some patients, these adverse effects from Lyme disease antibiotics lasted for more than six months.

The researchers noted, “The leaf extract of stevia possesses many phytochemicals… with known antimicrobial properties against many pathogens.” They concluded, “Results from this study suggest that a natural product such as Stevia leaf extract could be considered as an effective agent against B. burgdorferi.”

While this was a preliminary study, it provides a foundation for future research on the topic. The findings suggest that whole stevia leaf extract could play an important role in the natural treatment of Lyme disease.

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