Many women have been wondering if artificial sweeteners are safe for consumption during pregnancy. While most of these sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin are safe for use during pregnancy they should only be used in moderation. These artificial sweeteners are found in Splenda, Sweet N Low, and Equal as well as many other products.
It is recommended that a pregnant woman only use artificial sweeteners in her foods for 2-3 servings per day. This means that the majority of sweetened products should be sweetened naturally with sugar, juice, or other naturally sweet products. While it is considered safe to consume some artificial sweeteners during pregnancy it is important to discuss this individually with your health care provider. It is also important to keep in mind that a serving of artificial sweetener is considered just one can of soda, one bowl of artificially sweetened cereal, or just on serving of ice cream. Do not drink a 64 oz fountain drink and assume that to be one serving as it is actually more than 5.
Aspartame is found in Nutra Sweet and Equal and is considered to be safe for pregnancy consumption. While this sweetener is far more sweet than regular sugar it too should be used in moderation. 3 Packs of Nutra Sweet or Equal per day is the absolute maximum that should be consumed by a pregnant woman. The artificial sweetener aspartame is safe for use by diabetics which makes it a good choice for many women throughout pregnancy as some women suffer pregnancy induced diabetes along the way.
Sucralose is found in Splenda and has been very controversial over the years. While it is now considered safe for consumption during pregnancy by the food and drug administration, it is not absorbed well by the human body. This product is actually made from sugar and hold up well to high heat such as is necessary for baked goods. For this reason, many bakeries use Splenda in their low calorie products. So far, there have not been any links to health issues related to Splenda and it is safe for both pregnant and breastfeeding women to consume.
Saccharin is an artificial sweetener commonly found in Sweet N Low. There has been controversy over the safety of saccharin when it comes to pregnancy. It is said that in large amounts this sweetener can be passed through the placenta and remain in fetal tissue which can be the cause of possible side effects to the baby. While Sweet N Low is approved by the food and drug administration for use during pregnancy it should be used very minimally to reduce the amount that is passed on to the unborn baby. It is best for pregnant women to avoid this sweetener when possible since it is passed through the placenta and it’s side effects are still not fully known
