Pregnancy Forum - Artificial Sugars And Pregnancy


Artificial Sugars And Pregnancy

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babyAndy

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Artificial Sugars And Pregnancy Posted: 05-14-07 15:28pm


Does anyone know if aritificial sugars are safe during pregnancy. I heard from a co worker who is very 'natural' and 'organic' that aspertame, sucralose, splenda etc are all linked to Downs Syndrome. Has anyone else heard that? I am not sure what to believe. I cannot find much literature on it.

Dannzibelle

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Posted: 05-14-07 15:31pm


As far as i know downs syndrome is only caused by either the egg or sperm carrying an extra chromosome (somebody correct me if i'm wrong) So i would say that all of these things would be fine o have during pregnancy

babyAndy

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Posted: 05-14-07 15:35pm


What about not just down's. Is there any kind of health risk to the baby with drinking diet coke etc. I have eliminated caffeine which has created some huge headaches. But I dont want to drunk juices and reg pop coz of all the sugar and I dont want to drunk all the diet stuff coz of the sugars. Anyone have any suggestions. Thanks Danni, I am so happy for you by the way. You look absolutely amazing!!!

Dannzibelle

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Posted: 05-14-07 15:40pm


i would doubt it very much, if you listened to absultly everything people told you then you would beleive some ridiculas things about pregnancy! Thank you very much i don't feel it right now though i've got a foot in my ribs

babyAndy

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Posted: 05-14-07 15:47pm


Awwww lucky you, I wish I had a foot in my ribs.

babyAndy

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Posted: 05-15-07 00:09am


For anyone interested, I have been doing lots of research on artificial sugars and pregnancy. It is all from the internet so take the information however you would like. But here is what I found out. Aspartame is bad and can coz birth defects. So ladies please be careful drinking diet coke and other diet soda's. Aspertame and Saccarhin can both cause birth defects in unborn babies, it has been strongly linked to cerebal paulsy. These are found in the pink sweet n low packs as well as equate and various other low calorie sugar products. Splenda and sucralose are ok because they are not metablised by the body. If anyone knows anything more please fill me in or if anyone has had any experience i.e drinking and consuming lots of artificial sugars during pregnancy with no problems or huge problems as a result. I dont think I am gonna take any chances and all low calorie sugars are out for me.

ladylee70

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Posted: 05-15-07 00:50am


I haven't seen the research at all but I personally used to be addicted to Aspartame. I actually craved the stuff and it seemed to make me a little more hyperactive. It got so bad, I ended up buying diet Barqs by the cases!! I had at least 6 a day - no kidding. I was able to sleep more when I cut myself from all diet soda. I also didn't feel as ADHD-like. So that is the reason why I chose to cut myself from all aspartame or most of it. If it did that to me, what is it doing to my baby? When I was pregnant with my first child, I did have diet sodas and other items with Aspartame. I wasn't drinking 6 cans a day at that time, thank goodness. My child turned out alright. He has had some issues but it's sometimes hard to tease out genetics. He is a great child and pretty smart. I am sure my aspartame intake did nothing to him. Ha!! Perhaps this is the reason why I have gained so much weight with this pregnancy...I did not eat sugar free, low cal stuff!!! With the last baby, I ate a lot of sugar free stuff. Oh well, I still feel better about not eating aspartame. Again, I was the extreme aspartame addict. I am sure that most people are not as bad as I was and their babies will be just fine.

babyAndy

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Posted: 05-15-07 01:07am


That's good to hear. There is so much information out there, so hard to know what to believe. But ya I hear aspartame in particular can make you crave carbs making one gain weight rather then lose....I am also gonna try and cut it out.

Dannzibelle

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Posted: 05-15-07 04:43am


I can't stand fizzy drinks anyway, if i drink one can i'm bloated for about a week afterwards and that was before pregnancy lol. i think i've had about 3 500ml bottle of diet coke since this year began

kaerbear

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Posted: 05-15-07 06:23am


There is no proof that aspartame has any affect on the fetus. There hasn't been a lot of research done on the effects of sweeteners during pregnancy. I asked my doctor as soon as I knew I was pregnant because I sometimes drink coffee or diet drinks with sweeteners rather than sugar. She said it was fine and that it was better than drinking a lot of pop with sugar in it. That said, I think it's always a good rule of thumb to take things in moderation. I cut down on pop altogether during my pregnancy and tried to drink more water and milk. If you check at any reputable website, like americanpregnancy. org, there is information about what sweeteners are thought to be safe and which ones are not. If you already have diabetes then you have to look into how much sweeteners will affect your blood sugar level but it you don't have diabetes then it shouldn't matter that much. Aspartame: (Equal or NutraSweet) Aspartame is not effective in heat nor for long periods in liquid form. It is often found as an additive to soft drinks, gelatin, desserts, pudding mixes, breakfast cereals, beverages, chewing gum, dairy products, and other foods and drugs. According to the Food and Drug Administration(FDA), Aspartame is safe for use during pregnancy and lactation. It is recommended to limit consumption to a moderate level. Aspartame should not be used by anyone with PKU (a rare metabolic disorder), rare liver disease, or by pregnant women who have high levels of phenylalanine in their blood. Phenylalanine is a component of aspartame, and it may not metabolize correctly in anyone who has these conditions. Sucralose: (Splenda) This is non-caloric sweetener that is made from sugar. Sucralose has been approved for use in baked goods, baking mixes, non-alcoholic beverages, chewing gum, coffee and tea products, confections and frostings, fats and oils, frozen dairy desserts and mixes, fruit juices, sugar substitutes, sweet sauces, toppings and syrups. It can also be used as “table-top sweetener.” Sucralose has no effect on blood sugar, offers no calories, and is deemed safe during pregnancy and lactation. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), sucralose is safe for everyone to consume, including pregnant women.