A healthy diet for pregnant women is arguably the most important factor in a healthy baby. Sucralose side effects on pregnancy keeps this chemical off the list.
Artificial sweeteners are far too well accepted in society today. You can’t buy a pack of regular gum without aspartame or acesulfame K. Some restuarants will only carry sucralose flavored lemonade–and don’t tell you unless you ask. The most popular sports drinks now are sweetened with Splenda. Every diabetic is told to use artificial sweeteners in place of sugar.
I’ve written before about how hard it is to keep my mouth shut when I see a parent feeding their toddler or preschooler any type of artificial sweetener. This, more than anything, tells me just how entrenched artificial sweeteners have become to our current lifestyle. And there is nothing good about it.
Clearly, the evidence points to artificial sweeteners as actually contributing to diabetes and obesity. Based on the research, I remain firmly against any and all artificial sweeteners, even if it is just a “small amount.” If it’s such a small amount, why even have it there in the first place?? (hint–it’s because you can still taste it, and if you can taste it, your body can react to it)
I am also not a big fan of stevia or the sugar alcohols (xylitol, erythritol, sorbitol), except in small amounts, much like is found in nature (as an example, xylitol is naturally occurring in apples, just in small amounts). Basically, we just need to get away from this burning need for “sweet.” This can mean cutting back on the pumps of syrup in your Starbuck’s mocha. It means drinking your tea naturally flavored but unsweetened. It means buying less sugar-sweetened cereals.
I’ve mentioned in the Rantings before that human physiology’s battle against diabetes is the most important battle any of us will fight. Unless you cut back on “sweet” and cut OUT artificial sweeteners completely, you’re going to fight a losing battle.
Just in case this isn’t enough to convince you, maybe this particular study will tip you over the edge to avoidance.
One of the most important factors in having a healthy child is for the pregnant mom to go full term. Luckily, this is not just the luck of the draw and we know may factors that increase and decrease the risk of preterm birth.
Researchers looked at sugar sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages and the risk of preterm birth. Here’s what they found:
- Those women having >1 artificially sweetened beverage per day had an 11% risk of preterm birth.
- Drinking >1 serving of sugar sweetened beverages per day led to a 25% increased risk.
These are very real, and very modifyable risks for preterm birth of your child. If you are not pregnant, these types of drinks are off the list; if you’re pregnant, it’s not even a question.
What did you avoid during pregnancy out of concern for harming your baby?