Artificial Sweeteners and Your Pregnancy

When You Crave the Sweetness

-- By Becky Hand, Licensed and Registered Dietician

There are a lot of options and much confusion when it comes to artificial sweeteners. Pregnant women can safely use low-calorie sweeteners in moderation, unless otherwise advised by their physicians. Many health organizations and healthcare providers suggest limiting artificially-sweetened foods in your diet to only 2 or 3 servings a day. Examples of one serving include:

12 ounce can of pop
1/2 cup of pudding, ice cream, or gelatin product
one bowl of sweetened cereal
one portion of a bakery item

Discuss the use of low-calorie sweeteners with your health care provider, especially if you are diabetic or need to control calorie intake. The following low-calorie sweeteners have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and are considered safe for pregnant women and children:

Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, Sugar Twin) is a combination of two amino acids, phenylalanine and aspartic acid. It is two hundred times sweeter than table sugar. It can be used in moderation by diabetics. One packet of Equal is the same in sweetness as two teaspoons of sugar. The average amount used supplies no calories. Individuals who have phenylketonuria (PKU) and cannot metabolize phenylalanine, or are sensitive to aspartame, should not use it.
Saccharin (Sweet'N Low, Sweet Twin, Necta Sweet) is not metabolized and passes through the digestive system unchanged. It is a noncaloric sweetener produced from an organic compound. It is 375 times as sweet as table sugar and can be used in moderate amounts by diabetics.

Member Comments About this Article

	"..."Nutritive sweeteners include sugars such as sucrose, dextrose, honey, corn sugar, fructose, and maltose. Sugar alcohols are also nutritive sweeteners that are often found in foods labeled as “sugar free.” Technically, sugar alcohols are not sugars, but they do have calories which can be converted into fat. Examples of sugar alcohols include: Sorbitol, Xylitol, Isomalt, Mannitol, and Hydrogenated Starch. Non-nutritive Sweeteners are added in very small amounts to foods for a significant s..." -- TANCIRA

	"Hello everyone! I usually stay free of artificial food, sweeteners, or anything process during pregnancy. This is my 2nd pegnancy and i start to use some splenda because it seem to be the safst option. Recently I'been reading that this is not safe at all, that is has side efects, does anyone know about this??" -- TANCIRA

	"I went ahead and answered my own question. I found this on the American Pregnancy Association webiste: "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.” ..." -- VALLEYGURL

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About The Author

Becky Hand
Becky is a registered and licensed dietitian with almost 20 years of experience. She teaches prenatal classes and counsels individuals, helping women eat right and stay fit before, during and after their pregnancies.