ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS IN PREGNANCY

 There have been many studies and many articles written about artifical sweeteners and their affect on your overall health.  I'll admit, it can be confusing.  One study will say they are safe, and other studies will tell you to that they can cause life threatening illnesses.  However, when I was pregnant, I stayed away from all artificial sweeteners.  I did use a little sugar or honey on occasion, but only in moderation. This article explains more about how artificial sweeteners can affect your pregnancy:

What to Eat During Pregnancy: Saying No to Artificial Sweeteners

Guest Post By Isabel De Los Rios
If you are watching your weight after you conceive, you are probably wondering not only what to eat during pregnancy, but how to satisfy your sweet tooth. Obviously you are swearing off sugar if you want to keep your weight within the recommended weight gain range (between 20 and 30 pounds over the course of your pregnancy). So you may think that an acceptable way to keep your weight in check and indulge your cravings for sweets is to use an artificial sweetener.
But stop right there. Artificial sweeteners such as sucralose, saccharine, and aspartame are chemical substances that pose a range of troubling problems to both mother and child. They should be completely eliminated from your diet for pregnancy. Just what can these seemingly-innocent substances do? Let's delve further into the question of artificial sweeteners.

SEE ALSO: FOODS FOR FERTILITY AND PREGNANCY (getpregnantover40.com) 

Sucralose (Splenda)
Sucralose, also marketed under the name Splenda, is one of the newest sugar substitutes on the market, and as such, there is no long-term research available on its effects on the human body. Sucralose is a chlorinated sucrose derivative and may be akin to ingesting small amounts of chlorinated pesticide. It cannot be completely broken down in our digestive tracts. Until more long-term research has been performed, we won't know its exact effects on our bodies.
Already, research performed on laboratory animals has given us some troubling insight into what Splenda can do. Studies have shown 40% shrinkage in the thymus glands as well as enlarged liver and kidneys. As your baby grows and develops within you, there is no need to subject him or her to the potentially dangerous health issues that sucralose use could cause.
Saccharine (Sweet N Low)
Saccharine is one of the older sugar substitutes on the market-maybe you remember your mother drinking Tab cola during the 1970s? Or perhaps you've seen those pink packets mixed in with the sugar on restaurant tables? Saccharine no longer carries warning labels about potential side effects from its use, but they are present just the same. Common reactions and side effects from using saccharine include eczema, wheezing, nausea, tongue blisters, headache, diarrhea, tachycardia, and sensory neuropathy.
Babies fed a formula with a saccharine sweetener showed the following symptoms: insomnia, irritability, and hypertonia. Why expose your baby to these potentially hazardous symptoms just to cut calories? Finding an all-natural sweetener and limiting its use is a much healthier idea.
Aspartame (Equal)
Aspartame is one of the most common artificial sweeteners on the market. It's the blue packet you see mixed in with the sugar at a restaurant. It's present in most diet sodas. But does its widespread use make it safe for pregnancy? Assuredly not! There are several neuropsychiatric disorders that have been linked to aspartame use, including panic attacks, mood changes, visual hallucinations, manic episodes, tachycardia, insomnia, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain, among many other symptoms.
Aspartame has also been linked to triggering or worsening the following chronic illnesses: multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, brain tumors, lymphoma, mental retardation, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's. If it can have this effect on adults, imagine the dangers it poses for your unborn fetus.
All-Natural Alternatives
You can satisfy your sweet tooth, watch your caloric intake and still keep your baby healthy if you seek out all-natural sugar substitutes. Stevia is now widely available in most stores and has no calories, so it's a great sugar alternative. You can also look for agave syrup and xylitol at your local health food store-these sweeteners have fewer calories than sugar and none of the troubling side effects of artificial sweeteners. You might also occasionally indulge in raw honey, which has the most calories, but also offers a range of health benefits for both mother and child.
Are you looking for the best advice for what to eat during pregnancy? Need advice about the proper diet for pregnancy? Visit The Diet Solution Program: What to Eat While Pregnant for exercise recommendations and eating tips for a healthy pregnancy. http://www.WhatToEatWhilePregnant.com.
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