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Diet Drinks During Pregnancy

If you are pregnant and are trying to cut down on the sugar and the calories, you may automatically reach out for your favorite diet drink. But think again. Recent research indicates that women who drink one or more cans of diet soda during their pregnancy are more likely to deliver prematurely than those who don't. However, at the same time, the study is not able to find the exact connection between diet drinks and preterm birth. Experts speculate that in such cases preterm delivery may be caused by high blood pressure and diet sodas may contribute to high blood pressure during pregnancy.

While the verdict is still out about the safety of diet drinks during pregnancy, it pays to err on the side of caution. There have been a number of studies that do show the negative effects of low-calorie and artificial sweeteners on pregnancy and almost all diet drinks contain some form of artificial sweetener or the other. Different brands of diet sodas contain different types of artificial sweeteners. Some may contain aspartame, others saccharin, and some new brands may contain sucralose. Aspartame has been used the longest and several studies have been conducted on its long-term effects on pregnancy. Aspartame has been proven to be dangerous to women with diabetes or those who suffer from a hereditary condition known as phenylketonuria. In such cases, aspartame has been directly linked with birth defects and damage to the fetus. On the whole however, doctors do concur that small servings of diet drinks containing aspartame may not cause harm to the fetus in a normal pregnancy.

Saccharin on the other hand has to be avoided at all costs irrespective of the stage of pregnancy. Studies on lab animals have shown that saccharin may cause birth defects and due its carcinogenic nature, it is best left untouched if you are pregnant. The new breed of diet drinks contains the latest artificial sweetener known as sucralose. However, because of its recent introduction no studies have been conducted on its long-term effects and it is recommended that pregnant women as a rule avoid such drinks. It is therefore important to know what drink contains what sweetener. As this may not always be possible, experts simply suggest staying away from diet drinks during your pregnancy.  After all, research is not conducted on every drink that enters the market and some ingredient labels may not be very clear about what the drink contains making it difficult for you to make an informed decision.

Apart from the sweeteners, diet drinks also contain caffeine and everyone knows that caffeine should definitely be avoided when pregnant. If you are looking for alternatives to your favorite diet soda, why not try plain soda with a twist of lime instead? Other healthier options include juices, milk and water that can be sipped on safely throughout the day. Remember pregnancy is a time for choices and it is up to you to make the best possible choices for both your baby and yourself!

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