Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
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 Ask Dr. Greenfield
Consuming Splenda during Pregnancy | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Greenfield,
I enjoy two products that contain an artificial sweetener which I am unfamiliar with. The products are Fruit H2O (flavored water) and Diet V8 Splash. The sweetener is called Splenda. Is there any data in regards to Splenda during pregnancy?— Cindy in Missouri | | | ANSWER |
July 16, 2002 | | | Dear Cindy,
Great question. Splenda has just recently started popping up in a host of different products. Here's what I uncovered when researching this new sweetener.
Splenda is the brand name for sucralose, a modification of the regular sucrose (table sugar) molecule making it 600 times sweeter than sugar and not metabolized by the body. So it reaches your taste buds but not your bloodstream.
The American Council on Science and Health, a non-profit consumer education consortium concerned with issues related to food, nutrition, chemicals, etc., has reviewed over 100 scientific articles about this new sweetener. They have not found anything that indicated any health risks--including reproductive risks.
Of course, sometimes there are surprises when it comes to risks during pregnancy, since animal studies don't always reflect human risk, and there isn't a lot of research using pregnant women as the guinea pigs.
All in all, it is reasonable to feel comfortable with using Splenda during pregnancy, with the caveat: everything in moderation. Take care!
— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. |
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