Women Carefully Craft Their Pregnancy Diets
Many women carefully craft their pregnancy diets in order to ensure that their babies develop without any food-related birth defects or complications. One much-discussed item is artificial sweetener.
Many moms-to-be want to know if eating foods flavored with products like Sweet’N Low, Splenda or Equal is safe for their growing child. For most, the answer is yes, artificial sweeteners are safe to eat. However, women with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, carbohydrate intolerance, phenylketonuria (PKU) or insulin intolerance, need to avoid specific sweetening products.
Individuals who suffer from PKU should never consume aspartame, the key ingredient in brands like NutraSweet and Equal. Pregnant women who have unusually high levels of phenylalanine should also avoid this substance.