Diet/Artificial Sweeteners and Early Births

EU-funded research (Published in “American Society for Clinical Nutrition”) has found that pregnant women who drink just one can of fizzy drinks containing artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, have a 37% higher risk of having a premature birth.

Routinely drinking 4 or more cans a day of this could increase the risk by up to 78%.  Research by Dr. Thorhallur Ingl Halldorsson who studied 60,000 women, found there is no increased risk from sugar sweetened drinks.

The research team suggests that the exposure to methanol, which is contained in some artificial sweeeteners, may play a part in bringing forward the births.   Critics of Methanol assert that it is a nerve toxin, which can form formic acid in the body.  It can also lead to formaldhyde, the chemical used to preserve dead bodies.

Historically, sacharine has also been identified as accumulating in the placenta.

Prof. Erik Millstone of Sussex University said “I would think it is prudent for pregnant women to diminish consumption of these drinks & possibly those foods containing artificial sweeteners.”

Some British public health experts are now advising pregnant mothers to avoid food & drink containing aspartame. Yet I have seen other well-respected scientists put forward a completely opposing view, that aspartame is completely harmless.

As it remains a legal additive (in the UK at the time of writing) I can only advise readers to do their own research on aspartame on the Internet and make up their own minds. The decision is a simple on: do you need aspartame, or  could your life continue unimpaired by simply avoiding it “just in case” the doubters turn out to be correct.

My personal stance on aspartame is that I do my best to avoid it, without being totally obsessive.

Source Acknowledged with thanks:

Daily Mail 10.7.10 “DIET DRINK SWEETENERS LINKED TO EARLY BIRTHS”