Aspartame

[Angel022605]

I'm not sure where to post this but I believe this section might can help. Aspartame.....good or bad for TTC? I'm not diabetic but decided to cut out the real sugar to help lose weight(and I've lost 15-20 lbs) and decided to switch to artificial sweeteners. Well only to find out from my OBGYN it's not good for those TTC. ANYONE have thoughts or suggestions??

 

[ds0910]

Well I have heard it's not really good for pregnancy, but I will not drink plain water, I will fix it and then take a few drinks out of it and then it just sits next to me for hours. So in order for me to get enough water I have to use flavor packets. I have drank the great value water flavor packets throughout both of my pregnancies which resulted in 2 very healthy babies.

 

[ds0910]

I just found where the American pregnancy association reports that the FDA says aspartame is safe for use during pregnancy, so I can't imagine why it would be bad for TTC? I don't know, might should ask your Dr to find out a little more?

 

[melissalynn]

Finally, I can put my degrees to use! lmao
First, congrats on your weight loss! That is awesome!
In short, aspartame is bad for everyone. The reason why it doesn't classify as "sugar" while still making things sweet is because it isn't processed in the same way that natural sugars are, meaning it is easier on our blood sugar and our waist lines (as we just pee an almost intact molecule out).

If you're trying to get healthier replacing calories and sweeteners can only get you so far. Your best bet it so drink a lot of water and eat real, whole foods. Diet, low-cal foods typically aren't a good replacement. You are usually trading one thing in for another. If you pick up something that is low cal and compare it the regular version I am willing to bet that it will have fewer calories but more sugar and carbs.

If you are into this kind of thing, look into the hoops that Monsanto has to jump through to get aspartame approved by the FDA. If you don't feel like looking into it, I will just let you know that if it weren't for dirty politics it would have never been approved. In lab tests it made thousands of lab animals very ill and in some cases caused death.
Aspartame is composed of two different amino acids, which we all know are typically good things. But they are good when we are eating them with several others, high concentrations of particular aminos can be harmful to the body.
With regard to fertility and pregnancy, aspartame has been linked to cellular death and increased free radicals in the body (neither are good things when TTC, or at all for that matter)
Once you have conceived, the aminos that I mentioned earlier are able to pass the blood barrier between mother and child. Developing babies bodies cannot get rid of the junk as well as an adults can meaning the chemicals will stay in their body for longer and have more chance to cause issues.

 

[MindUtopia]

It's certainly safe in small amounts, but aspartame isn't great for anyone and I wouldn't go out of my way to consume it. You're much better off just eating healthy, cutting out refined sugars and when you do need to sweeten things use fruit, fruit juice, or a small amount of quality honey or maple syrup, or just drink water.

 

[BabyBrain80]

I avoid it whenever I can generally. Avoid any drinks etc with sweeteners.

 

[dan-o]

I avoid it as much as possible and stick to things with sucralose, stevia xylitol etc if i must have something that is artificially sweetened. X

 

[misspriss]

I don't like it, but it is considered safe. I have GD, so I do not have a lot of options.

Everything in moderation.

 

[xdxxtx]

Congratulations on your weight loss!!! It is no easy feat, as I know all too well! melissalynn said exactly what I came here to say. Artificial sweeteners are not good for anyone, but they can hinder efforts to conceive, since that is what you're asking. They might be extremely low in calories, but your body is still processing them as sugars, and it's messing with your system in other ways (like telling your body to crave more sweetener, making a sugar addict even more addicted to sweet things). I'm on my fifth pregnancy right now, and I haven't exposed any of my babies to artificial sweeteners. Instead, 6 1/2 years ago when I first started TTC, I decided I'd train my body to enjoy things less sweet. I lost 60 pounds while TTC my first, and cutting way down on real sugar was a huge part of it. I enjoy coffee at least once per day, often two or three cups of decaf a day, adding a small amount of (homemade) creamer with real sugar instead of the large amount I used to use. Some people like Stevia, but I can only handle a very teeny amount of it. I will put a tiny bit in my iced tea and also use a little bit of real sugar, so I can't taste the stevia. I won't buy anything made with stevia because I always think it tastes like stevia. Yuck. My kids like the taste of stevia, though. (This is real stevia, not Trulia or any of that garbage.) Most people can handle xylitol, and I think it tastes just like sugar, but that's not always a safe bet, either, as it can cause tummy trouble in some people (or in large amounts), and it's commonly made of corn, which some bodies can't handle. You could buy a small amount of non-GMO xylitol and see how you like it, though, if you're looking for another alternative.

I have PCOS and insulin resistance as a result, so sugar is something I need to be very careful with. I conceived three of my babies at the tail end of, or directly after, a Whole30 plan. I've used it to help get rid of my sugar addiction and food problems, never to conceive a baby, but feel free to research it. Since I've gotten pregnant after/during it so many times, I recommend it all the time to people who are TTC, and it has helped many of them conceive as well.

 

[Angel022605]

Thank you all for your replies. Sounds like I just need to go back to real sugar but in moderation. Going back to real sugar is hard to do since that's how I lost a lot of weight. Thanks to everyone who complemented me on that. I've asked my OB and he says real sugar is better for you when it comes to TTC and that aspartame is ok. I just don't want to go back to real sugars in fear of gaining weight back and I can gain weight so easily and it's so difficult losing it. I know I'm not in a nutrition forum but you all have been very helpful. I just wish it was easier.