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Artificial Sweetener Use While Breastfeeding Are artificial sweeteners OK to use if you are breastfeeding? No solid evidence exists to show that artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin, aspartame, or sorbitol, present a health risk to anyone when used in moderation. Should I avoid diet sodas completely? According to the La Leche League, nursing mothers should not use artificial sweeteners if they have a yeast infection or if their infant has one. Adequate calories and a healthy diet are vital to a breastfeeding woman. Artificial sweeteners may not add to a healthy diet and could decrease overall intake of necessary calories for mothers who are breastfeeding. Is one type of artificial sweetener better than another? Sweetener Information Lactation Risk Category NutraSweet® (aspartame) Not for infants with phenylketonuria (PKU) Safe for healthy infants Splenda® (sucralose) Poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract Excreted unchanged in the urine Safe for healthy infants Sorbitol® Sugar alcohol is found naturally in some fruits and vegetables Used as a sweetener in foods and medications Commonly used in toothpaste, sugar-free chewing gum, etc Not listed in Medications and Mothers’ Milk Saccharin Milk levels of saccharin tend to accumulate over time, but still are considered minimal Moderate intake should not concern nursing mothers Probably safe for healthy infants Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) A very sweet herb that is used by many as a zerocalorie sugar substitute Rebaudioside A (purified from Stevia rebaudiana) is “generally recognized as safe” as a sweetening agent for foods by the US Food and Drug Administration, but no studies have looked at consumption by pregnant or breastfeeding women Caution is recommended when it comes to using stevia while breastfeeding, because many different herbs in the same genus are used in natural sweeteners, and because no studies have looked at the use of stevia by breastfeeding women Probably safe for healthy infants Source: Hale TW. Medications and Mothers’ Milk. Amarillo, TX: Hale Publishing; 2012:100, 996, 1030, 1034. Will my baby get any of the chemicals from the sweeteners through my breast milk? When nursing mothers drink or eat anything, it goes through their digestive system and then eventually into their bloodstream. In order for anything they eat or drink to reach their baby, it has to get into the bloodstream in high enough levels to transfer into breast milk. Babies also must have the ability to absorb that substance out of their stomach into their bloodstream. Many barriers exist throughout this digestive pathway that would decrease any amount of artificial sweetener. Is a small amount safer than a large amount? It is best for breastfeeding mothers to err on the side of caution and limit their overall intake of artificial sweeteners. As with many other things, using artificial sweeteners in moderation is suggested. References and recommended readings Can I eat/drink foods containing artificial sweeteners? KellyMom Web site. http://kellymom.com/nutrition/mothers-diet/mom-foods/#sweeteners. Accessed March 10, 2014. Hale TW. Medications and Mothers’ Milk. Amarillo, Texas: Hale Publishing, 2012; 100, 996, 1030, 1034. Zeretzke K. Yeast infections and the breastfeeding family: helping mothers find relief for symptoms and treatment for the infection preserves the breastfeeding relationship. Leaven. 1998;34(5):91-96. https://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvoctnov98p91.html. Updated August 29, 2006. Accessed March 10, 2014. Contributed by Ingrid Wright, RD, CLC Review Date 3/14 K-0753