While most artificial sweeteners are considered safe, which one of the following crosses the placenta and should be avoided during pregnancy?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

In this question, we’re evaluating which artificial sweetener can cross the placenta and should be avoided during pregnancy.
Option 1: sucralose. While commonly used and considered safe by many regulatory agencies, sucralose is not the classic sweetener most associated with placental transfer concerns. It is largely excreted unchanged and has less evidence of placental crossing impacting fetal safety compared to other options.
Option 2: saccharin. This is the classic example among common sweeteners known to cross the placenta and can accumulate in fetal tissues. It has a history of caution in pregnancy due to concerns about fetal exposure, so it is the one that should be avoided during pregnancy.
Option 3: stevia. Steviol glycosides from stevia are generally considered to have a favorable safety profile in pregnancy in many guidelines, with less evidence of placental transfer leading to fetal risk, though ongoing evaluation continues. This makes it less likely to be the one singled out for avoidance due to placental crossing.
Option 4: aspartame. While aspartame is widely used, it is metabolized into phenylalanine, which has specific concerns for individuals with phenylketonuria; crossing the placenta is noted, but the primary caution in pregnancy discussions tends to focus on phenylalanine levels rather than a universal placental transfer risk that requires avoidance for all pregnancies.
Overall, the standout choice among these options with explicit placental crossing and historical caution in pregnancy contexts is saccharin, making it the one that should be avoided during pregnancy due to its ability to cross the placenta and potential fetal exposure.

While most artificial sweeteners are considered safe, which one of the following crosses the placenta and should be avoided during pregnancy?

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