SWEETENER WARNING

You may think you are making a healthier choice by choosing lowcalorie sweeteners when you’re pregnant. Yet researchers from the University of Calgary have discovered consuming the low-calorie artificial sweetener aspartame as well as the natural sweetener stevia while pregnant increased body fat in their offspring and disrupted their gut microbiota – the trillions of microorganisms that inhabit the intestinal tract and affect our health. “Lowcalorie sweeteners are considered safe to consume during pregnancy and lactation, however evidence is emerging from human studies to suggest they may increase body weight and other cardiovascular risk factors,” says Dr Raylene Reimer, a University of Calgary professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.