Low-cal Drinks Increase Risk of Pre-term Birth

Women who consistently drink artificially sweetened drinks during pregnancy have a greater risk of giving a premature birth, a new report published in the journal American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reveals.

Researchers from Copenhagen studied the dietary habits more than 60,000 women in Denmark and found that the risk of a premature birth increased by 38 percent among women who drank at least one serving of artificially sweetened soda each day while the risk increased to 80 percent among women who drank four servings.

However the report was criticized by the Calorie Control Council which is one of the most powerful lobbying groups of companies which produce such low calorie drinks.

"This study may unduly alarm pregnant women. While this study is counter to the weight of the scientific evidence demonstrating that low-calorie sweeteners are safe for use in pregnancy, research has shown that overweight and obesity can negatively affect pregnancy outcomes", Beth Hubrich of the Calorie Control Council said.


Source: Medindia