Do sugar-free sweets make pregnant moms more likely to get diabetes?
Correlation Analyses of the Consumption of Artificial Sweeteners During Pregnancy and the Incidence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
GDM incidence was 56.9% in high sweetener consumers — far higher than the study’s overall 13.74% rate, suggesting extreme exposure drives risk dramatically.
Most people assume GDM affects ~10-15% of pregnancies. Finding that a subset of women consuming sweeteners had over half developing GDM is alarming and unexpected.
Practical Takeaways
If you're pregnant, consider limiting or avoiding products with sodium saccharin and sucralose — especially diet sodas, sugar-free yogurts, and low-calorie snacks.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
GDM incidence was 56.9% in high sweetener consumers — far higher than the study’s overall 13.74% rate, suggesting extreme exposure drives risk dramatically.
Most people assume GDM affects ~10-15% of pregnancies. Finding that a subset of women consuming sweeteners had over half developing GDM is alarming and unexpected.
Practical Takeaways
If you're pregnant, consider limiting or avoiding products with sodium saccharin and sucralose — especially diet sodas, sugar-free yogurts, and low-calorie snacks.
Publication
Journal
Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity
Year
2025
Authors
Li Huang, Yanling Huang, Huan-wen Zhang, Chunmei Lyu
Related Content
Claims (4)
If a pregnant woman drinks a lot of diet sodas or eats lots of foods with artificial sweeteners, she might be more likely to get gestational diabetes, even after accounting for things like her weight and diet.
If a pregnant woman drinks a lot of diet sodas or eats foods with artificial sweeteners, she might be more likely to develop gestational diabetes—even if she was normal weight or overweight before getting pregnant.
Women who eat or drink a lot of sugar-free sweeteners while pregnant are more likely to get gestational diabetes than those who eat very little of them.
People who drink diet sodas or use artificial sweeteners often have health problems, but it might not be because the sweeteners cause the problems — maybe people who are already unhealthy are just more likely to use them.