Is Crystal Light safe?

hepcats

So I know this is somewhat of a stupid question but I've heard that drinking Crystal Light in excessive amounts is not safe for anyone, let alone a pregnant lady. Unfortunately, I absolutely cannot stand the taste of plain water (or water with lemon/lime) and having Crystal Light mixed in is the only way I'll drink enough of it. Has anyone else heard this, is it a myth, or is it perfectly safe to drink?

dairygirl19

Some people shy away because of the fake sugar in it. Some people want nothing to do with it all, others don't seem to care.

My dr. said Crystal light and fake sugar was fine in moderation. Don't drink gallons of it a day or anything but a glass or two is fine.

I'm not big on Crystal Light (never got into it) but sometimes I'll dump a half a packet in it. I still get the taste with a little less chemicals.

JosephsSweetie

You'll get varying responses. It's because of the artificial sweetener. I avoid artificial sweeteners in general, and really try to now that I'm pregnant. My group of midwives at the clinic said to avoid them as well. Some people are okay with it. I don't think it's a huge no-no, but I would try for an alternative. Do you like mineral water? I drink flavored mineral waters (orange, raspberry, cranberry) and they have no sweeteners or calories but still have flavor.

tikitomban

I think the risk is equivalent to anything else with artificial sweeteners. I don't think there's been enough studies done to conclusively establish the effects, and how much is too much. Like anything else (e.g. tuna consumption, salicylic acid, caffeine, red wine), there's always a "risk" and it's what you feel comfortable with ... and moderation. It's never good to have too much of anything, pregnant or not!

I personally abstained from consumiong artificial sweeteners during my pregnancy, and went natural as much as possible ... but I didn't kill myself for having an occasional diet coke or diet Lipton citrus green tea (which I really love)!

AmyLa90679

I have avoided it since becoming pregnant at the suggestion of my Doctor.

I buy frozen lemonade and put it in a tupperware container.  Daily I mixa little bit in with my water so it adds some taste to mix it up a little bit.

iluv2pekes

There is a new Crystal Light out called Crystal Light Pure which is made without artificial sweeteners. I am hoping they will have it at my grocery store soon because I am getting a tad sick of plain water!

2BWEDN2007

iluv2pekes:

There is a new Crystal Light out called Crystal Light Pure which is made without artificial sweeteners. I am hoping they will have it at my grocery store soon because I am getting a tad sick of plain water!

This! It is called Crystal Light Pure Fitness and it is pretty expensive, but it is Crystal Light without AS. It tastes the same and is the only thing that gets me the required amount of fluids daily. I also hate water and since I am high risk and have an irritable uterus, my OB wants me drinking RIDICULOUS amounts of water and plain water makes me gag. Sounds weird, but it's true....I just can't drink it.

In my grocery store it is $3.99 a box and comes with 7 packets so it is pretty expensive. It is available in Lemon Lime (tastes just like the regular lemonade CL), Strawberry Kiwi and Grape. Occasionally, it goes on sale for $3 and that is when I stock up. Unfortunately, it only comes in the single serve packets so that is the only way you can buy it. I hope you can find it near you!

LupeVallejo

I wouldn't drink it personally... It contains aspartame which is proven to lead to preterm pregnancy.

AshleyMF1983

iluv2pekes:

There is a new Crystal Light out called Crystal Light Pure which is made without artificial sweeteners. I am hoping they will have it at my grocery store soon because I am getting a tad sick of plain water!

I checked it out in Target yesterday - it has real sugar, but also Truvia in it.  I don't know...that Truvia stuff is too "new" to the market that I don't feel safe drinking it while pregnant.  That's just me though!

jetskreemr

Sorry: Truvia, Splenda, Aspartame, or any of that other artificial sweetener stuff is pure crap, and plain old dangerous in my book. I second the rec: buy a can of frozen juice (or similar), pop off the top and mix a spoonful or two of the syrup in with water and it's really tasty.

heie0008

Please don't let anybody on here scare you away from this stuff. Like everything we consume it is fine in moderation. A drink of this per day is likely not to cause any harm. I've been drinking crystal light 4-5 times per week since I got pregnant. Some people avoid it and some don't...just like how I read some people will allow themselves a drink of alcohol or will consume deli meats...

Do what you feel comfortable with or ask your OB's opinion if it makes you feel better.

Stellasmom

What's preterm pregnancy?

Avoiding artificial sweeteners is the hardest for me out of pretty much anything (that, and caffeine). I will readily admit I lived on Diet root beer with my son and he is fine, but obviously that's anecdotal.

I'm just really used to the flavor of aspartame and actually don't like the flavor of real sugar much, so daily I consume two packets of equal with my coffee, and about 2 diet cokes.  I'm not a big crystal light fan, but I'm sure it can't be worse than what I do.

I'd cut the serving size per volume of water in half. That stuff is sooooo strong anyway. That way you could get more bang for your aspartame buck on a daily basis.

katxattack

FYI- Truvia is not 'artificial'- its derived from the stevia plant.

SpceCadet

I mix Welch's Peach White Grape juice in with my water.  It's 100% juice and about 3oz with 16oz of water makes for a flavorful beverage without overdoing the sugar.

Personally, I avoid all artificial sweeteners including stevia.  I read a bunch of articles about stevia right around the time it was ok'd by the FDA to be marketed as a sweetener.  While in small amounts it appears to be safe, larger quantities did not show the same safety levels.  Please don't take my word for it - do your own investigation and make a decision that's right for you. 

starskristen79

My doctor said, like almost everything, artificial sweeteners are fine in moderation.

I am a diabetic, so I have to balance the idea of honestly drinking nothing but water or having my sugar jump up. I have a diet soda 2-3 times per week.

kacelle

The only artificial sweetener that I've found strong scientific evidence to avoid during pregnancy is Splenda.  All other sweeteners are generally considered okay in moderation, although some doctors will give different recommendations regarding them than others.

CCinLove

Honestly, I would ask your health care provider for their thoughts.  I'm pretty sure there is a ton of incorrect information in this thread alone, especially "proven" links between artificial sweeteners and "preterm pregnancy."

My OPINION is that Crystal Light is fine in moderation.  Like some others, I have an aversion to water right now, so I consume whatever I can get down. 

Shelleybell

wow crystal light never even crossed my mind.  i have been drinking water with crystal light in it every day to help get my water intake in. yikes.

mesr

i don't drink artificial sweeteners even when not pregnant.  they just taste yucky to me.  i won't even use regular toothpaste, which usually has sodium saccharine in it.  i figure that if it tastes so bad to me, it must not be good for me.

desmerelda317

Shelleybell:

wow crystal light never even crossed my mind.  i have been drinking water with crystal light in it every day to help get my water intake in. yikes.

Don't freak out too much.  You're probably fine.  That said, I personally avoid artificial sweeteners whether I'm pregnant or not.  I'm not okay with the possible health risks - granted, there's been nothing conclusive proven, but even the possible risks bother me - and I think they taste awful, including splenda.  

OP, you simply have to make up your own mind on this one.  There's no conclusive evidence to say that they're outright dangerous in pregnancy.  Some ladies are comfortable with artificial sweeteners, and some (like myself) are not.  You just have to decide which side of the fence you're on.  And yes, moderation in everything is key.  I wouldn't drink all 64 oz. of your daily water intake using crystal light.  Maybe mix it up some by doing the frozen juice idea - I'd never thought of that personally, but it sounds pretty tasty!  Either way, what you really need to avoid is dehydration.  Artificial sweeteners are not proven to cause preterm labor, but dehydration definitely IS proven to cause contractions. 

ETA: You also don't have to get your entire water intake by drinking it.  You can get some of your liquid intake from your food as well.  Melon is an example of a water rich food (especially watermelon - go figure lol). 

Pina

Best advice on a question like this is ask your doctor!!!!  You are going to get, obviously with this post's responses, a variety of answers and be even more confused then when you started.  I asked my doctor about artifical sweetners and the answer was no, avoid them all.  It's a chemical.  Even truvia, the new sweetner, has not been tested to see how it will affect pregnancy (google it).  Is something like that worth it?  It's a personal choice.