A study soon to be published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health finds shocking results about the presence of artificial sweeteners, such as Splenda, in breastmilk. With a whopping 65% of breastmilk samples tested containing Splenda, the question is: why are we just finding out about this? And what are the effects on our children?

Out of 20 mothers and 20 breastmilk samples, 13 tested positive for Splenda and other synthetic sweeteners.

With its presence in tens of thousands of products nationwide, aspartame and sucralose (more commonly known as Splenda) has become all too common to be exposed, or to even incorporate them into our daily diet. Despite the advertisements and its low-risk status, there has been lots of research conducted that links Splenda to a wide range of health conditions such as addiction, obesity, diabetes, and even brain damage.

Although researchers and scientists cannot determine the immediate effects of Splenda and other chemicals on the metabolic process of newborns at this time, this concerning study concludes that there is no assurance of Splenda’s safety. Avoiding artificial sweeteners and being conscious of what your food contains is the only way to ensure the safety of you and your little one.

Read more about this soon-to-be published study that finds artificial sweeteners actually enter into the mother’s breastmilk, feeding our most vulnerable population.