Is monk fruit sweetener safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about monk fruit sweetener during pregnancy?

1. Monk fruit extract, also called Luo Han Guo or Siraitia grosvenorii Swingle fruit extract, has GRAS notices the FDA has not questioned for use as a general-purpose and tabletop sweetener, and it is 100 to 250 times sweeter than table sugar. 1
2. No acceptable daily intake has been set for monk fruit, which the FDA explains can happen when a sweetener is shown to be safe at levels well above the amount needed to sweeten food. 1
3. A reproductive and developmental screening study found no effects on parental, reproductive, or developmental outcomes at 1,200 mg of mogroside V per kilogram of body weight per day, and monk fruit extracts at 25 and 55 percent mogroside V were negative in bacterial reverse mutation testing. 2
4. European regulators reached a different conclusion from the FDA, judging that the toxicity database on monk fruit extract is insufficient to conclude on its safety as a food additive and calling for longer-term studies. 2
5. Across 17 studies and 306,147 participants, any low-calorie sweetener use in pregnancy was not associated with birth weight, though frequent daily use showed a small and imprecise increase, and the overall quality of that evidence was rated low. 3

Is monk fruit sweetener safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. First-trimester safety for monk fruit rests on general toxicology, not on pregnancy research, because none exists in humans. A reproductive and developmental screening study in animals found no parental, reproductive, or developmental effects at 1,200 mg of mogroside V per kilogram of body weight, which is far above any realistic dietary amount.
• Second trimester. Most monk fruit products on the shelf are blends. Erythritol is the usual bulking partner, sometimes dextrose, so the sweetener you are actually eating may be mostly something else. Read the ingredient panel rather than the front of the package, especially if sugar alcohols upset your stomach.
• Third trimester. Nothing about late pregnancy changes the picture. Because there is no daily limit to measure yourself against, moderation is the honest guidance: occasional use sits comfortably inside what regulators have reviewed, and a heavy daily habit is worth mentioning at a prenatal visit.