Is It Safe To Drink Coke During Pregnancy?

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Most women may be apprehensive about drinking coke during pregnancy because they are unsure of its safety. Coke is a carbonated drink with caffeine and sugar. It does not have much nutritional value.

Drinking coke might not be hazardous to health if you stick to consuming the recommended amount of caffeine. Also, the drink does not have any nutrition, and the caffeine present in coke becomes difficult to be digested by the fetus. Therefore, excess consumption of coke might lead to side effects.

Read the post to learn about the safety of consuming coke during pregnancy, the permitted dosage of caffeine for pregnant women, and the side effects of drinking excess coke.

In This Article

What Is Coke And How Is It Made?

Coke is prepared by mixing water, sugar, caffeine, and carbon dioxide
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Image: Shutterstock

Wikipedia defines Cola as a beverage that has been carbonated and flavored. Traditionally, the Cola constituted of caffeine from Kola Nut, cocaine from Cola leaves, and vanilla as the flavoring agent. However, now cocaine usage has been stopped, and even flavoring extends beyond the vanilla flavor. And that’s the reason you now see all varieties of drinks available in the market.

Preparation of Coke is pretty simple, the machines fill the clean bottle with water, and then sugar is added. The machine then mixes the sugar water with a secret formula [whose recipe, ingredients, and the proportion are known to very few companies] and is topped with some caramel coloring. Finally, carbon dioxide is added to the mixture to make the soft drink fizzy and then bottled up (1).

Nutritional Value Of Coke

So Coke mainly consists of

Let’s look at the sugar and caffeine value of some of the common drinks (2):

Drink NameSugar Content [g/100ml]Caffeine Content [mg]
Coca-Cola [Classic]11.134.0
Pepsi [Classic]11.437.5
Sprite10.30.0
Mountain Dew12.055.0

Is drinking coke during pregnancy Safe?

Drinking coke during pregnancy is safe if you limit caffeine consumption
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To answer it in one line, yes, it is safe if you restrict caffeine intake to 300mg daily. But limiting does not guarantee that its side effects are now nil. Mostly caffeine takes a bit longer in getting digested, and as pregnancy progresses, even the breaking down of caffeine slows down, exposing the unborn baby to the ill effects of caffeine.

Drinking coke during pregnancy might not be a good option as it does not offer any nutritional value, and the calories which you keep on sipping are considered to be empty calories. And we all know, how important it for a pregnant woman to take a balanced and nutritious diet. So limiting soda consumption is crucial.

The Side Effects Of Exceeding The Permissible Limit Of Coke

Excess coke can result in miscarriage and insomnia
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Caffeine present in the coke, which is present in a woman’s body in the indigestible form, reaches through the placenta, and and the baby absorbs it completely. Studies have shown that the body of a pregnant woman, caffeine is present up to 11 hours. But the fetus can retain it until 100 hours, for the simple reason that they are developing babies and don’t have necessary enzymes to detoxify and break down caffeine.

For the pregnant woman, if she is exceeding the daily measure of coke, it could result in:

  • Dilated pupils
  • Opening of bronchial tubes
  • Increase in heart rate
  • Higher blood pressure
  • Discharge of insulin into the blood stream from the liver
  • Tightened muscles
  • Higher metabolism
  • Could result in Miscarriage
  • Reduced Fertility
  • Diuretic in nature and makes our body lose water.
  • Insomnia

Also, for the fetus it has an adverse effect as it could lead to:

What Are The Sweeteners And Preservatives Added To Coke?

Most soft drinks come with artificial sugars
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Don’t be fooled by Zero sugar or diet coke labels which give the impression that they don’t have sugar. Most of the aerated soft drinks comes soft drinks come with artificial sugars. And studies have shown that these sweeteners, flavoring agents, preservatives are not advisable for a pregnant woman.

Some of the commonly used sweeteners are:

  • Aspartame (NutraSweet) – It is a safe sweetener, but you should consume it in a moderate quantity. In fact, studies have shown that a pregnant woman should avoid this sweetener as it could also cause depression or chronic pain.
  • Sucralose (Splenda) – This is just a modified version of table sugar and pretty much safe during pregnancy (1).
  • Saccharin (Sweet and Low) – This sweetener can cross the placenta and is considered to be safe for the baby but again you should be taking it in a moderate quantity.

Do You Wish To Get Away With Coke Cravings?

Replace coke with coconut water for a healthy pregnancy
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Pregnancy makes a woman crave many things, but she needs to know which things are safe to indulge in. It is not easy to kick the habit! But you need to remember to cut down on caffeinated drinks to ensure proper fetal growth and development. So look out for these options as an alternative, and if you still feel the urge, sip it and keep it within safe limits. Drink it occasionally and not regularly.

  • Cut the caffeine slowly. Don’t just hash it.
  • Look for options which have no caffeine like Decaf Coffee.
  • Exercise, to fight against the withdrawal symptoms and keep yourself refreshed.
  • Drink lots of water and healthy fluids.

Food Items To Try Out:

  • Fresh fruit juice
  • Lime water
  • Lassi [sweet and salted]
  • Aam pana or raw mango water
  • Coconut water
  • Homemade smoothies

Marie, a mother, wardrobe stylist, and actor, shares her take on soda during pregnancy. She says, “I have completely cut out diet pop, which was very hard for me but I did it and my guts thank me, but sometimes I will have a Coke as a treat. That’s all I drink for caffeine. But I mostly drink water with lemon (i).”

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is the sugar in soda safe during pregnancy?

Over-consumption of sugar-laden soda or soda pop may cause adverse effects on maternal health as excessive sugar consumption is linked to gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, preterm labor, problems with metabolism, taste perception, and an increased risk of obesity in babies (3).

2. How many diet cokes can I drink when pregnant?

Research done in Canada has found that pregnant women who drank artificially sweetened sugary beverages gave birth to heavier babies than those who did not. Therefore, you may occasionally have a serving of diet coke. But it is best to skip artificially sweetened drinks during pregnancy (4).

3. What kind of soda can I drink during pregnancy?

You may try seltzer or carbonated water during pregnancy as these could help you with nausea. However, make sure you are not consuming it more than required.

4. Can drinking Coke during pregnancy cause heartburn and acid reflux?

Drinking Coke or other sugary drinks in moderation during pregnancy is generally safe, but excessive consumption may increase the risk of heartburn. Soda contains acid that can irritate the stomach lining, causing heartburn and acid reflux (5).

5. Can drinking Coke during pregnancy cause diarrhea?

Overconsumption of Coke during pregnancy may cause diarrhea as it contains caffeine (6). It can stimulate the digestive system, potentially causing loose stools (7).

Experts suggest that it is best to limit caffeine intake to 300 mg a day during pregnancy to avoid the risk of adverse effects. Hence, you may occasionally grab a glass of coke during pregnancy but not make it a part of your daily routine. Moreover, consuming higher amounts of caffeinated beverages could put you and your baby at risk of pregnancy and birth complications such as preeclampsia and preterm delivery. Nevertheless, it would be great to try out healthier alternatives for caffeine while pregnant.

Infographic: Health Effects Of Having Artificial Sweeteners During Pregnancy

Many soda manufacturers add artificial sweeteners to their drinks. Therefore, you need to be cautious about consuming them, especially during pregnancy, as the preservatives and sweeteners may harm your and your baby’s health. Check out the infographic below to learn how having artificially sweetened beverages when pregnant can affect your baby’s health after birth.

potential adverse effects of excess artificial sweetener consumption (infographic)

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Get the high-quality PDF version of this infographic.

Download Infographic in PDF version

Key Pointers

  • Coke contains caffeine, carbon dioxide, and large amounts of sugar.
  • Moderate consumption of coke is not hazardous for pregnant women.
  • Excessive intake of coke during pregnancy can lead to various adverse effects such as miscarriage, birth defects, pre-term delivery, low birth weight, insomnia, and reduced fertility.
  • To avoid harmful cravings during pregnancy, it is recommended to replace coke with safe options like coconut water, decaf coffee, and homemade smoothies.
Coke During Pregnancy_illustration

Image: Dall·E/MomJunction Design Team

Personal Experience: Source

References

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.
  1. The Secret Science of Soda.
    https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/adventures-in-chemistry/secret-science-stuff/soda-pop.html
  2. Caffeine Content Of Popular Drinks.
    http://www.math.utah.edu/~yplee/fun/caffeine.html
  3. Effects of consuming sugars and alternative sweeteners during pregnancy on maternal and child health: evidence for a secondhand sugar effect
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30501650/
  4. Why pregnant women should avoid artificially sweetened beverages
    https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/pregnant-women-avoid-artificially-sweetened-beverages-201605179714
  5. 6 Reasons to Stop Drinking Pop
    https://www.beaumont.org/health-wellness/blogs/6-reasons-to-stop-drinking-soda
  6. 5 Foods to Avoid if You Have IBS
    https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs/5-foods-to-avoid-if-you-have-ibs
  7. 7 foods that might make you “go”
    https://www.geisinger.org/health-and-wellness/wellness-articles/2017/10/16/20/49/7-foods-that-might-make-you-go
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