Sweetened beverage intake across moderate intake range is not associated with pregnancy-related weight change or biomarkers of glycemic control

While sweetened beverage intake is associated with weight and glycemic outcomes in the general population, relations during pregnancy are unclear. This prospective observational study tested the hypothesis that greater sweetened beverage intake would be associated with higher pregnancy-related weight change and glucose regulation biomarkers. The Pregnancy Eating Attributes Study recruited participants with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies ≤12 weeks gestation and no major chronic illness from 2 obstetrics clinics in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Healthcare System from November 2014 to October 2016. Data from participants with completed pregnancy dietary recalls (n = 365) were analyzed. Intake (oz) of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and non-nutritive sweetened beverages (NNSB) was calculated from 24-h dietary recalls across pregnancy and across postpartum. Weight was measured throughout pregnancy to 1-year postpartum to determine gestational weight gain adequacy and 1-year postpartum weight retention; fasting blood glucose and insulin were obtained in the 2nd trimester. Multinomial logistic regressions estimated associations of sweetened beverage intake with gestational weight gain adequacy; linear regressions estimated associations of sweetened beverage intake with postpartum weight retention, fasting blood glucose, and insulin. In analyses adjusted for age, household income-poverty ratio, education, marital status, and physical activity, neither SSB nor NNSB intake during pregnancy was associated with excessive gestational weight gain, postpartum weight retention, fasting glucose or fasting insulin. Additionally, SSB and NNSB intake in postpartum were unassociated with postpartum weight retention. Sweetened beverages may not contribute to excess pregnancy-related weight gain or glucose dysregulation within the moderate range of intake observed in this sample.