Is it safe to drink Lucozade in pregnancy? And is it good for morning sickness?

With the help of an expert dietitian Susan Short and NHS GP Dr Philippa Kaye, we explain all...

The takeaway expert advice

Yes, it’s fine to drink Lucozade in pregnancy – as long as you don't drink several bottles every day. That's because some varieties of Lucozade contain a fair amount of caffeine, which you're advised not to have to have too much of in pregnancy.¹

Some pregnant women do find that Lucozade can help relieve the symptoms of morning sickness, although there is, as yet, no scientific evidence that it can do so.

Are all Lucozade drinks safe to drink in pregnancy?

"All drinks in the Lucozade range are safe to drink in pregnancy," says Susan Short, a specialist dietitian in Maternal and Infant Nutrition and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association. "But I would say drink them in moderation and be aware that some varieties of Lucozade contain more caffeine and more sugar than others."

Lucozade Sport Zero, for example, contains no caffeine and only a small amount of sugar (0.1g per 100ml), but Lucozade Alert contains 4g sugar and 32mg caffeine per 100ml – meaning a single 500ml can of Lucozade Alert contains 20g sugar and 160mg caffeine, which is not a long way off the maximum daily amount of caffeine a pregnant woman should drink.

"Pregnant woman should consume nor more than 200mg caffeine a day," says Susan. "So, if you like Lucozade Energy, say, that contains 46mg caffeine per 380ml bottle which mean 4 bottles per day would be your maximum safe limit – assuming, of course, that you don't eat or drink anything else containing caffeine."

You can see in our table below how much sugar and caffeine each variety of Lucozade contains per 100ml – but remember a can or bottle will contain more than 100ml, so you'll need to take that into account:

And then of course, there's the sugar content to think about. "Some varieties of Lucozade are high in sugar," says Susan, "and of little nutritional value to support a developing baby. The drink will provide you with provide fluid, but little else. More reason to drink it in moderation."

Does Lucozade help with morning sickness?

Lots of mums-to-be swear that Lucozade does make their pregnancy nausea better but, if that's the case for you, says expert family GP Dr Philippa Kaye, it's probably simply because it's rehydrating you, and its sugar and caffeine content is giving you a much-needed energy boost.

"There is no evidence that Lucozade works as a preventer for morning sickness – or as a cure for it," she says. 'But, as the sugar that's in most varieties of Lucozade is dissolved in liquid, it may give you a boost quickly as it's so easy to digest.

"it's likely, though, that if you're being sick or you're too nauseous to eat, it is the treatment of dehydration which helps the most. And, if you are using it as a rehydration fluid, it's worth noting that water would also work and water, unlike Lucozade, doesn't contain sugar."

And Lucozade it doesn't work for everyone with morning sickness, Dr Philippa adds. "The fizzy kind may make you feel bloated and gassy," she say, "which may make everything worse."

Additional research and table: Emily Longman Walls

References:

^{1. Foods to avoid in pregnancy. NHS Online.}

Read more:

• Morning sickness: when does it start, when will it end and what helps?
• Is paracetamol safe in pregnancy?
• How your breasts change in pregnancy, week by week