High-fructose diet during pregnancy may harm placenta, restrict fetal growth

Tuesday, May 17, 2016 by: Daniel Barker
Tags: high fructose diet, fetal damage, pregnancy

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(NaturalNews) A recent study has shown that high fructose consumption during pregnancy may lead to defects in the placenta and affect fetal development, causing an increased risk of metabolic health issues later on in a child's life.

The research was conducted by a team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who studied the effects of a high-fructose diet on mice and humans.

From EurekAlert!:

"Fructose, a sugar occurring naturally in fruits and honey, has been popular for decades among food manufacturers who process it into high-fructose corn syrup used to sweeten food and beverages. In fact, researchers have reported that the refined sugar accounts for more than half of all sweeteners used in the U.S. food-supply chain. And in recent years, there's growing concern that fructose in processed foods and sugary drinks may be linked to diabetes and obesity."

Kelle H. Moley, MD, the study's lead researcher, said that for nearly 50 years we have been consuming "more fructose than we should." Moley believes that studying the effects of fructose has become "increasingly critical," and that the research indicates "potentially negative effects of a high-fructose diet during pregnancy."

'Metabolic mayhem'

Unlike other sugars such as glucose, which the body can convert into energy, fructose is broken down by the liver into triglycerides, a form of fat. Fructose also causes the body to produce high levels of uric acid, which causes "metabolic mayhem," which in turn leads to obesity and type 2 diabetes, among other health problems.

"Studying mice, the researchers found elevated uric acid and triglycerides in otherwise healthy mice who were fed a high-fructose diet during pregnancy. Additionally, the mice developed smaller fetuses and larger placentas than those fed standard rodent chow."

According to Moley, the fetuses become "wired" for extra growth after birth to compensate for their smaller size while in-utero. "These babies can become kids and then adults struggling with obesity and other health problems," she said.

Fructose is unhealthy for both mothers and their fetuses

The mother's health can also be affected:

"Metabolic problems caused by high levels of uric acid and fat increase a woman's risk of developing pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia -- a potentially serious condition in pregnancy often marked by high blood pressure, swelling and high protein levels in the urine -- and gestational diabetes."

The researchers suggest that prenatal screening methods may be developed to detect high fructose levels.

Although Moley acknowledges the importance of eating natural foods, the researchers also believe – in typical allopathic fashion – that a drug called allopurinol might be used to treat high fructose levels.

Allopurinol is normally prescribed to treat gout and kidney stones, but the researchers found that it may be an effective treatment for high fructose, and "generally is considered safe" for women in the late second and third trimester of pregnancy.

Drugs are not the answer

The flaw in this thinking – at least from the natural medicine viewpoint – is that treating a condition caused by bad diet by means of administering a drug that may or may not be safe is simply the wrong approach.

In adhering to the classic Western medical approach, health "experts" would rather prescribe a pill to address a problem that could be prevented simply by eating healthy, natural foods.

In other words, drug manufacturers would rather have you continue eating sugary, processed foods, and then sell you pills to "fix" the problem. Clearly, this is an insane way of thinking, but it's typical of our modern medicine system – which is largely based on generating profits for Big Pharma.

Healthy pregnancies require a healthy diet

A healthy pregnancy can be achieved through eating fresh, organic foods, and getting the right kind of exercise to keep mothers and their unborn children in good physical condition.

If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, cut out the processed foods altogether, and avoid taking any sort of medication unless absolutely necessary.

Sources:

EurekAlert.org

NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov

FitPregnancy.com

Science.NaturalNews.com