Fructose Sweetener + Breastfeeding Mom = Obese Child?

A new study shows that moms who drink a large amount of fructose-sweetened beverages during breastfeeding may have children (mostly sons) who are more susceptible to becoming overweight and developing type 2 diabetes.

One author of the study, Eduardo Spinedi, PhD, of the Neuroendocrinology Research Unit at the Multidisciplinary Institute of Cell Biology in La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, conducted his research in rats and found that the first male offspring had metabolic endocrine disorders in adulthood, even though they ate a normal diet with no extra fructose. Interestingly, results are available only for the male offspring. Males born from the rats given fructose during breastfeeding had the most obvious abnormalities; they had increased food intake and body weight from days 49 to 60. In addition, they also had increased blood levels of the hormone, leptin, which is associated with obesity. They also had high insulin levels. One author stated that this is “a clear indicator of already developed illness such as type 2 diabetes. Based on our study and others, we advise that pregnant and breastfeeding mothers consume a balanced diet with low fructose intake, to help prevent obesity in their children."