Placental & Birth Defects Linked To Excessive Fructose Intake During Pregnancy, Study Finds

Excessive consumption of fructose has been known to increase a person's risk of diabetes and obesity. A new research finds that a high-fructose diet during pregnancy is also linked to the development of placental and birth defects.

"Since the early 1970s, we've been eating more fructose than we should," study author Dr. Kelly Moley told Medical News Today. "It is becoming increasingly critical to understand how fructose consumption is impacting human health."

Fructose is a natural sugar found in fruits, honey and certain vegetables. In recent decades, fructose has been combined with glucose in creating high-fructose corn syrup -- used to sweeten certain kinds of food and beverages.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reported that 13 percent of American adults' total daily caloric intake comes from sugar. However, the recommended sugar intake is five to 10 percent only.

High-fructose diet during pregnancy may restrict foetal growth: Studyhttps://t.co/W97n9Kh9d7

— Zee News (@ZeeNews) May 5, 2016

The researchers came to their conclusion by feeding pregnant mice with excessive amounts of fructose. The results show that the animals had smaller fetuses and bigger placentas compared to the normal size. 

The team also studied 18 pregnant women and found out that those who ate lots of fructose while pregnant suffered similar effects to the pregnant mice studied earlier. "The negative effect of excess fructose in humans is likely to lead to an exacerbation of the problems seen in the mice," said Dr. Moley.

So how much fructose intake is considered as excessive? Many health experts believe that anything more than 50 grams is too much fructose intake for one day, according to Real Food Forager.

There is no definitive evidence yet proving that excessive fructose intake causes placental and birth defects. However, pregnant women should always eat fructose in moderation in order to be completely safe and to avoid obesity and diabetes -- which can also put the health of both the mom and baby at risk.