High Fructose Diet Linked To Poor Fetal and Maternal Outcomes

Fructose is a simple sugar that is found in fruits, fruit juices, honey and certain vegetables. Fructose is also mixed with glucose to make high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is used as a sweetener. Excessive intake of fructose has been found to be associated with obesity and diabetes. 

A recent study established a close relationship between excessive fructose consumption during pregnancy and the risk of placental and fetal defects. The study went on to reveal that Allopurinol, a drug used in the treatment of gout and kidney stones, holds the potential of counteracting these effects. 

The researchers called attention to the fact that there has been a steep rise in the use of sugar and HFCS containing products in the recent years. According to the statistics of CDC, the calorie consumption in the form of added sugars, especially HFCS, in the adult population in the United States is around 13%, which is way higher than the recommended amount of 5-10%. 

High Fructose Diet Causes Larger Placentas and Smaller Fetuses 

The study was carried out by Dr. Kelle H. Moley, MO, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and colleagues. The study was subsequently published in Scientific Reports. The aim of the study was to study the health impacts of high fructose diet in pregnant women. 

Experiments were carried out on pregnant rats that were divided into two groups. One group was fed a high fructose diet while the other group was given standard chow. The effect of both types of diet on the mice was studied subsequently. 

Higher levels of triglycerides as well as uric acid were found in the pregnant mice that fed on high fructose diet. Triglycerides are formed as a result of degradation of fructose in the liver. 

The scientist discovered that the pregnant mice that were given high fructose diet had larger placentas and smaller fetuses as compared to the mice that were given standard chow. It was noted that after the birth, a small for gestational age fetus undergoes faster growth as compared to a fetus that is normal in size at the time of birth. 

It was stipulated that the increase in the level of triglycerides and uric acid can also lead to other complications of pregnancy like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. 

Allopurinol Offsets Maternal and Fetal Impacts of High Fructose Diet

The researchers went on to study whether or not these animal findings were reflected in humans. They studied the fructose consumption of 18 pregnant women who were to undergo caesarian section. It was observed that the women who consumed fructose in high amounts faced fetal and placental effects similar to those in pregnant mice. 

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This discovery led to valuable preventive measure to prevent fetal and placental defects in the form of low fructose diet. Another preventive intervention that was devised on the basis of these findings was to use allopurinol. Allopurinol is the drug used in the treatment of gout and kidney stones as it lowers the level of uric acid. 

When given to pregnant mice, allopurinol lowered the levels of uric acid within the placenta, reversing the adverse placental and fetal effects of high fructose diet. Fortunately, allopurinol is a drug that has been declared as safe for use during the later trimesters of pregnancy. 

Adhering to low fructose diet and consuming natural foods rather than processed ones that contain HFCS is, therefore, imperative for preventing the harmful effects of high fructose diet in order to improve the maternal and fetal health. 

5 Reasons Why Fructose Is Bad For You

Despite the known fact that too much sugar is bad for health, sugars have become an important part of the standard Western diets. Table sugar in the form of sucrose and High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) represent a major portion of the daily calorie consumption. Here is why excessive fructose is harmful for your health.

1. Increases Fat Content of Body 

Sucrose and fructose, both, are comprised of simple sugars glucose and fructose. Glucose is imperative for the normal functioning of the body. However, the same cannot be said about fructose. Being a natural component of fruits, fructose is ingested in diet but is not produced by the human body. The mechanism by which fructose is metabolized in the body is also very different as compared to glucose. 

While glucose is utilized by nearly all body cells, fructose is metabolized only by the liver cells. When the level of fructose in the body exceeds the metabolic capacity of liver, the liver cells start converting fructose into fat which is exported out of the liver in the form of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), resulting in hyperlipidemia. 

VLDLs are quite harmful for health and it is now believed that excessive fructose production may be the most important etiological factor behind most of the health disorders caused by increased fat levels in the body including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart problems. 

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2. Escalates the Uric Acid Synthesis 

The metabolic process of fructose is quite different from that of glucose. Fructose turnover in the liver cells ultimately results in the production of uric acid. Excessive fructose can cause the uric acid levels in the body to rise, ultimately resulting in the accumulation of uric acid in body sites such as joints and kidneys. The inevitable result of high fructose diet is development of gout and precipitation of excess uric acid in the form of kidney stones. 

3. Can Lead To Fatty Liver 

High fructose diet can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which results from the accumulation of the excess fats produced from fructose in the liver cells. Studies have shown individuals with NAFLD to have a high intake of sugary soft drinks which plays more important a role than age, sex and racial factors. 

4. May Cause Cancer 

Fructose has been intimately linked with insulin resistance in the body. High insulin resistance is associated with increase in the level of insulin like growth factor (IGF-1). Rise in the level of IGF-1has been shown to support tumor growth. It is closely associated with an increase in the risk of different types of cancers in the body, particularly the colorectal cancer. 

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5. It Makes You Fat

High fructose diet has been proved to be linked with increased Leptin resistance. Leptin is the key protein involved in the regulation of fat metabolism and storage in the body. With the cells being unresponsive to the effects of Leptin, the fat metabolism steers out of control leading to obesity and a morbid increase in the body mass index (BMI). 

The adverse health effects of high fructose diet is the reason why you need to give a wide berth to fructose in diet, replacing sweetened fruit juices and beverages with healthier foods that have a low fructose content.