When our babies are fed with breast milk, they take all the nutrients necessary for their development from the foods we consume. While it is not necessary to follow a strict or special diet during breastfeeding, yes It is important that we have a balanced diet like any person.
A new study found that fructose, a natural sweetener that is present in many foods and that is related to problems such as obesity or diabetes, passes from the mother to the baby through breast milk, which increase the risk of metabolic problems.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, was published in February on the website Nutrients and shows the results of an investigation involving 25 mothers with their babies.
Babies were analyzed for the study when they were one and six months old. During this period they were fed solely on breast milk and were given less than 220 grams of formula milk per week, according to the mothers. The researchers sampled mothers' breast milk and measured the levels of different types of sugar, such as lactose, glucose and fructose. In babies, they measured the level of fat, muscle mass and bone mass.
Preliminary evidence from the study shows that fructose, even a small amount equivalent to the weight of a grain of rice in the consumption of one-day breast milk, is related to weight gain and muscle.
Fructose, which can be found in fruits, processed foods or soft drinks, is not a natural component of breast milk. This type of sweetener passes as "secondhand sugar" to nursing babies, coming from the mother's diet, so precautions should be taken to prevent exposure of high amounts of sugar to babies during their development.
It is clear that the fructose found in fruits is not harmful. The sugar found in fruits is natural and our body processes it differently from fructose in other foods, which is added industrially for flavor and is more risky for health due to its link with obesity.
When a baby or a child receives high amounts of sugar, cognitive development and learning problems can occur, as well as increase the risk of future diseases such as diabetes, fatty liver or heart disease.
According to the researchers, breast milk contains other natural and healthy sugars that are beneficial for the growth and development of babies, such as lactose, which is the main source of carbohydrates and that makes breast milk very beneficial.
It has been previously verified that the fructose that mothers consume influences the health of the baby since pregnancyA few months ago, a study revealed that a diet high in fructose can damage the placenta and restrict fetal growth.
Researchers recommend that mothers limit their consumption of sugar during pregnancy and breastfeeding to prevent high amounts of their children. In addition, precautions can be taken to protect infants and children from the harmful effects of sugar by carefully choosing the foods we buy, such as formula and pots, noting that they contain no added sugars or artificial sweeteners.
This results They are not a reason to stop breastfeeding or get a very strict diet. While the mother's diet is what determines the composition of the milk, we must remember that the milk of all mothers is good, because it covers the needs of the baby. Even researchers reaffirm that breast milk continues to be the best food for babies and that mothers should continue breastfeeding as long as possible.
The important thing here is that we must always remember to take care of our food, since regardless of whether they are breastfed or not, it is important that we all equally have a balanced diet to take care of our health.
