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

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-05/wuis-hdd050416.php

Public Release: 4-May-2016
High-fructose diet during pregnancy may harm placenta, restrict fetal growth
Drug prescribed to treat gout, kidney stones may negate the sugar's ill effects
Washington University in St. Louis

Consuming a high-fructose diet during pregnancy may cause defects in the placenta and restrict fetal growth, potentially increasing a baby's risk for metabolic health problems later in life, according to research in mice and people by a team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

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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.

"Since the early 1970s, we've been eating more fructose than we should," said Kelle H. Moley, MD, the School of Medicine's James P. Crane Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the study's senior author.

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