Why you should not take soft drinks during pregnancy

Pregnant women and breastfeeding mums have been warned to stay away from foods that are high in sugar as it increases the risk of their kids being obese or diabetic, the Cable lifestyle reports.

This is according to a new study published in The Journal of Physiology.

According to a research done on female rats by scholars from the University of South Australia, the female rats water supplemented with fructose-containing sugars at an amount equivalent to those in standard soft drinks, before, during and after pregnancy.

After delivery, the new borns were given same fructose-containing beverage. When the body weight, fat mass and glucose control in the offspring were measured, it was discovered to have a detrimental fat composition in their livers

This can negatively impact the metabolic health of the offspring, contributing to the development of obesity or type 2 diabetes in the future.

“This study highlights the importance of maternal nutrition during the lactation period. Guidelines for consuming added sugars or sugar-sweetened beverages during pregnancy should consider this,” said Sheridan Gentili, senior lecturer in biological sciences at the University of South Australia, and lead investigator of the study.

“As there are differences in physiology between humans and rodents, we need to be careful when translating this research directly to humans.”

Many kinds of cereal, sugary soft drinks and other processed foods have fructose-containing sugars, including sucrose and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Excess consumption of these sugars is a major contributor to obesity and type 2 diabetes.