Obesity in infants can be caused by the sugar content in breast milk

If the mother does not pay attention to her food intake during the breastfeeding period, it will affect the baby's health, for example the problem of obesity. Because breastfeeding is a process of transferring food substances that are consumed by mothers to be given to their children through breast milk. That is the reason, it is very important for mothers to pay attention to the intake of nutritious and healthy foods during breastfeeding.

One of the foods that are prone to excessive consumption is sugar. Usually, under normal conditions breastfeeding mothers are more likely to feel hungry and tend to like sweet foods, this is what sometimes makes mothers forget to control their own blood sugar.

Sugar can be transferred through breast milk and increases the risk of obesity in children

A study conducted by researchers from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California showed that the fructose sugar content in food can be transferred from mother to baby through breast milk. From these studies it is known that the fructose sugar content that is transferred by the mother through breast milk can increase the risk of the baby being overweight or obese.

Fructose sugar is not a natural component of breast milk, it can be found in fruit, processed foods and sodas. This fructose content is referred to as "residual sugar" which comes from the mother's diet.

Goran, founding director of the Childhood Obesity Research Center at the Keck School of Medicine says, if babies and children are allowed to consume large amounts of fructose sugar during their growth and development process, they are more at risk of developing problems with their cognitive development and creating lifelong risks. have obesity, diabetes, liver disease and heart disease.

Other studies have shown that the fructose sugar content and artificial sweeteners in breast milk are very damaging and harmful during the critical growth and development period in the first year after the child is born. That is why, the fructose content in breast milk is very risky to children's health.

Fructose sugar content in breast milk

The first year after birth is a critical period for building brain tissue and strengthening the foundations of their metabolic system. If a baby swallows breast milk that has a high fructose content, the metabolic system will train pre-fat storage cells to become fat cells, thus increasing the risk of the baby one day being overweight or obese.

From the research data, the researchers say that the average baby who is 1 month old will consume 10 milligrams (about a grain of rice) of fructose from the mother's milk per day. One microgram of fructose per milliliter of breast milk - a thousand times lower than the amount of lactose found in breast milk, was associated with a 5 to 10 percent increase in body weight and body fat in infants by six months of age.

Tips for maintaining food intake during breastfeeding

Based on the research described above, that is why it is very important for mothers to pay attention to food intake that can be done by implementing a balanced nutritional diet so that they can produce healthy breast milk, not only for your little one but also for the health of your body.

To maintain and control food intake during breastfeeding, you can make lifestyle changes by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Start controlling food portions, getting adequate rest, controlling stress, and so on.

You can also avoid foods based on their importance, such as avoiding all processed food products that are high in artificial sweeteners such as soda, fruit juices with added sugar, candy, cakes, canned fruit, dried fruit and so on. It is better if you eat food in its original form. That is why, eating fresh fruits and vegetables is highly recommended during breastfeeding. Don't forget, you also need to balance your sugar intake from protein or fat.