There are countless good reasons to keep the sugar monster at bay during pregnancy – including healthy mom and baby weight gain, keeping energy levels constant, and decreasing the risk of developing gestational diabetes.
A recent study has highlighted another important connection: higher maternal intake of sugar during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of atopy (allergic diseases including eczema and asthma) in offspring, independent of sugar intake in early childhood.
The speculation is that sugar intake is contributing to atopic diseases in two main ways:
- Dietary sugar, especially fructose, is known to increase levels of CRP, an inflammatory protein, and uric acid which is an amplifier of allergic inflammation (in the case of pregnancy, the assumption is that sugar may be causing inflammation in both mom and baby, with long-term impacts on baby’s allergic inflammatory response)
- Fructose might influence atopic immune responses by unfavourably altering the microbiome (collection of micro-organisms also known as the “flora”) of the mother, and thus of baby as well through the birth process (where babies pick up their first big dose of both harmful and helpful microbes)
In my online program I devote a significant section to ensuring healthy sugar intake during pregnancy, including how to follow a low-glycemic diet in pregnancy and how to curb sugar cravings. Your diet decisions during pregnancy can have long-lasting impacts on you and your child – yet there are ways to satisfy those cravings without submitting to the sugar creature.
I hope you have found this helpful, and do let me know if you have any questions!
If you are hungry for more evidence-based information in your pregnancy, sign up for my free webinar: 7 Pregnancy Myths Debunked – and get the information you need to have a healthy pregnancy and a thriving baby.
And if you are a care-provider looking for evidence-based resources for your pregnant patients, please get in touch with us at support@myhealthypregnancyplan.com.
In health,
Dr Jocelyn Land-Murphy, ND
Terra Life
Disclaimer: The information and content provided is for general educational and informational purposes only and is not professional medical advice, nor is it intended to be a substitute therefore. Please consult the Disclaimer and Terms of Use for full details.
References:
Bedard, A. et al. (2017).Maternal intake of sugar during pregnancy and childhood respiratory and atopic outcomes.
Moses, R. G. (2006). Effect of low-glycemic-index diet during pregnancy on obstetric outcomes. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 84 (4): 807-812.