Mama, Put Down That Pepsi!
As evident by the deluge of commercials concerning "high fructose corn syrup" (some arguing that it is a 'natural' sugar while others decrying the evil virtues of the additive) and "sugar-free" this-or-that, this discussion is quite the hot topic.
Yes, some may argue that high fructose corn syrup comes from a 'natural' source (i.e. corn); however, that is fodder for a different discussion. Also, some will argue against various sweeteners (i.e. aspartame, sorbitol, saccharine, and so on)...again, this could and should be covered in a separate post.
 |
| High fructose corn syrup is one of the main ingredients in sugary soft drinks (1). |
What isn't debatable is that we who partake in the Western diet often over-indulge and that we have an obesity epidemic, which includes a plethora of maladies.
 |
| Picture taken from (2). |
Recently, at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology meeting, Harvard researchers presented data that they say show a causal link between the high caloric intake of high fructose corn syrup by pregnant women and the likelihood that the child develops asthma. Their presented data show a 22% increase in the likelihood of the child developing asthma when the mother consumes a high fructose diet during the second trimester of the pregnancy. A similar result occurs if the child consumes a high fructose diet during the first two years of his/her childhood.
The researchers postulate that the bulk of the caloric intake for the pregnant mothers is in the form of beverages sweetened by high fructose corn syrup whereas the children are consuming large quantities of fruit juices. They also state that their results take into account that different socioeconomic and ethnic groups indulge in larger quantities of these high caloric beverages.
So, does this mean that expecting mothers should forgo their favorite cola? Should children avoid fruit juice after hearing of the beneficial aspects of said juice for generations now? No, not really. Moderation should be the key for many individuals. Unless the individual has another underlying condition (such as gestational diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, and so on), the expectant mother should be able to enjoy an occasional cola if she so chooses; however, the expectant mother DOES NEED to rein in the amount consumed. Healthy children should be able to consume a normal dose of juice, but the child should be given high-quality juices (i.e. 100% juices rather than those that have been watered down and sweetened with sugar). Again, it is to be moderated rather than over-indulging in the juice. Too much of a 'good thing' is definitely 'bad' in this instance.
We should note that these results have yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal; however, it is definitely food for thought (pun intended!).
For more, please see the article below:
Mom's, Kid's Fructose Intake Linked to Asthma
References
1. http://maestrosci.blogspot.com/p/ch-18-carboxylic-acids.html
2. http://cl.jroo.me/z3/l/t/3/d/a.baa-cute-little-fat-kid-acrobat.jpg
Okay, first of all, LOL at the second picture (cute little fat kid acrobat). If only I was so nimble. This research is really interesting, especially since health is becoming such a huge concern in America. I've always seen the differing opinions on high fructose corn syrup, so it's nice to actually hear about it from a professor. The research going into this is going to be very important for generations to come. The most intriguing part was about the link to asthma. Having asthma as a kid, it would be exciting to see some kind of benefit to those who have asthma coming out of this research!
ReplyDeleteI think it’s incredibly interesting that when our perspective is so focused on one thing it becomes difficult to see anything else. For example, whenever we (or at least me, personally) think about high fructose corn syrup, we think "diabetes". We also tend to think that our actions only have an effect us. However, as so greatly demonstrated through this study, that is not always true. This study shows that high fructose corn syrup consumption can contribute to maternal health and fetal health.
ReplyDeleteIt is believed that high fructose corn syrup can cause an inflammatory response in the fetus that contributes to asthma. This occurs when consumed in copious amounts by the mother during fetal development, or the child during the first two years of life. This adds a whole new perspective to the negative effects of high fructose corn syrup and makes me wonder what other negative effects are present and yet to be discovered. Although this article has yet to be peer reviewed, the idea that high fructose syrup can cause asthma is a very thought-provoking idea, and the implications are huge. This is likely not the ONLY cause of asthma, but reducing maternal high fructose corn syrup intake could be a huge step in eliminating certain cases of childhood asthma.
Wow, that is fascinating. I had no idea that there was a link between high fructose corn syrup and asthma. I think that they key to this article is to remember that everything we intake should be in moderation. Faith integration- when we over indulge in material possessions, or when we eat too much, or when we have no restraints, then we are sinning against God and sin leads to death. Very interesting read!
ReplyDeleteFor years I have heard about fructose corn syrup from different people, teachers, coaches, shoppers and even my mother. Unfortunately, most of this people did not have anything good to say about it. Many times it has been linked to many different disease and disorders, without any evidence. My view of high fructose corn syrup was not good and I have always wondered why the FDA is allowing it. It is good to see Harvard researchers are concerned enough to do something about it. Despite its usefulness and the amount of money it’s making many companies, if the recent finding is published, fructose corn syrup should be eliminated if not decreased in its use.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Preston. Faith integration! This is truly something that was a theme last semester in the scriptures I was reading. Basically, everything in moderation - except Jesus. Too much of anything, even a good thing, can be detrimental. At the least, you run the risk of become obsessive. With that in mind, "everything in moderation" holds especially true when that "everything" is referring to junk that is not generally good for you anyway! I often fear that modern society is heading more and more toward the heavy (literally) condition of people in the movie WALL-E. Although I am lazy when it comes to exercise, I think that limiting soda intake and exercising regularly will go a long way in preventing that.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting that there has been an observed correlation between high fructose intake and asthma. One thing that stood out to me was that the Western diet has a tendency towards overindulgence. Does this mean that this relationship has only been observed in the Western world? I think that, as mentioned in the post, moderation has to be emphasized. After all, too much of anything (no matter what it is) is never good.
ReplyDeleteAs assumed, diet of the expecting mother is such a crucial aspect in the baby's development. However, never would I have imagined that something that we consume so often can cause such consequences such as asthma in the newborn. When we hear "high fructose corn syrup" we automatically think: bad, obesity and diabetes. The question is do we really know what that means to our body? Is it possible to make better food choices in our daily-to-go-fast-paced-life?
ReplyDeleteThe truth is yes, it's possible but highly improbable that most people would choose to invest time and money into this change. Ironically enough, this problem is seem much less in third world countries. Due to the decrease in industrialization and economic difference, natural products tend to be consumed more often. Therefore, health problems commonly seen is the "western world" due to diet are less seem among them, but other ones such as hunger and malnutrition rise considerably.
So as long as we have the possibility to choose what we put into our bodies, we should take the knowledge and resources available to live a healthier life because it can not only affect us but future generations.
It’s amazing how miniscule factors in the maternal environment can impact the developing fetus so strongly. There are plenty of studies about how environmental stressors like maternal smoking, hypertension, alcohol consumption, and even coffee can negatively effect the embryo. Before reading this study, I knew that soda intake is bad for mother and child alike, but I had no idea it was so directly correlated to asthma. This is an extremely interesting finding that warrants further investigation. Not only is this study thorough and comprehensive, but it also presents data that is highly applicable to the general population. The size of this study was impressive: Over 1,100 maternal test subjects were used (2,200 subjects if one counts the infants and assume that twins were not a factor).
ReplyDeleteFor the Coca-Cola company, this study is nothing new. They are used to criticism in nearly every shape and form-- from complaints about the health of their ingredients to concerns about why a wind-burned Santa Claus is promoting the beverage. After decades of controversy, Coca-Cola has recently introduced their “natural” Coca-Cola Life beverage containing the non-caloric, plant-based sweetener Stevia. (Unfortunately, many people forget that corn syrup and sucrose are also obtained from natural sources.) Although this change is hailed as a step in the right direction, others suggest that Coca-Cola is merely shifting their tactics and marketing platform to ensnare more Cola imbibers. Regardless of the company’s motives, research will prove the ultimate decider of healthful choices. And as far as current Cola products go, science unanimously screams, “Mama, put down that Pepsi!”
This was a very interesting article! I always associate high fructose corn syrup with obesity, diabetes, and associated sugar-driven diseases. It is very interesting and unexpected that high intake of high fructose corn syrup is correlated with the development of asthma. I agree with Rylan that it is amazing how the small choices of pregnant women can greatly affect the developmental process of their unborn child. It sure makes you wonder how generations of children survived centuries ago when almost nothing was known about medical science. It's also intriguing to think about how much will be known about developmental health in future generations. The article mentions that this correlation is seen because a high amount of high fructose corn syrup during lung development takes an indirect inflammatory pathway. I am interested to know what other body systems are developing during this time that may also be affected.
ReplyDeleteWow this was a cool study. I wonder how they went about going through this monitoring. Did they tell women to intake certain amounts of fructose at different stages of pregnancy? Or did they just monitor their normal daily amount of fructose intake throughout pregnancy? It's crazy how there are so many different things that can effect the fetus while in utero. A lot of pregnant mothers crave sugary beverages during pregnancy but a majority of them would most likely give up fructose for the health of their baby. This study is really interesting to me, I wonder how they even decided to come up with this study to see if fructose could be related to developmental issues. As more and more mothers and families are taking the more "natural route" to raising their children such as juicing at home and eating organic foods, there are a lot of children that aren't drinking high fructose drinks at the age of 2. I wonder how many women after reading this article will forfeit their sugary drinks while pregnant and stop giving high fructose drinks to their 2 year olds.
ReplyDeleteThis day and age there is so much controversy concerning foodstuffs that may or may not be good for consumer health, everything from high fructose corn syrup to genetically modified corn. When will it ever end? If there is hard evidence that proves pregnant mothers who drink high amounts of high fructose corn syrup do in fact contribute to their child's asthma, then expecting mothers should definately be educated about this potential hazard. This idea is somewhat similar to alcohol consumption during pregnancy, of course this is associated with negative effects, and if more of the population knew that high fructose corn syrup was indeed harmful to their children, then perhaps there would be a decline in the amount of asthma cases. This however leads to another problem with propaganda since soda and juice companies would not willingly advertise that their products are potentially dangerous in large quantities, but perhaps if more people knew about this issue, then the world could "open happiness"-- with or without coca-cola.
ReplyDeleteThis article was rather interesting though it was not peer-reviewed so its findings may prove to be invalid. I wonder if the percentage of children that develop asthma will remain as high if more research is conducted and published. Regardless, pregnant women and mothers of infants need to be cautious of their diet. Too many mothers allow their infants, or themselves, to have an unbalanced diet that can cause long-term health problems, such as diabetes or apparently even asthma. My wife during her time as a day-care worker saw many children between the ages of 1 and 2 come packed with lunches that contain only carbohydrates, sweets, and diluted fruit juices week after week. It is sad to see future generations develop health problems due to the poor choices of their parents. Hopefully, as public awareness continues to grow, more parents will take proactive steps to ensure their children are properly nourished.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be a greater issue with asthma is the US than in other countries. I always thought it was due to the facts that children spend more time inside playing video games than being active outside where their lungs can become stronger and get use to inhaling dust and dirt.
ReplyDeleteKnowing that the diet of the mother can be a factor for childhood asthma is something I would have never thought of. High fructose corn syrup tends to have a bad rep with Americans but I have always heard from other sources that it is not bad at all.
In general, I would be more concerned with childhood obesity being linked to the consumption of high fructose corn syrup than asthma. Wouldn’t want to turn out being that kid doing the split in the air but then again, at least he’s trying.
Topics like this are very important to research because of the current health standing of Americans and what future health projections are telling us. I thought the connection between high fructose corn syrup and asthma was very interesting and not something I really would have thought about linking! Before I really got into this reading I thought the article would be discussing the prevalence of obesity in relation to the diets of pregnant mothers. Regardless, asthma is still a health problem that should be prevented from occurring if it is within our realm of influence.
ReplyDeleteGeneral health is important no matter the type of individual, but in pregnant mothers proper nutrition is important to more than just their own wellbeing. I don't think that it is wrong to consume soft drinks or drinks with high sugar content in moderation while pregnant, but I do think that the health risks of more than just certain liquids should be thoroughly and openly discussed with future mothers. Proper health while pregnant, as well as reducing asthma in children, means more than not consuming high fructose corn syrup; it means being knowledgeable about what is being put in the body and how what is consumed will benefit or hinder personal and infant health.
Interesting to say the least. However, I would like to play the Devil's Advocate (AKA) A spokesman for Mountain Dew. In the actual article, it states how these results were based only off the mothers word, not a controlled environment. This study could be replicated (and probably has been) with lab rats and if it showed the same results, linking the high fructose corn syrup to asthma, then I would agree. However, this study could perhaps still have to many variables, such as race. But for now, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to lay off the Mountain Dew. lol
ReplyDeleteGood point, Devil's Advocate!
DeleteThis is a very interesting topic because it addresses an important and prevalent health issue known as asthma. The number of people with asthma continues to grow yearly. According to the American academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, 1 in 10 children and 1 in 12 adults has asthma. Aside Asthma, high caloric intake has been linked with chronic diseases like gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and heart diseases in previous research studies. The bottom line of this research is that too much of a good thing (caloric intake) is very bad and harmful to one's health.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't to shocking to me. Its always important to make sure you don't over indulge too much of one thing is bad. Soda not being a really nutritional drink can lead to these factors of obesity. Whenever you may be over weight you place more work upon respiratory system. Fructose and these other corn syrups are just going to have to be things we pay close attention to and make sure there is proper exercise and diet. Because without this we can place health issue such as asthma
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting article! I'm even discussing it with my roommate because she is very into nutrition. This is the reason why we are the most obese country. It is simply because we aren't truly educated about the chemicals that we put into our bodies. For instance, aspartame is linked to brain cancer and tumors as well. I believe this is why cancer is continuing to become more widespread because of these chemicals we are putting into our bodies. My other issue is how come our society decides that it is ok to place these chemicals into our drinks, or food? Why can't we have healthier sweet drinks without all the artificial sweeteners?
ReplyDeleteI am not surprised that corn syrup is being taken into consideration when it comes to asthma, however there are numerous factors attributing to both asthma and obesity. I personally don't plan on drinking pop whenever I do have a child, but that's because I don't like pop that much. As far as juice goes, it is so easy to find healthy juice. All you have to do is read the label. So as far as not drinking juice goes, I believe that is a bit extreme. I have heard numerous times not to drink pop when you are pregnant, whether that actually holds truth to it, I don't know. However, I do know that if someone wants to eliminate something completely from their diet they should never completely quit out of no where. They need to quit gradually, so if a lot of pregnant people want to do that, good for them. If they don't want to, then I would say just don't go crazy with the pop, and juice. Moderation is key.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting article. Although the author is pushing for "moderation in all things," when discussing the correlation between drinking sodas and the healthiness of newborns, I believe the serious and dangerous side effects of high fructose corn syrup are being heavily underestimated. Many studies have determined a link between genetically modified corn syrup and chronic heart disease, diabetes, and a whole host of disease. Furthermore, even juice itself, often pushed as a healthy alternative, isn't really balanced at all. Any given juice is actually the concentration of what is normally found in a fruit. When people drink a cup of juice, they are really ingesting the equivalent to an exuberant amount of fruit quantity. In reality, juice isn't much healthier than soda. I'd say more than moderation is key - genetically modified foods should be avoided to the best of one's ability. A mother seriously concerned for the healthiness of her soon-to-be newborn should forgo all of these risks, at least while what she eats effects more than herself.
ReplyDeleteI have always heard that high fructose corn syrup is something that you want to stay away from. High fructose corn syrup is bad for you and that's all that I have ever heard. My mom loves her soda. She does not function well unless she has her daily drink of a McDonald's coke. After reading this article, this habit of my moms is even more interesting. You see both my brother and I had asthma at an early age. I also know that my mom ingested her daily quantities of high fructose corn syrup. This makes me wonder if that habit of my moms had anything to do with my development of asthma. But I believe that this is such an interesting statement about a link between high fructose corn syrup and asthma. This is because such a vast population ingest high fructose corn syrup regularly that I find it hard to believe that you can separate those that don't make high fructose corn syrup a part of their daily diet. The thing that I believe we should take away from this article is that there is a definite need for a healthier diet in America. Obesity is on the rise and that definitely needs to be addressed.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very interesting. I would not have thought about associating sugar/fructose corn syrup with asthma. It makes sense that the body would not work appropriately when fed a grand amount of sugar, especially concerning physical abilities…but asthma? After learning that a child’s lungs are developed during the second trimester of his/her development, I am able to understand and appreciate the results of this study.
ReplyDeleteI was raised in a low- to mid-socioeconomic community, and I can relate to the outcomes of this study. Mothers of low-socioeconomic standing seemed to have the worst cases – highest BMI, highest sugar intake, and most likely worst health when compared to women of other socioeconomic stances. It may potentially be hard for women of the low- to mid-socioeconomic standing to change their nutritional intake because of the need to save money wherever possible (presenting the need to buy less costly, and likely less healthy, food items), and also likely due to lack of health knowledge. For instance, I grew up by with the Hispanic Caribbean culture. Very seldomly do individuals of this type of culture practice healthy lifestyles (especially when considering food and exercise). Plus, a majority of my home population are living paycheck to paycheck, stretching every dollar available to them, as well as raising two or more children. In such cases I would hope for healthy choices to be made, but I completely understand that sometimes it just is not possible.
Well, my mom must have read this article before my siblings and I were all born because she would never allow us to have pop or sugary drinks AT ALL when we were younger. Even as an adult when I come home on breaks, sugary drink loaded with high fructose corn syrup are very frowned upon in the Jordan household. And apparently all my mom's worry over pop worked, none of us have asthma!
ReplyDeleteBut on a serious note, to think that consumption of high quantities of high fructose corn syrup and other artificial sugars can cause gestational or pediatric asthma is very intriguing. Not saying that alternative sugars are the sole cause of asthma, but I would have never connected the two. Obviously, there needs be better awareness of this issue among excepting mothers and parents of young children. We can't expect companies like Coca-Cola and Splenda to stop selling a product that has proved to be a very lucrative business venture. Parents will just have to take the health of their children in their own hands and be responsible to feed their children a proper diet. By feeding their children a well balanced diet, it will teach them how to eat in moderation leading to a decrease in the obesity problem in Western society.
This was a very interesting article. I feel like we all inherently know that sugar is bad for us, especially high fructose corn syrup. I do not think that I could have ever made the connection of drinking high amounts of high fructose corn syrup in the second trimester and having a child who will develop asthma. It was also interesting to see that the children who consume a lot of sugary juices also are likely to develop asthma. I guess it does make sense that the highly processed juices that are so popular today would have some adverse affects on growing children. I had quite a few friends who had asthma growing up, and this article makes me want to go to their parents and ask them questions about their high fructose corn syrup intake just to see.
ReplyDeleteThis is a pretty interesting study, especially in my own potential application of it. Personally I have been a drinker of pop/soda my entirely life, and I have grown accustom to it being a part of my dietary habits. Personally, I use soda as a small treat to enhance the enjoyment of my meal and destress; the thought of removing soda entirely from my diet actually makes me feel a substantial amount of disquiet. Whether soda decreases stress and cortisol levels in my blood, or this is all psychological and placebo, is its own debate. Assuming it does, what would have the greater overall benefit? On the one hand I could never drink pop again and avoid the potential negative effects of the various ingredients, but at the cost of potentially increasing stress! One could put forth the proposition that putting down the Soda would be the noble thing to “Dew” ;) as it would probably benefit my children (predicated on the assumption that the father’s consumption of soda has similar effects as the mother’s). However, stress can have just as a disastrous effect on the child as high fructose corn syrup. 1 Opposed to falling to analysis by paralysis, I choose to continue to drink and be merry!.. Although now in moderation.
ReplyDeleteReferences
1.http://maestrosci.blogspot.com/2015/10/take-chill-pill-dad.html#comment-form
This article is partially knowledge that each of us have already been made aware of. For example, we have heard time and time again to stay away from things such as sugar and high fructose corn syrup. When we are looking for the answer to this and ask "why," the response is a simple, "because it is bad for you." Generically, this is a true statement, but we need to learn the why to the why. I feel as though we still have limited knowledge as to what exactly goes into our bodies and what it does to us. With this, our population keeps becoming unhealthier with an included high rate of obesity. Furthermore, I find this article interesting and feel as though it is an educational tool for everyone.
ReplyDeleteAlthough 22% is not an extremely large increase, it is an increase none the less. Asthma is a serious issue, which I suspect is indirectly linked to diabetes by how it effects exercise levels. The testing parameters were quite large (1,111 cohorts), suggesting that the data is accurate, assuming no biases. If this information is true, what do we do with it? I think it's a bit ridiculous to regulate a product like soda at the level of the consumer. A good start would be to inform doctors of the study, so that they in turn can pass the information down to expectant mothers and mothers of young children. Good parenting dictates that the sugar intake of children should be limited anyway.
ReplyDeleteThis study makes me question causation though. A child that drinks more soda (high fructose corn syrup by default) is more likely to get diabetes. A link between diabetes and asthma has been shown on many occasions. More testing needs to be done to find a definitive conclusion, but the findings are interesting regardless.
I like this article due to the fact that health and relation of sugars and fats to diets has been a huge topic for nutritionists in the past few years. High fructose corn syrup is one of those big topics. It's interesting that it relates to the development of asthma when overly consumed by pregnant women however. It is not surprising though, due to the fact that the transition from the first to the second trimester is an important time in development for the fetus. But as any pregnant or expecting mother should know, that a moderated diet will yield the best health results for herself and her child. As any person should know that everything is ok in moderation. Therefore, of course, an expecting mother can have a soda ever once in a while, but she shouldn't be over indulging. As for fruit juices, 100% fruit juice is always a better alternative that the sugar packed and watered down juice. There are healthy alternative everywhere, its a matter of making a choice for the betterment of the mother and the child.
ReplyDeleteI personally love soda. I hope the soda a drink does not affect me because I do not want to quit drinking it.
ReplyDeleteThe picture of the little boy jumping really added personality to this article. I would never thought that a high caloric diet from high fructose corn syrup could be linked to asthma. It is definitely an interesting issue. America does indeed have an indulgence problem where most people can't just enjoy a little of a good thing. I really do enjoy soda and happy to know that as long as my intake is in moderation, this won't be an issue for me when I am pregnant.
ReplyDeleteI personally am sensitively allergic to high fructose corn syrup and therefore try to avoid it as much as possible, however I do consume more than I would like to because it is in so many of our foods and drinks today. That's also a scary fact to know that your child's juice intake can affect them negatively even though juice isn't necessarily a bad thing. Or the fact that a pregnant mother consuming too much high fructose corn syrup can increase their baby's chance of getting asthma. Everything in moderation really is key in our diet choices. My mom used to tell me that phrase all the time growing up because I have a huge sweet tooth and I would drink juice constantly. The older I get, the more I come to understand that phrase and how even though something may be labeled, "good" or "okay for you", doesn't mean that it can't hurt you if you consume too much of it.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading through this article my first thought was "how can drinking Coke/Pepsi cause asthma?" It doesn't seem like there should be a direct link or correlation there. I understand that there are negative effects to consuming too much sugar. That makes complete sense, especially after Madeline Wills broke down the basics of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in her capstone project last semester. I learned from that presentation that a common misconception is that these high fructose corn syrup diets are gotten from natural sources so orange or apple juice must be good for our health. The unfortunate truth, however, is that these diets contain glucose and fructose in such high amounts that it can lead to obesity, atherosclerosis, and other cardiac function related problems with repeated consumption. As it pertains to the development of asthma in young children, she never mentioned that and I am still not sure how I feel about the research conducted in this experiment especially because they depended on subjective self-reporting and Dr. Daystorms has taught us that people tend to lie in these type of experiments. Nonetheless, I cannot deny that this topic is important to our present society and should be extensively investigated. I,however, suggest that future experiments should be made more credible by using more objective means of collecting data if at all possible.
ReplyDelete