Allergies and allergic asthma in offspring have been tied to maternal sugar intake during pregnancy, according to research published in the European Respiratory Journal and reported by Medical News Today.
Researchers looked at 9,000 mother-child pairs in the UK and examined the links between pregnant mothers’ consumption of free sugars (defined as monosaccharides and disaccharides that were added to foods and drinks, and sugars that occur naturally in honey, syrups, and fruit juices) and allergies.
Offspring were tested for allergies when they were 7 years old, using positive skin tests to allergens such as dust mite, cats, and grass.
There was a 38% increase in the risk of allergies, as well as a 101% increase in the risk of allergic asthma, for children whose mothers had the highest sugar intake.
However, the study did not find enough evidence for an association between free sugar intake in pregnancy and asthma overall.
