High fructose corn syrup drink and breast milk fructose
What it found
In 41 breastfeeding mothers, drinking a high fructose corn syrup sweetened soda raised fructose levels in their breast milk for up to five hours.
Glucose and lactose levels in the milk did not change.
What they found
Studies in people
Breast milk fructose rose
After the high fructose corn syrup drink, breast milk fructose rose from a fasting level of 5.0 µg/mL to a peak of 9.4 µg/mL at three hours. It stayed higher than baseline for up to five hours.
Fructose doubled
The authors report that the high fructose corn syrup drink doubled the fructose concentration in breast milk within three hours compared with the control drink.
Glucose unchanged
Breast milk glucose did not change after either drink. The fasting level was 0.6 mg/mL and there was no difference between the two drinks over the six hours.
Lactose unchanged
Breast milk lactose also did not change after either drink. The fasting level was 6.8 g/dL and there was no difference between the two drinks.
Weight status no effect
Whether the mothers were normal weight or obese before pregnancy did not change any of these results.
What the authors conclude
“Overall, the findings from this study revealed that mothers’ consumption of an HFCS-sweetened beverage significantly increased concentrations of breast milk fructose, which persisted for five hours, with no effect on breast milk glucose or lactose.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that drinking a high fructose corn syrup sweetened beverage significantly increased breast milk fructose concentrations, which stayed elevated for five hours, with no effect on breast milk glucose or lactose.
- They say the consequences of habitually higher breast milk fructose for infants need more research.
- They advise that this should be studied with a larger sample size that collects more data on maternal diet and metabolic outcomes.
How it was done
The authors wanted to know whether sugars a mother eats or drinks during breastfeeding change the sugar content of her breast milk. They were especially interested in fructose because early exposure has been linked to appetite and weight problems in infants.
At six weeks after giving birth, 41 exclusively breastfeeding women were randomly assigned to drink either a high fructose corn syrup sweetened beverage or an artificially sweetened control beverage on two separate days. Each woman pumped a full breast milk sample every hour for six hours after drinking, and the milk was tested for fructose, glucose and lactose.
What it can’t tell you
- This study measured fructose levels in breast milk, not what those levels do to a baby's health.
- It cannot show whether the small rise in breast milk fructose has any lasting effect on infant growth or development.
- The mothers were mostly from one racial and demographic group, so the results may not apply to all breastfeeding women.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, and in the decision to publish the results.
- Authors work at
- The University of Southern California, USA; The University of Oklahoma, USA; The University of Minnesota School of Public Health, USA
The paper
- Title
- High-Fructose Corn-Syrup-Sweetened Beverage Intake Increases 5-Hour Breast Milk Fructose Concentrations in Lactating Women
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Berger PK, Fields DA, Demerath EW, Fujiwara H, Goran MI (2018). High-Fructose Corn-Syrup-Sweetened Beverage Intake Increases 5-Hour Breast Milk Fructose Concentrations in Lactating Women. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu10060669Free full textPubMed 29795005DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error