Lactation-friendly nutrition: Cookies launch as separate research shows impact of sugar in beverages

09 Oct 2020 --- Maternal nutrition is in the spotlight thanks to a lactation cookie launch and a study flagging the effects of sugary beverage consumption on breastfeeding. NutritionInsight speaks with both parties about the nutritional gaps for breastfeeding parents.

Happy Family Organics’ new Happy Mama Lactation Cookies target lactating parents’ nutritional needs while breastfeeding. The dairy-free cookies include 100 mg of DHA, an omega 3 fatty acid known to help support infant cognitive function and eye health.

Noticing that most US lactation cookies had similar ingredients but few nutrients specifically targeting lactating moms, Happy Family Organics developed a Nutrient Boost Blend to help support breastfeeding moms. The cookies’ patented Nutrition Boost Blend includes iron, vitamin D, B6 and B2, folic acid, biotin, thiamin and iodine.

“Many mothers prioritize their children’s health over their own. While it is a fact that the mother’s nutrition while breastfeeding affects her milk composition, many mothers may not realize this,” says Regina Fechter, vice president of the company’s innovation and business development.

Also, the cookies include traditional ingredients found in lactation cookie recipes, including oats, ground flaxseed and brewer’s yeast. They also do not contain dairy, which some mothers choose to avoid while breastfeeding, says Fechter.

“I also know from personal experience that breastfeeding mothers are looking for a treat when you’re pumping for your third or fourth time daily.” 

Happy Family Organic’s Nutrient Boost Blend was made to support the specific needs of breastfeeding mothers.According to Innova Market Insights data, NPD with a lactation-related claim have seen a CAGR of 32 percent (Global, 2015-2019). Last year, Arla Foods Ingredients developed two maternal supplementation prototypes to support children’s cognitive development during pregnancy and lactation. 

Sugary beverages seep into breastmilk
Meanwhile, a new study suggests which beverages new mothers may want to avoid.

Published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study revealed that of 88 tested mothers, those who reported consuming sugary drinks and juices during the breastfeeding period had children with poorer cognitive development scores nearly two years later.

 The research team was surprised to see fructose transmitted to nursing infants, given this is not a sugar typically present in breast milk and babies’ guts are not born capable of absorbing it. 

“The problem is not just that kids are craving more sugar and consuming more sugar. It’s that they are consuming different types of sugar that are disruptive for healthy growth and development,” explains co-author Dr. Michael Goran, program director for diabetes and obesity at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, US.

“The main culprit here is the switch in the last three decades to consuming more liquid sugar and more fructose-based sugars. This started in the 1980s with the introduction of high fructose corn syrup as a replacement for ordinary sugar and has 50 percent more fructose.”

In more recent years, Goran points to the increased use of other “healthy-sounding fruit-based sugars” that are also higher in fructose, such as evaporated fruit juice. 

What about sugar in lactation cookies?
Sugar content outside of the beverage category, in general, remains a main concern, continues Goran, especially for lactating mothers. 

“Lactation cookies are designed specifically for boosting milk supply and do have benefits, but these [kinds of] cookies will typically have 10 to 15 g of sugar and only 1 to 2 g of fiber in each cookie. The sugar, unfortunately, could offset some of the benefits,” he says, suggesting brands lower in sugar and higher in fiber.

Gohan and his research team flag that lactating mothers’ sugar intake can find its way into babies’ guts that may not yet be fully developed.With up to 140 calories per serving, both Happy Family Organics’ Chocolate, Oat & Sea Salt and the Cinnamon & Oat-flavored cookies contain 1 g of fiber, up to 8 g of sugar and up to 7 g of total fat. Fructose is not listed on either cookie flavors’ nutrition facts label. 

Happy Family Organics advises consuming Happy Mama Lactation Cookies as part of a balanced diet, given that the US Dietary Guidelines for lactating mothers recommend limiting calories from added sugars to no more than 50 g, or 10 percent each day.  

“Infants are born with a built-in preference for sweetness. This was established from an evolutionary perspective to be protective to help promote the liking of breastmilk and avoiding harmful food from the forest floor,” Goran affirms.

 “This is now backfiring in today’s food environment where 70 percent of processed foods and 80 percent of snack foods targeted to children have some kind of added sugar. Generally, the issue is that developing organs are more vulnerable to damage from excess sugars,” he maintains.

By Anni Schleicher