In a work that was published on JAMA Network Openthe researchers found that a diet rich in vegetables, legumes and fish – staple foods of the so-called Mediterranean diet – and associated with a lower risk of preeclampsia (formerly known as gestosis) and gestational diabetesAlso according to the study, this link was stronger for pregnant women over the age of 35.
The new study on the Mediterranean diet in detail
The study looked at the diets of 7,798 women enrolled between 2010 and 2013 in the United States. They were asked to complete a questionnaire about their eating habits in their first trimester, prior to their first study visit. The diet was evaluated according to the intake of nine components – vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole grains, legumes, fish, ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fats, red and processed meats and alcohol – and with respect to the expectations of the Mediterranean diet.
20% of people enrolled in the study had obesity at the start of their participation, whereas when we consider racial and ethnic backgrounds, 68% of those enrolled were white, 17% Hispanic, 11% non-Hispanic black and 4% Asian, and one in ten of these women was 35 years of age or older.
Members who scored high on the Mediterranean diet were associated with a 21% lower risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth, delivery of a small-for-gestational-age baby, and stillbirth, in particular, there was a 37% reduction in the risk of gestational diabetes and a 28% lower risk of having preeclampsia/eclampsia, but what are they? These are serious blood pressure conditions that can put a strain on the heart.
“This population-based, multicenter study validates that a healthier eating pattern is associated with a lower risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, most excitingly a 28% lower risk for preeclampsia,” “Importantly, this connection between the Mediterranean diet and the lower risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes was observed in a geographically, racially and ethnically diverse population.
said in a statement the Dr. Natalie Bello, senior author and study correspondent and director of Hypertension Research at the Smidt Heart Institute.
The association between diet and risk reduction was even more evident in women in the study who were over 35 years old.
“These findings add to the growing body of evidence showing that the Mediterranean-style diet can play an important role in maintaining women’s health across the lifespan, including during pregnancy.”
added the Dr. Christine Albertchair of the department of cardiology at the Smidt Heart Institute, who was not involved in the study.
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