Gestational diabetes is a complication of pregnancy that can cause various health problems for both the mother and her baby. A study conducted by the University of Turku, Finland, has found that overweight or obese women who are pregnant and follow a healthy diet at the start of pregnancy have a lower risk of gestational diabetes.
The study findings, which have been published in the European Journal of Nutrition, showed evidence that eating a healthy diet in early pregnancy can significantly reduce the risk of developing gestational diabetes, especially in women who are overweight or obese.
The research also found that following a pro-inflammatory diet, that is, one that is capable of increasing low-grade inflammatory markers in the body, increased the risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus later in life. This is the case, for example, of foods rich in saturated fat, which previous studies have already indicated increase inflammation in the body.
The pregnant woman should eat foods that reduce inflammation
“It is particularly important to eat vegetables, fruits, berries and whole grain products, as well as unsaturated fats. These nutrients and foods reduce inflammation in the body and therefore also the risk of gestational diabetes. Mothers who are already overweight or obese before pregnancy would likely benefit from dietary guidance early in pregnancy,” said Kirsi Laitinen, lead author of the study.
“It is particularly important to eat vegetables, fruits, berries and whole grain products, as well as unsaturated fats. These nutrients and foods reduce inflammation in the body.”
These results were obtained thanks to the analysis of the nutrient intake of 351 pregnant women with obesity or overweight. Diet was calculated from two patterns, a healthy and a less healthy diet, food quality with a diet quality index, and inflammatory potential using a dietary inflammatory index.
Researchers have shown that obesity is a major risk factor for developing gestational diabetes mellitus; In addition, they are concerned that there are more and more pregnant women who are obese or overweight, in most cases due to incorrect eating habits. Therefore, they urge that a healthy diet be followed that takes care of health not only during pregnancy, but throughout life.
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