Cutting-edge research reveals why the Mediterranean diet is the best choice for pregnant women

The Mediterranean diet is a special way of eating, named after the popularity in the countries bordering the Mediterranean. Previous studies have found that the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, can reduce the risk of heart disease, heart disease, stroke and diabetes in suitable populations, and is also associated with reducing the risk of certain cancers and dementia.

According to the list of the best diets of the year published by U.S. News and World Report, Mediterranean diet has been ranked first in the world's best diets for four consecutive years. In the 2021 list, the Mediterranean Diet once again topped the "Best Diet List" and even topped six of the eight lists, including The Best Diabetes Diet, the Best Heart Disease Diet, and the Easiest Healthy Diet to Follow.[1]

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes eating more nuts, olive oil, fruits and vegetables, fish, unrefined grains, legumes and other foods, believing that olive oil should be used as the main source of fat, while dairy products, eggs, red meat can only be eaten in small amounts or in moderation, and red wine can be drunk in moderation. For the pyramid structure of the Mediterranean diet, please refer to the figure below (Figure 1).

Figure 1 Mediterranean Diet Pyramid (Source: [1])

During pregnancy, following this diet may be quite beneficial to both mother and baby, and multiple studies have given corresponding analysis and data support.

JAHA: Adhere to the Mediterranean diet during pregnancy

22% lower risk of preeclampsia

Pre-eclampsia is a multi-organ syndrome characterized by persistent hypertension during pregnancy, accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness, dizziness, vomiting, and nausea. Preeclampsia is the world's second largest cause of maternal death, which is more harmful to pregnant women and fetuses, and can lead to complications such as cerebral hemorrhage, heart failure, postpartum haemorrhage, liver and kidney failure, etc.; if the disease is not controlled in time, it will directly affect the growth and development of the fetus, increasing the incidence of miscarriage, premature birth or fetal stillbirth.

On April 20, a study titled "Mediterranean-StyleDiet and Risk of Preeclampsia by Race in the Boston Birth Cohort" found that adherence to a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy reduced the risk of preeclampsia by 20% (Figure 2) [2], published in the Journal of the American Heart On the Association (JAHA).

The researchers analyzed data on 8,507 pregnant women who gave birth at Boston Medical Center between 1998 and 2016 (boston medical center primarily treats low-income and minority populations), and nearly half of the participants were black pregnant women, or 47 percent; Hispanics 28 percent, and the rest white or other racial. Of the 8507 samples, nearly 10 percent of the participants (848) had preeclampsia.

Figure 2 Research results (Source: [2])

The researchers obtained sociodemographic and dietary data on maternal mothers through interviews and food frequency questionnaires 24-72 hours postpartum; obtained doctors' diagnoses of previous conditions and preeclampsia from hospital medical records; and obtained Mediterranean diet scores based on the closeness of eating habits to The Mediterranean diet based on the closeness of eating habits to the Mediterranean diet, and performed logistic regression analysis of the relationship between the Mediterranean diet score and pre-eclampsia.

Research results

1. Self-reporting of higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a lower risk of preeclampsia, and those women who followed the Mediterranean diet at the time of pregnancy were significantly less likely to develop preeclampsia;

Compared with all other non-black women who were more likely to adhere to the Mediterranean diet, black women scored the lowest on the Mediterranean diet and had a 78% higher risk of preeclampsia;

3. Women who followed the Mediterranean diet were 22% less likely to develop pre-eclampsia; black women had a greater benefit from following this diet, with a 26% reduction in risk.

Corresponding author Dr AnumS Minhas, from Johns Hopkins University, said it was "especially important" to follow healthy eating habits during pregnancy because it affected the future cardiovascular health of the mother as well as the health of the baby. In addition, women should adhere to a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables and legumes throughout their lives and exercise regularly.

PLOS Medicine: Mediterranean diet

Helps reduce the risk of diabetes in pregnant women

Previous studies have shown that pregnant women with risk factors such as obesity and chronic hypertension are tolerant of diabetes during pregnancy.

On July 23, 2019, a clinical trial in the journal PLOS Medicine by researchers at Queen Mary College, University of London and other institutions in the United Kingdom showed that a simple Mediterranean diet during pregnancy does not reduce the risk of maternal and offspring complications, but has the potential to reduce the risk of weight gain during pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus (Figure 3) [3].

Figure 3 Research results (Source: [3])

Between 2014 and 2016, the researchers recruited 1,252 pregnant women from five maternity hospitals in the UK who were at risk of metabolism, including obesity and chronic hypertension.

The pregnant women were randomly divided into two groups, one of which adopted a Mediterranean diet that reduced the intake of red meat, butter, cream, while avoiding sugary drinks, fast food and foods rich in animal fats, in addition to supplementing mixed nuts (30 g/day walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds) and extra virgin olive oil (0-5 l/week) as the main source of cooking fat; the control group dieted as usual and received routine personalized dietary recommendations at 18, 20 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.

The results showed that women in the Mediterranean diet group lost about 1.25 kg of weight gain during pregnancy and had a 35% lower risk of developing gestational diabetes compared to the control group. The researchers said the results of the analysis showed that for gestational diabetes, this diet has the effect of reducing the risk of developing the disease.

As an increasingly popular dietary model, the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet in preventing cardiovascular disease are widely recognized. In view of the mediterranean fat loss and disease prevention effect is particularly good, it is recommended that pregnant women should pay more attention to it and actively practice it.

Source: Sohu . Shutterstock , for academic exchange only.

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Resources:

[1]https://www.usnews.com/

[2] Minhas AS, Hong X, Wang G, et al. Mediterranean-Style Diet and Risk of Preeclampsia by Race in the Boston Birth Cohort. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022 Apr 20:e022589. doi:10.1161/JAHA.121.022589. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35441523.

[3] HAl Wattar B, Dodds J, Placzek A, et al. ESTEEM study group. Mediterranean-style diet in pregnant women with metabolic risk factors (ESTEEM): A pragmatic multicentre randomised trial. PLoS Med. 2019 Jul 23;16(7):e1002857. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002857.PMID: 31335871; PMCID: PMC6650045.

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