A new study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, now says that women who follow a Mediterranean-style diet during pregnancy may have a lower risk of gestational diabetes. Notably, gestational diabetes is first seen in a pregnant woman who did not have diabetes before she was pregnant. The research was conducted using a sample of 1,252 multi-ethnic inner-city pregnant women with metabolic risk factors, including obesity and chronic hypertension.
Apart from receiving folic acid and vitamin D supplementation, the women were randomly assigned to either a Mediterranean-style diet or a control group that received dietary advice per UK national recommendations for prenatal care and weight management during pregnancy.
Those following the Mediterranean diet were given a daily portion of nuts, including 15 gms of walnuts, 7.5 gms of almonds, 7.5 gms of hazelnuts and consumed food cooked in extra virgin olive oil.
The diet also emphasized fruit, vegetables, non-refined grains and legumes; moderate to high consumption of fish; small to moderate intake of poultry and dairy products; low intake of red meat and processed meat; and avoidance of sugary drinks, fast food, and food rich in animal-based fat.
