Mediterranean Diet Before Pregnancy Could Reduce the Risk Of Hypertensive Disorders

The risk of developing hypertensive disorders during pregnancy can be significantly reduced among women who follow a Mediterranean diet for years before becoming pregnant, according to a new research.

Researchers from University of Queensland School of Public Health found that women who followed a diet rich in vegetables, legumes, nuts, tofu, rice, pasta, rye bread, red wine and fish before pregnancy had a 42 percent lower risk of developing gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia.

The researchers collected data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health and analyzed dietary information relating to 6149 pregnancies in 3582 women aged 25 to 30 years in 2003.

Lead researcher Danielle Schoenaker said, " The study emphasized the importance of a healthy diet for young women. Diet is a modifiable factor, and encouraging young women to consume a Mediterranean-style diet could lower their risk of developing gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia."

"No individual food could fully explain the association with hypertensive disorders, which suggests it's the combination of foods in the Mediterranean-style diet that is important," said Schoenaker.

Hypertensive disorders are a common pregnancy complication, which increases post-pregnancy risk of mothers and their children developing chronic diseases.

This study is published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Source: Medindia