Mediterranean Diet in Pregnancy Lowers Obesity and Cardiometabolic Risk

Pregnant women who follow the Mediterranean diet are at lower risk of having children with an accelerated growth pattern than those who did not follow such diet.

Following a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy can lower obesity and cardiometabolic risk in adults, reveals a new study.

The Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high content of fruits, vegetables, olive oil, legumes and nuts. This study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, aimed at evaluating the association between adherence to a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy and growth patterns and cardiometabolic risk in early infancy.

‘Following a healthy diet during pregnancy can improve a child's development.’
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The study was performed with data of over 2,700 pregnant women from Asturias, Guipúzcoa, Sabadell and Valencia, who are part of the INMA-Childhood and Environment cohort. The women filled in a questionnaire on dietary intake in the first and third trimester of pregnancy.

In addition, the diet, weight and height of their offspring were followed-up from birth to age 4 years. Other tests such as blood analysis and blood pressure were also performed at age 4.

The results show that pregnant women with higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet had a 32% lower risk of having children with an accelerated growth pattern, as compared to offspring of women that did not follow such diet.

Diet from Crete for Healthy Heart
Mediterranean diets, special attention has been given to the traditional Greek Cretan diet. It emphasises the consumption of olive oil, whole grains, pulses, wild greens, herbs and fruits.

Sílvia Fernández, ISGlobal researcher and first author of the study, underlines that "mothers with lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet were younger, consumed more calories, and had higher probability of smoking and a lower education and social level," as compared to those women who did follow the diet".

"These results support the hypothesis that a healthy diet during pregnancy can have a beneficial effect for child development," concludes the study coordinator Dora Romaguera, researcher at ISGlobal and CIBEROBN.

Mediterranean Diet - Benefits - Components - Olive Oil - FAQs
Mediterranean diet has long been considered one of the healthiest diets on the planet. This diet plan discourages the use of saturated fats and hydrogenated oils while cooking meals.

Regarding the mechanisms that underlie this association, the researcher mentions "possible epigenetic modifications that regulate fetal caridiometabolism, or shared eating patterns between mothers and children, although this deserves further investigation."

The study did not find a correlation between Mediterranean diet in pregnancy and a reduction in cardiometabolic risk (blood pressure or cholesterol) in early infancy.

Mediterranean Diet Can Prevent Bone Loss in Osteoporosis Patients
Mediterranean diet can reduce bone loss in people with osteoporosis. Eating increased intake of fruits, vegetables and fish can increase bone density in the femoral neck.

"The effects on cardiometabolic risk could appear later in childhood," explains Fernández.

Source-Eurekalert