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The Importance of Good Prenatal Nutrition
by Ralph E Halsey
http://www.rehnutrition.com
If you needed one more reason to eat healthy while you're
pregnant, here it is. Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes
Center in Boston, Massachusetts have found a link between
prenatal nutrition and adult onset diabetes. In the study, a
team of researchers led by Dr. Mary-Elizabeth Patti
deliberately malnourished a group of mice during the third
trimester of pregnancy.
The results? The majority of babies born to the mice that
had been malnourished developed diabetes on reaching
adulthood. This was true even though the baby mice all were
fed diets high in nutrition, and quickly caught up with the
mice in the control group. Low birth weight has been a known
risk factor for adult diabetes for many years, but Dr.
Patti's research drew a clear link between prenatal
nutrition and the development of diabetes in later life.
Even more important, the study at the Patti Labs at Joslin
isolated one of the reasons behind that risk factor. They
found that the mice whose mothers had had poor nutrtion
during the last trimester displayed impaired pancreatic
functioning. While the pancreas seemed to be doing its job,
secreting insulin, it didn't respond properly to extra sugar
in the blood. No matter how much sugar was in the blood, the
low birthweight mice only produced limited levels of
insulin.
Research has shown that this simply isn't true. Now doctors
realize that deficiencies of most nutrients in the mother's
diet will result in deficiencies in the baby - deficiencies
that can lead to health problems even when the child is
grown and become an adult.
Diabetes is a case in point. The study done at Joslin found
that poor nutrition apparently damaged the fetus' pancreas
in utero. No amount of healthy eating after birth could
repair that damage.
At least 7 servings of fruit and vegetables At least 9
servings of whole grains, rice or pasta At least 4 servings
of dairy or milk At least 2 servings of protein - fish,
eggs, meat or nuts.
7 or more servings of fruit and vegetables 9 or more
servings of whole grains, rice or pasta 4 or more servings
of dairy, milk, yogurt or cheese 2 or more servings of
protein - fish, eggs, meat or nuts At least 400 mcg f folic
acid (vitamin B) Low dose iron supplements A good
multivitamin At least 6 8 ounce glasses of water a day.
Based on that, the USDA recommends the following diet for
pregnant women:
A healthy diet that is low in fat while providing all the
recommended daily nutrients can help prevent gestational
diabetes even in those women who are at risk of developing
it.
It may be a good idea to ask your obstetrician or midwife
for a referral to a good nutritionist. He or she can help
you put together a healthy eating plan that will carry both
you and your baby through pregnancy in the full bloom of
health.
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