The Mediterranean diet is identified as one of the most beneficial diets for health.

in #health5 years ago

The Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high content of fruits, vegetables, olive oil, legumes and nuts.

This healthy diet has been linked to a reduction in obesity among adults, but few studies have been done on children.

A study published November 12, 2018 in the Journal of Pediatrics, aimed to assess the association between adherence to a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy and growth patterns and cardiometabolic risk in young children.

Mediterranean diet during pregnancy: associated with lower risk of growth acceleration

MEDITERRANEAN DIET DURING PREGNANCY: ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER RISK OF GROWTH ACCELERATION

The study was conducted with data from more than 2,700 pregnant Spanish women belonging to the INMA cohort - Childhood and Environment.

Women completed a questionnaire on dietary intakes during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy.

In addition, the diet, weight and size of their offspring were followed from birth to 4 years.

Other tests such as blood tests and blood pressure were also performed at the age of 4 years.

The results show that pregnant women who adhered more to the Mediterranean diet were 32% less likely to have children with an accelerated growth pattern, compared to offspring of women who did not follow such a diet.

A BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD

The authors point out that mothers who were less respectful of the Mediterranean diet were younger, consumed more calories and had a higher probability of smoking and a lower level of education and social status than women who followed the Mediterranean diet.

Finally, these findings support the hypothesis that a healthy diet during pregnancy can have a beneficial effect on the child's development.

The researchers discussed the mechanisms underlying this association of possible epigenetic modifications regulating caridiometabolism of fetuses or dietary patterns shared between mothers and children, although this deserves further investigation.

The study did not show a correlation between the Mediterranean diet during pregnancy and a reduction in cardiometabolic risk (blood pressure or cholesterol) during infancy. "The effects on cardiometabolic risk could appear later in childhood," the authors say.

SOURCES 

  • « The Association of Mediterranean Diet during Pregnancy with Longitudinal Body Mass Index Trajectories and Cardiometabolic Risk in Early Childhood. », The Journal of Pediatrics, 2018; DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.10.005

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