Low vegetable intake during pregnancy increases risk of type I diabetes in your baby by 70 percent
Added 27.11.2009
Type I diabetes
Insulin-dependent diabetes, early-onset diabetes and juvenile diabetes are all different ways of referring to type I diabetes. As the names imply, this type of diabetes usually develops during infancy up until the 30s but rarely after the age of 40. Unlike type II diabetes, type I is an autoimmune disease, which means the body's immune system mistakenly attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Consequently, the pancreas is unable to produce insulin and this leads to diabetes. In the UK, this life-long condition affects approximately 2.3 million people, 15% of which have type I diabetes.Eat vegetables every day to protect your baby from type I diabetes
A new study from Sweden has found a link between the consumption of vegetables during pregnancy and risk of type I diabetes in babies. Children of mothers who ate vegetables less than five times per week during their pregnancy had a 70% increased risk of developing type I diabetes.Only mothers who ate vegetables every day had children with a significantly lowered risk of developing type I diabetes.
The Scientific Study
Background information
The study aimed at investigating maternal intake of vegetables (all vegetables except root vegetables) during pregnancy with occurrence of islet autoimmunity - the preclinical phase before chronic type I diabetes, which features the presence of autoantibodies that activate the destruction of insulin-producing pancreas cells. Mothers' daily consumption of vegetables during pregnancy was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. Blood analyses of 5,724 five-year old children were tested for the autoantibodies: glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADA); tyrosine phosphatase (IA-2A); and insulin autoantibodies (IAA). Blood tests were conducted at 1, 2.5 and 5 years of age.
Results
191 children (3.3%) were positive for islet autoimmunity. Antibodies were almost twice the number in children whose mothers rarely ate vegetables (p<0.001). The risk was also high in mothers who even ate vegetables three to five times a week (70%). The risk of islet autoimmunity was lowest in children whose mother consumed vegetables every day.
Conclusion
Daily consumption during pregnancy is linked to a decreased (as much as 70%) risk of the baby developing type I diabetes. Researchers believe it is the antioxidant nutrients in vegetables that offer this protection. Vegetables are rich in antioxidant vitamins C and E as well as in flavonoids and polyphenols, such as querceting and resveratrol. Red wine and green tea are good sources of antioxidant nutrients.
How to make sure you are eating enough vegetables every day
We should all aim to eat plenty of vegetables every day, especially during pregnancy. However, that may not always be possible. So, here's how you can be certain you are getting enough essential antioxidants contained in vegetables: take natural supplements which contain sufficient doses of antioxidants. Grape seed extract (resveratrol) and green tea extract are great sources.References:
National Health Service (NHS)
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)
Brekke, H.K. & all. "Daily vegetable intake during pregnancy negatively associated to islet autoimmunity in the offspring - the ABIS study." Pediatric Diabetes. September, 2009.
Dr. Bo Nielsen's comments:
It is a surprising finding that pregnant women need to eat vegetables every day in order to prevent their unborn child from developing type I diabetes. The natural conclusion from this study is to recommend all pregnant women to eat vegetables every day. However, one problem is that many vegetables today contain lower amounts of nutrients - vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients etc. - due to our industrialised agriculture. An evident solution is to supplement a healthy diet (which includes vegetables) with relevant vitamin, mineral, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory supplements. This will help ensure the unborn child receives all the necessary nutrients to develop a strong immune system, a high IQ, and strong bones and teeth. Disease, such as type I diabetes, asthma and allergies and many other common diseases may also be prevented.
