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Prenatal Nutrition Can Prevent Adult Diabetes
by Ralph E Halsey
http://www.rehnutrition.com
Now there's even more reason to eat healthy while you're
pregnant. In March, 2005, the Joslin Diabetes Center
released the results of a study examining the effects of
poor prenatal nutrition on the fetus. The study showed that
even though the early effects on the newborn child seemed to
be reversed with healthy eating, the poor diet fed to the
pregnant mice in the study had permanent effects on the
children born to them. The majority of mice born to
malnourished mothers developed diabetes on becoming adults.
None of the control group did.
The implications of the study say more about prenatal
nutrition than they do about the causes of diabetes.
This isn't the first study that pointed to poor prenatal
nutrition as a cause of disorders and problems in the child.
It used to be believed that no matter how poor a diet a
pregnant woman ate, the effects on the child would be
minimal. Doctors thought that the baby's needs came first,
and the body would draw on stores of nutrients and needs in
the mother's body. If the mother didn't get enough calcium,
popular wisdom said, the baby would deplete the calcium
stored in its mother's bones.
The damage done to the pancreas in utero seems to be
irreversible, even with proper nutrition after birth. In
addition, while low birthweight babies are at risk for
developing diabetes as adults because of pancreatic
function, high birth weight babies (over 8 pounds) are also
at increased risk because they're resistant to insulin. It
seems that too much is just as dangerous as too little.
If you're an expectant mother, or planning to become
pregnant soon, doctors recommend that you eat a healthy,
well-balanced diet that includes all the nutrients that you
and your baby need. According to the USDA, your body needs
200-300 more calories a day - not quite eating for two, but
a substantial increase above your usual intake.
Those extra calories shouldn't just be applied willy-nilly,
though. According to the American Dietetic Association, your
diet as a pregnant woman should include the following:
The best thing that you can do for your baby is to eat a
healthy, varied diet that will provide all the nutrients he
or she needs to grow right. According to nutritionists, your
body needs at least 200 extra calories daily to account for
the additional stresses that it's undergoing.
Based on that, the USDA recommends the following diet for
pregnant women:
If you're pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the
next six months, a visit to a nutritionist can help you work
out a healthy eating and supplement plan that will provide
your body with all the nutrition it needs to grow a healthy
baby. He or she can help you fit your favorite foods into a
balanced diet, and make suggestions that will improve your
overall health.
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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