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Healthy Pre-Pregnancy Diet and Exercise May Reduce Risk of Gestational Diabetes
NICHD Studies May Help Women, With Their Doctors, Reduce Risk of Diabetes During Pregnancy
A series of studies by an NICHD researcher suggests that women who maintain a
healthy diet and exercise before they become pregnant are less likely to
develop gestational diabetes mellitus, a type of diabetes that occurs only in pregnant
women.
While the studies do not establish a cause-and-effect relationship, they do show
strong associations between certain types of foods and the likelihood of developing
gestational diabetes during pregnancy. The information could help women of
childbearing age and their doctors plan a diet that reduces gestational diabetes risk.
What is gestational diabetes? If a pregnant woman develops diabetes, but she didnt
have it before becoming pregnant, she has gestational diabetes. If not treated,
gestational diabetes can cause problems for mothers and babies, some of them
serious.
Cuilin Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., an investigator in the Epidemiology Branch within
the NICHDDivision of Intramural Population Health Research, studied the diets of a
group of women before they became pregnant and then followed them during their
pregnancies to track the incidence of gestational diabetes. Here are some of the key
findings from her research:
Increased dietary fiber reduced risk. Women who ate a diet low in fiber had twice the risk of developing gestational diabetes.
(The fiber was measured by consumption of cereal, fruits, and vegetables.) An increase of 10 grams per day in total fiber intake
reduced the risk of gestational diabetes by 26%.
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Drinking sugar-sweetened cola increased risk. Women who drank five or more servings of sugar-sweetened cola per week had
a higher risk of gestational diabetes when they became pregnant. Drinking other types of sugar-sweetened beverages or drinking
diet beverages did not increase risk for gestational diabetes.
2
Meat and gestational diabetes:
Eating red meat and processed meats increased risk. Women who ate a diet high in red meat and processed meats before
pregnancy had a higher risk of gestational diabetes.
3
Eating animal fats and cholesterol increased risk. Women who consumed more animal fats and cholesterol before pregnancy
had greater risk of gestational diabetes. Other dietary fats did not increase risk.
4
Replacing animal protein with protein from nuts lowered risk. Eating more animal protein, particularly red meat, was associated
with higher risk of gestational diabetes. Substituting vegetable protein for animal protein lowered the risk by 51%.
5
Animal proteins and fats in a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet increased risk. Women on a low-carbohydrate, high-protein
diet had a greater risk of developing gestational diabetes when their dietary protein and fat came from animal sources. Women on
the same type of diet had no higher risk of gestational diabetes when their protein and fat intake was from vegetable sources.
6
Heme iron (iron from animal sources) intake increased risk. Women with high levels of heme iron intake had increased risk of
gestational diabetes. Iron from non-animal sources (non-heme iron) and iron from supplements did not increase the risk of
gestational diabetes.
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But diet wasnt the only pre-pregnancy factor related to gestational diabetes: exercise also lowered risk. Women who exercised more
before they became pregnant had a lower risk of gestational diabetes; the more intense the exercise, the lower the risk. For example,
walking at a brisk pace was associated with a lower risk than walking at a leisurely pace.
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NICHD researchers will continue to investigate gestational diabetes, seeking strategies to prevent the disease, to help improve
outcomes for mothers and their babies.
More Information
For more information about gestational diabetes, select one of the following links:
NICHD Resources
Related A-Z Topics:
Diabetes
Preconception Care and Prenatal Care
Pregnancy
Division of Extramural Research
Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch
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Division of Intramural Population Health Research
Epidemiology Branch
Diabetes and Womens Health (DWH) Study
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus - Epidemiology, Etiology, and Health Consequences
NICHD Publications
Am I at Risk for Gestational Diabetes?
Managing Gestational Diabetes: A Patients Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy
Related Science Advances
Healthy Diet May Fend Off Type 2 Diabetes After Gestational Diabetes (featured on NICHD website)
Physical Activity May Stave Off Diabetes for Women At Risk (featured daily news article on the Journal of the
American Medical Association website, highlighting another related NICHD study)
NICHD News Releases on Gestational Diabetes

Originally Posted: August 21, 2014