One of us is eating for two, while the other is drinking for two”. This may be a cute T-shirt graffiti for expectant mothers looking to announce their pregnancy. But eating for two without understanding a mother’s dietary needs could lead to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in women, warn experts.
A study conducted in December 2021 by the Institute of Biomedicine at the University of Turku, Finland, pinpoints that bad dietary habits such as consuming more saturated fats during pregnancy can lead to GDM. Gestational diabetes is a condition when a pregnant woman shows diabetic symptoms and her level of blood sugar shoots up. It is estimated that three to nine in 100 pregnant women suffer from this.
“A highly saturated fatty diet increases inflammation. Stress and an unbalanced diet trigger this,” says Dr. Manjunath Malige, Chief Endocrinologist, Diabetologist, Aster RV Hospital, JP Nagar, Bengaluru.
In a pregnant woman, chronic inflammation can affect the developing foetus and impact brain development, reduce immunity, and lead to insulin resistance, which can again trigger inflammatory responses.
According to experts, a woman’s body chemistry changes during pregnancy and the placenta plays an important role in providing nutrients, vitamins and minerals to support the growth of the foetus. But simultaneously, the placenta also makes some hormones like oestrogen, cortisol, and human placental lactogen to support the pregnancy.
Many times these hormones block the entry of insulin into the body’s cells. Instead of going into cells glucose remains in the blood and causes gestational diabetes. Most of the time the pancreas becomes more active and produces additional insulin to overcome insulin resistance. It has been observed that pregnant women who are overweight, eat an unhealthy diet and do not exercise are more prone to GDM, explains Malige.
“It is not always possible to prevent gestational diabetes. Certain risk factors such as age and weight, a family history of type 2 diabetes or conditions that cause insulin resistance such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, skin disorder acanthosis nigricans, high blood pressure before pregnancy, and being pregnant with multiples are also causative factors,” says Dr. Priyanka Rohtagi, Chief Nutritionist, Apollo Hospitals, Bengaluru.
Certain preventable factors can be looked at. “Diet and exercise can lower the risk for gestational diabetes. Include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and good fats in your diet,” says Dr Sarika Gupta, Consultant, Gynecologic Oncology and Robotic Gynaecology at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi. Adding 10gm of fibre to your meals daily can reduce the risk by 26 percent.
Things to remember:
✥ Swap white bread for whole-grain
✥ Cut back on salt
✥ High blood sugar should be controlled
✥ Eat health. Studies have shown that mothers, who ate recklessly during pregnancy, put their children at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.