Eating vegetables and fish during pregnancy can help reduce the risk of high blood pressure | Life

LONDON, Jan. 26 – A new European study has shown that a diet rich in vegetables and fish during pregnancy can help reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia.

Conducted by researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Bristol, this new large-scale study involved 55,138 women who participated in the Danish national birth cohort.

Women were asked to make several phone calls, two during pregnancy at 12 and 30 weeks and two to six and 18 months after birth. They also completed a questionnaire about their eating habits at the 25th week of their pregnancy.

The results, published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics, showed that a diet rich in vegetables and fish appeared to reduce the risk of developing pregnancy-induced hypertension by 14% and pre-eclampsia by 21%.

Conversely, the Western diet, rich in potatoes, meat, white bread and margarine, increased the risk of developing pregnancy-induced hypertension by 18% and pre-eclampsia by 40%.

On average, women with high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia also had a higher body mbad index (1.6 to 2.3 kg / m2 higher) than the others.

The researchers point out that the study only shows a relationship between diet and risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy, rather than a causal link, but they add that the findings add to a body of existing evidence that support healthy follow-up balanced diet.

The author of the study, Ms. Emmanuella Ikem, also added: "Our findings confirm the importance of a healthy and balanced diet of vegetables and fish, as well as the cutting of processed foods to the extent possible.This will reduce the risk of developing blood pressure and pre-eclampsia during pregnancy. "

"Current tips recommend eating at least five servings of different fruits and vegetables each day, instead of high-fat foods." And usually, it's safe to eat fish during pregnancy – no more than two portions of fatty fish, such as mackerel or salmon, one week and not more than two fresh tuna steaks or four tuna boxes of average size per week.Women should avoid eating shark, swordfish or marlin. "

According to previous research, high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects about 1 in 10 pregnancies. Pre-eclampsia, a disease related to high blood pressure that can lead to serious complications for the mother and the baby, affects 2 to 8 women out of 100 and develops from about 20 weeks of gestation. – AFP-Relaxnews