We all  heard of the Mediterranean Diet – rich in fruits, veggies, olive oil, nuts, and legumes. But do you know the diet that has been earlier associated with lowering obesity and risks of cardiometabolic ailments in adults have now found its benefits with pregnant mothers as well?

As per a recent study, pregnant mothers, who take higher Mediterranean Diet intake have lesser risks of almost 32% of giving birth to babies with accelerated growth patterns as compared to other women.
The study that was conducted by the Barcelona Institute of Global Health, was purposed to find the association between Mediterranean diet and its effects on pregnant mothers and to find out more on growth patterns and cardiometabolic risks during the stages of early infancy.

A data was collected from over 2700 pregnant women, by filling in a questionnaire on their dietary intake between the first and third trimester of pregnancy. The finding was published in the Journal of Paediatrics. In addition to filling in the questionnaire, the diet, height, and weight were also studied of the offsprings from birth to age four along with other tests like the blood analytics and blood pressure tests.

As per Silvia Fernandez, researchers and first author of the findings, she mentioned that mothers who did not follow the Mediterranean diet were younger, consumer higher calories, along with having higher probabilities of smoking with a lower social and educational level as compared to women who followed the diet.

The finding of the study supported the fact that a healthy dietary intake during pregnancy stages have beneficial effects on the development of the child.

It is important to watch what you eat, especially during pregnancy. You eat for two during this period and that also does not mean, you eat more, but you should eat smart. You are your baby’s only mean of food, and you need a proper supply of nutrients, vitamins, proteins, minerals, fibres, and carbohydrates.

Mediterranean Diet and Pregnancy

A typical Mediterranean diet is low in saturated fats and high on monounsaturated fats and fibers. The food choices in this type of diet help in the overall health of a pregnant mother. Some of the basic inclusions of this diet are:

– Fresh Foods:

fresh foods in this diet includes fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts and legumes, wine, cheese, and yogurt.

– Lesser Meats:

The diet is based on making you eat more of fruits, vegetables, and fish and all fresh and almost no meat.

-Healthy Fats:

olive oil is the only source of fats in this diet. Oily fishes like salmon, sardines, tuna, and trout provide with all the needed omega-3 fatty acid. A great combination for heart diseases and stroke.

– Eat Normal Eat Less:

with cheese and fats, one can go overboard, but watch and eat. The fires in fruits and vegetables will make sure that you keep full along with the healthy fats in nuts and olive oil.