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The Importance of Good Prenatal Nutrition
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.

As expected, the mice who were born to malnourished mothers
were low birthweight. After birth, all the baby mice were
fed a healthy diet, and within a few weeks, the low birth
weight babies had caught up with their peers and seemed
perfectly healthy. They weren't, though. After reaching
adulthood, the majority of mice from the malnourished group
developed Type 2 diabetes. While low birthweight has been
known as a risk factor for the development of diabetes, the
Joslin study established an unmistakable link between
prenatal nutrition and diabetes.

Even more important, the study at the Patti Labs at Joslin
isolated one of the reasons behind that risk factor. They
found that the mice whose mothers had had poor nutrtion
during the last trimester displayed impaired pancreatic
functioning. While the pancreas seemed to be doing its job,
secreting insulin, it didn't respond properly to extra sugar
in the blood. No matter how much sugar was in the blood, the
low birthweight mice only produced limited levels of
insulin.

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.

Diabetes is a case in point. The study done at Joslin found
that poor nutrition apparently damaged the fetus' pancreas
in utero. No amount of healthy eating after birth could
repair that damage.

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.

Want another bonus? Watching your nutrition during your
pregnancy is that you reduce your risk of developing
diabetes yourself. Gestational diabetes can cause
complications in your pregnancy, including preeclampsia and
premature delivery.

At least 7 servings of fruit and vegetables At least 9
servings of whole grains, rice or pasta At least 4 servings
of dairy or milk At least 2 servings of protein - fish,
eggs, meat or nuts At least 400 mcg f folic acid (vitamin B)
Low dose iron supplements A good multivitamin At least 6 8
ounce glasses of water a day.

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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