This Just In: Pass the Veggies

There has been quite a bit of buzz online lately about a study conducted in Sweden that indicates that expectant mothers who ate more vegetables were less likely to have children diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes:

• Veggies in Pregnancy Lowers Child’s Diabetes Risk
• Pregnant Mothers: Eat Greens to Lower Child’s Diabetes Risk
• Intake of vegetables during pregnancy may prevent diabetes in unborn child
• Veggies in Pregnancy Lowers Child’s Diabetes Risk

In particular, women who ate vegetables every day during their pregnancy were less likely to have children diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes by the age of five than women who did not eat vegetables everyday. The study tested 6,000 five-year-olds, three percent of which either already had been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes or already had the antibodies in their blood that indicate an elevated risk of developing the disease. The  risk was twice as  high in children whose mothers who rarely ate vegetables during pregnancy. Meanwhile, children whose mothers ate vegetables every day during pregnancy had the lowest risk of developing the disease.

I have to admit, this idea seems like a  longshot … especially given the genetic predisposition for my child in particular. I was diagnosed at the age of four and my mother was diagnosed at the age of 12. But maybe the veggies help ward off the “environmental trigger” that pushes our bodies over the edge. At the very least, the veggies should help me keep my weight gain down and my blood sugars in range which should help prevent complications. And besides, every little bit helps, right? I will be pushing the leafy greens during this pregnancy just in case!

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Tags: diabetes, pregnancy, research, type 1, vegetables

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