Key Takeaways:
- Pregnant women following a Mediterranean diet with low exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) had a reduced risk of gestational diabetes.
- The protective effects were more significant in women who were overweight or obese before pregnancy.
Study Summary
A study published in Diabetes Care found that low exposure to POPs enhanced the protective effects of an alternate Mediterranean diet (aMED) against gestational diabetes. However, this benefit was diminished in women with high POP exposure.
Background:
The aMED diet is often recommended to prevent gestational diabetes. However, some key components of this diet, such as leafy vegetables, root vegetables, and seafood, can be sources of POPs, which are linked to an increased risk of cardiometabolic disorders, including gestational diabetes.
Research Details
The researchers conducted a prospective cohort study using data from the U.S. Fetal Growth Study, involving 1,572 pregnant women (mean age: 28 years, gestational age: 8–13 weeks). Participants represented diverse ethnic groups: 30.6% Hispanic, 30% Black, 20.6% white, and 18.8% Asian or Pacific Islander.
Plasma samples were analyzed for 76 POPs, including organochlorine pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and PFAS. The participants also completed food frequency questionnaires to determine their aMED scores.
Findings:
- Gestational Diabetes Rates: 3.88% of participants (61 women) developed gestational diabetes.
- Diet and POP Exposure: Higher adherence to aMED combined with low POP concentrations was associated with the lowest risk of gestational diabetes.
- Women with high aMED scores and low levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PCBs had significantly lower risks compared to those with low aMED scores and high POP exposure.
- Even after adjusting for lipid levels, PCBs were a significant factor (logOR = –0.74; 95% CI, –1.41 to –0.07).
- Prepregnancy Weight: The protective effects of aMED were more pronounced in women who were overweight or obese before pregnancy.
Study Limitations
The researchers acknowledged some limitations, including unmeasured covariates and the fact that POP concentrations in this cohort were lower than in the general population, potentially underestimating the effects.
Conclusion and Future Directions
The study concluded that high POP levels could reduce the protective benefits of a Mediterranean diet in preventing gestational diabetes. The lowest risk was observed in women with strong adherence to aMED and low POP concentrations, particularly PCBs.
Future research should include larger and more diverse populations and explore the impact of different diets to confirm and expand upon these findings.
