High dietary fibre may reduce risk of high blood pressure in pregnant
womenEating a high-fibre diet can improve cholesterol levels and may reduce the
risk of preeclampsia in pregnant mothers, according to a study in the American
Journal of Hypertension.
Preeclampsia is a form of pregnancy-associated high blood pressure that occurs
in about 5% to 7% of all pregnancies and typically starts after the 20th week.
It can cause health problems during pregnancy such as bleeding, cerebral
hemorrhage, liver and kidney failure.
High-fibre diets have been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, but
little research has been done on its benefits during pregnancy. In this study,
researchers wanted to see what effect dietary fibre has on the blood pressure
and cholesterol levels of pregnant women.
A 121-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was given to 1,538 pregnant women
from Washington to assess maternal dietary intake at three months before and
during early pregnancy.
Women that had the highest intake of fibre, habitually consuming more than 21 g
per day, experienced a 67% reduced risk of preeclampsia compared to women with
the lowest levels of fibre, averaging 12 g per day. Higher levels of soluble
fibre seemed especially important. Women who ate the highest amounts of fibre
had reduced triglycerides, a potentially harmful blood fat, by 11.9 mg/dll and
improved HDL-cholesterol, the healthy kind, by 2.63 mg/dll.
These results suggest that fibre may be beneficial to heart health in pregnant
women, as well as in the general population. It suggests that eating high levels
of fibre, both soluble and insoluble, may improve the levels of fat in the blood
and reduce the risk of preeclampsia in pregnant women.
Heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of death for Canadian women, yet
only 13 per cent of Canadian women recognize that these are their most important
health issues. The Heart Truth is a campaign championed by the Foundation to
raise awareness about the risk of heart disease and stroke for women.
