HEALTH NEWS.

OLIVE OIL. PREVENTING DIABETES DURING PREGNANCY.

A study conducted by researchers from the ‘Hospital Clínico San Carlos’ in Madrid, Spain and published in PloS One, have shown that if a pregnant woman consumes more than four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a handful of nuts per day, such as pistachios, the probability of developing diabetes during their pregnancy reduces by 30%. The study also showed that the dose of insulin was halved in the cases of pregnant women that we already suffering from diabetes.

Other benefits that were found were:

• A reduction of the number of urinary infections, which are so frequent during pregnancy.

• A reduction of perineal incidents in labour.

• An improvement of the postnatal period, for both the woman and the child.

The four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil would be used as salad dressing, as part of the Mediterranean ‘Sofrito’ (made with tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onion) as part of salsas, etc.

The reason as to why pistachios were used within this study, as opposed to any other type of nuts, was because they have a shell. The fact that you have to take the shell off the nut before eating it, meant that the feeling of satiety reached the brain quicker in comparison to the other types of nuts that didn’t have any.

The study also showed that pregnant women that followed this diet did not gain any weight whilst those that ate foods rich in trans fats, i.e. snacks, did. 

To conclude, this study showed that all the ingredients that compose the Mediterranean diet contributed to improving everyone’s overall state of health but that of pregnant women in particular. The Mediterranean diet has a range of health benefits that make it a real gem, which including its richness in antioxidants and its incredible anti-inflammatory qualities amongst others.