According to a new study, carbohydrate consumption appears to have a stronger influence on glycemic control among pregnant women with type 1 diabetes (T1D) than BMI or gestational weight gain.
The discoveries might transform how doctors monitor and counsel T1D patients. Researchers published the study, "Carbohydrate quantity is more closely associated with glycaemic control than weight in pregnant women with type 1 diabetes; insights from the Diabetes and Pre-eclampsia Intervention Trial (DAPIT)," in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.
Weight Becoming A Problem Among Pregnant Women
Corresponding author Alyson Hill, Ph.D., of the University of Ulster in the United Kingdom, and colleagues said in a statement that the problem of excessive weight and obesity among pregnant women appears to be becoming worse. In the United Kingdom, 28% of pregnant women are considered overweight, with 17% obese.
It is a specific issue since both a high pre-pregnancy BMI and T1D are risk factors for poor pregnancy outcomes; Hill and colleagues found that the risk is considerably higher when a patient has both.
Pregnant women with T1D are usually advised to improve their glycemic control by monitoring glucose, insulin, and dietary changes. Their weight increase throughout pregnancy is also meticulously watched.
However, the researchers sought to examine if carbohydrate intake played a role in glycemic control in this particular patient population.
They pointed out that carbohydrate intake is the most critical factor in post-meal hyperglycemia, and some data suggests that a reduced carbohydrate diet may help patients control their T1D, while the researchers cautioned that the existing literature on the topic is ambiguous.
ALSO READ : What Is Celiac Disease? Best Source of Carbohydrates and Nutrients for a Gluten-Free Diet
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) currently advises a moderate carbohydrate diet for the mother and fetus. Still, Hill and colleagues sought to see if non-optimal carbohydrate consumption had any harmful effects on glycemic control.
The researchers used data from 547 pregnant women who took part in a preliminary trial that looked at antioxidant supplementation to reduce pre-eclampsia. Patients in the research had blood samples tested for glycated hemoglobin (A1C) at 26 and 34 weeks and dietary questionnaires completed at 26 and 28 weeks.
The patients in the study were primarily White (98 percent) and were 29.4 years old on average. Their diabetes had been present for an average of 11.8 years. Their average BMI was 26.7 kg/m2 at the start of the study (before 16 weeks of pregnancy). The majority (43 percent) were overweight or obese (20 percent ).
Carbohydrate Intake Is The Key
The researchers discovered a connection between A1C and carbohydrate amount and quality after controlling for insulin dosage, but not for BMI.
Almost all women in the research (96 percent) consumed more carbs than the ADA advises (175 grams per day), and carbohydrates accounted for 55 percent of their total energy consumption. According to the authors, 70% of the women in the research acquired more than the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy.
The researchers noted that their study only looked at one stage of pregnancy and that the relationships between weight, carbohydrate consumption, and glycemic control may differ at subsequent times.
The majority of pregnant and lactating women require around 175-210 grams of carbs each day, Food Insight reported.
Researchers suggest that physicians should also continue to give pre-pregnancy counseling to women with T1D and highlight the necessity of weight control. The researchers, however, believe that carbohydrate consumption should also be discussed.
RELATED ARTICLE : Best Low Fat Food for Weight Loss? Eat This Before Bedtime, According to Dietitians
Check out more news and information on Medicine and Health in Science Times.
