Following a Mediterranean-style diet during pregnancy may reduce the risk of preeclampsia

Following a Mediterranean->

Previous research has found that a Mediterranean diet based on vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, olive oil, whole grains and fish may reduce the risk of heart disease in adults

Preeclampsia, a disease during pregnancy characterized by severe high blood pressure and liver or kidney damage, is a leading cause of complications and death for mothers and their unborn babies

Black women have a higher risk of developing preeclampsia, but research on potential treatments for high-risk women is limited, according to the researchers

"Among the developed countries, the U.

The study included data on more than 8,500 women enrolled in the Boston birth cohort from 1998 to 2016

The analysis found:

• Preeclampsia occurred in 10% of study participants

  
  

• Women who had diabetes and obesity before pregnancy were twice as likely to have preeclampsia as women without these conditions

  
  

• Among women who followed a Mediterranean->

  
  

• Black women with the lowest Mediterranean diet scores had the highest risk of developing preeclampsia (78 percent) compared with other non-Black women who followed a strict Mediterranean diet

  
  

"We were surprised that women who regularly ate a Mediterranean->

Mijas added: "Women should be encouraged to follow a healthy life>

A limitation of the study was related to the food frequency interviews: These interviews were conducted after pregnancy, and they relied on self-reported information, including which foods were eaten and how often

Co-authors: Xiumei Hong, MD; Ying Wang, MD; Donggen Li, rd, MSPH; Tiange Liu, mhs, MBBS; Yu Zhang, MHS; Erin D.

The Boston Birth Cohort Study was supported in part by the Ten Cents Project; the National Institutes of Health; and the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.