A so-called Mediterranean diet primarily of plant-based foods, whole grains and fish could reduce pregnancy risks and birth complications for women, according to a new study.
The study of 7,798 pregnant women conducted by 16 health researchers was published Thursday in JAMA Network Open. It found pregnancy risks dropped by 21% among those consuming a Mediterranean diet around the time of conception and during early pregnancy.
More studies will be needed “to assess whether dietary modification around the time of conception” might help reduce the “future development” of heart disease among women, the researchers wrote.
Women of all races, ethnicities and body weights benefited from following a Mediterranean diet, said Dr.