Diet associated with air pollution leads to gestational diabetes

In 2012, gestational diabetes affected 8% of pregnancies in metropolitan France according to health insurance website. And this percentage would be constantly increasing because of several risk factors such as the increasingly late age of women at the time of pregnancy or overweight..

According to a study published in Environment International magazine, gestational diabetes could also be due to air pollution and dietary habits. During their work, the researchers showed that the consumption of meat or processed foods could increase one of the harmful effects of exposure to air pollution: gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes: risks for the mother and the fetus

Gestational diabetes – also called gestational diabetes – is an increase in blood sugar (i.e. the amount of sugar in the blood) that appears when a woman is pregnant and disappears after childbirth. During the first half of pregnancy, the rate of insulin secretion and sensitivity to this hormone increase. This can cause drops in blood sugar called hypoglycaemia, especially at night and upon waking. From around the fourth month, glucose tolerance decreases. The placenta increases its production of hormones, which induces the body’s resistance to the action of insulin. In response, the pancreas secretes more to regulate blood sugar levels. But, in some women, the pancreas does not fulfill this function and the blood sugar level then becomes too high: this is gestational diabetes.

This is dangerous for the mother and the foetus. The mother-to-be can suffer from high blood pressure or develop pre-eclampsia (a pregnancy disease that combines high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine). She is also more likely to have a caesarean section or premature delivery. The fetus may also be stunted.

Multiple risk factors

In detail, the researchers found several factors that can influence the onset of gestational diabetes. They first ensure that long-term exposure to air pollution before pregnancy increases the risk of developing gestational diabetes. And all the more so if the woman’s diet includes a lot of foods of animal origin.

Indeed, participants with a higher consumption of meat, eggs and processed products and exposed to air pollution before pregnancy had higher rates of gestational diabetes. On the other hand, those with gestational diabetes were also generally older, had a higher body mass index (BMI), a greater family history of diabetes and higher levels of exposure to air pollution.

Thus, to guard against the risk of developing gestational diabetes, but also for health in general, it is recommended not to eat too much meat or eggs during the week and to avoid prepared meals and fast food.