Healthy Diet Could Lessen Hypertension Risk Following Gestational Diabetes, Study Says

Women with healthy diets have a lower chance of developing hypertension years after having pregnancy-related diabetes. This is according to a study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other institutions that analyzed the health histories of almost 4,000 women.

"Our study suggests that women who have had gestational diabetes may indeed benefit from a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and low in red and processed meats," Dr. Cuilin Zhang said via a new release from the NIH. Dr. Zhang is a senior author of the study and is from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Groundbreaking Study

The study is the first to show that a healthy diet lowers the risk of hypertension among women who have had gestational diabetes before. For over 22 years, participants answered questionnaires on their eating habits every four years.

During these periods, 1,069 women developed hypertension. Those with healthy diets were found to be 20 percent less likely to develop hypertension.

The study identified three sets of healthy diets involving large amounts of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish and small amounts of red meat, processed meat and salt. The three diets are called the Mediterranean-style diet, Alternative Healthy Eating Index and the Dietary Approach To Stop Hypertension (DASH), Medical News Today reports.

No Known Reason

The American Diabetes Association notes that gestational diabetes occurs when pregnant women who have no history of diabetes develop high sugar levels. This usually happens during the 24^th week of pregnancy. The cause is unknown but it begins when the body cannot create and use all the insulin, the hormone responsible for the usage of sugar, needed for pregnancy, as per Endocrine Web.

Around 5 percent of pregnant women in the United States develop gestational diabetes, the NIH said. Gestational diabetes heightens the risk for premature births and above average size of babies.

Most women with pregnancy-related diabetes revert to normal blood sugar levels after they give birth. However, those who have had it have a larger chance of developing hypertension and Type 2 diabetes.