Pre-pregncy potato consumption linked to gestatiol diabetes

New York, Jan 13: Women who eat more potatoes before pregncy may be at a higher risk of gestatiol diabetes - the form that occurs during pregncy - compared to women who consume fewer potatoes, a new study says. The researchers suggested that substituting potatoes with other vegetables, legumes or whole grains may help lower gestatiol diabetes risk. Gestatiol diabetes is a common pregncy complication that causes high blood sugar levels in the mother and the disorder can lead to future health problems for both mother and child.

The researchers from the US tiol Institutes of Health (NIH) and Harvard University evaluated more than 15,000 women from 1991 to 2001 who had no history of illness before pregncy and had no gestatiol diabetes before.

Every four years, the women filled out a questionire on the kinds of foods they had eaten during the previous year. For potatoes, the women were asked if they had consumed baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes, fries or potato chips. The researchers found that women who ate more potatoes had a higher risk of gestatiol diabetes. (IANS)