Risk of gestational diabetes : plant-based diet versus other dietary patterns

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a "complication during pregnancy where women without no previous diabetes mellitus (DM) develop diabetes during pregnancy” (Mak et al., 2018, p. 1). Zamani et.al (2019) identify several risk factors for GDM, including dietary factors. Also, basal metabolic index (BMI), both before and during pregnancy, was seen to have a significant association with GDM. For this reason, the PICO question “Does a plant-based diet compared to other dietary patterns reduce the risk of gestational diabetes in pregnant women?” was created to generate focused research studies. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to reduce selection bias. The criteria included pregnant women and plant-based diet, excluding non-pregnant women. Peer reviewed and academic articles, in English language, and which were published in the last 10 years, were included. A methodological search which is clearly evident in PRISMA flow chart was carried out using EBSCO host and PubMed and applying keywords in several combinations to provide relevant studies. This search generated an outcome of 3 prospective cohort studies and 2 case-control studies. The method conducted for critical appraisal of all the five retrieved articles was the CASP tool (2022). The results of the literature review, were that plant-based diet is associated with a reduced risk of GDM. It was identified that an increased intake of plant-based foods such as legumes, nuts, fish, fruits and vegetables were related to a lower risk of GDM, whilst a diet high in refined carbohydrates, saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, red and processed meat, and sweetened drinks are related to an increased risk of GDM (Zamani et.al, 2019). Thus, ensuring that women have a healthy BMI is essential in the prevention of GDM. The local context was also evaluated and recommendations for practice, education, management, and further research such as the development of evidence-based practice (EBP) guidelines and the involvement of a specialised multidisciplinary team were suggested.